It is the year 2021, and many people are stuck at home, going to places with protection such as face masks and hand sanitizers because the world is still experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and is finding a cure for it. People are finding ways to find entertainment during these times, and during 2021, Mnet aired a reality competition of six boy groups who have made a splash through the K-Pop industry in their own way, and these boys competed to see who comes out on top after a couple of rounds. This show is called Kingdom: Legendary War.
It has been four years now since one group has been crowned champion in that show, and these boys have achieved and encountered many events now. How are your favorite groups doing now? What changed during these four years? In this blog, we will find out what these Kingdom contestants released and have been doing since 2024, so buckle your seatbelts, everyone!
STRAYKIDS
Stray Kids are the winners of Kingdom: Legendary War, securing their title with the song "Wolfgang." Before that, they impressed the viewers by introducing themselves in the first episode with "Miroh," which gave them their first points throughout the show. They then continued as a temporary 7-member group at the time, as Hyunjin went on a hiatus for the rest of the show. This did not hold them back, however, as they continued to perform ahead with stages like "God's Menu + Side Effects" and "God's DDU DDU." As mentioned, Stray Kids were the ones who eventually secured the win of the show with their song Wolfgang, the title taking inspiration from famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the performance starting with the opening notes of the composer's Symphony No. 40.
A lot of events have taken place ever since their win in 2021. In 2024, the K-Pop group appeared at the Met Gala with designs made by Tommy Hilfiger, marking them as the first K-Pop group to debut on a Met Gala red carpet. They’re still nothing short of events from last year, though. In May 2024, they released the single “Lose My Breath” featuring Charlie Puth, released the album “ATE” starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in their music video “Chk Chk Boom” (and in turn made a single called “SLASH” for the movie “Deadpool and Wolverine”), and even collaborated with Young Miko and Tom Morello for “Come Play,” a track featured in the Netflix series Arcane. Not to mention, Stray Kids headlined for Lollapalooza Chicago last August 2024. Stray Kids recently released an EP titled “Mixtape: DominATE” and are currently touring South America for “DominATE”; their stop in Bulacan occurred last November 2024. They have renewed their contract with JYP Entertainment, as it is their 7th year as a group, so it is safe to say that we will be able to see more of them for the next 7 years.
THE BOYZ
The Boyz are known in the show as the “Defending Champion” of Kingdom, and that’s because they were crowned as the champion of the season before Legendary War, which is called Road to Kingdom. In their first season, they performed memorable stages such as Quasi una fantasia, where they incorporated Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, specifically the first and third movements. They then won their first season with their song named Checkmate. They continued strongly throughout their second season with Kingdom, though, covering SF9’s O Sole Mio and finishing with a strong 2nd place with KINGDOM COME.
In 2024, they released albums titled [Phantasy] Pt. 3 Love Letter, Gibberish and Trigger. At the end of the year, The Boyz left their original company, IST Entertainment, and signed a new contract with another company called ONE HUNDRED. The Boyz went to Manila for their world tour titled “Zeneration II” back in August 2024. They have also made a comeback with their third full-length album titled “Unexpected” on March 17, 2025, which sold over 743k copies in its first week. However, their comeback also saw their leader, Sangyeon, begin military service.
ATEEZ
Ateez is another well-known group among the lineup, finishing the show with an amazing 3rd place. Their performances displayed their ambition and creativity when it comes to their music, one of which being WONDERLAND, which featured Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, titled “From the New World.” If that’s not enough, their next performance as a group in the show sampled a verse in Beethoven’s Ode to Joy.
They’ve seen many events as well ever since their performance and finish in Kingdom: Legendary War. First and foremost, they were chosen as headliners for Marazine and Coachella 2024, one of the most prominent and renowned music festivals in the world. Then, during the same year, the GRAMMY Museum hosted a K-Pop pop-up display with Ateez and their juniors, xikers, in which their outfits and props from their previous comebacks were put out for display. Their comebacks during 2024 include the album Golden Hour, Pt. 1 and 2. This July 2025, Ateez will begin their world tour titled [IN YOUR FANTASY] and has recently released a schedule including North America and Japan. Manila is not included in their schedule yet, but fans can stay tuned as they continue touring around the world!
BTOB
BtoB is the eldest group of the lineup, as they debuted all the way back in 2012, and they were an amazing group of men who supported the other contestants, keeping them comfortable with each other. Because of this, the rest of the groups respected and looked up to them, and as Han from Stray Kids said, “They are the real sunbaenims.” They shouldn’t be taken lightly, though, as they still delivered amazing stages throughout the season, such as covering Stray Kids’ Back Door and Blue Moon. They secured a solid 4th place at the end of the season by performing Finale: Show and Prove.
During early 2024, it was announced that BtoB left Cube Entertainment to move into their new company called BTOB Company. Since then, they have continued their activities as a group there. Members Eunkwang and Minhyuk formed the subunit 90TAN to release a single titled Tang Tang Tang. BtoB have also released three singles titled Please Stay, Be Alright, and Hi Beautiful. Lastly, they have recently released an EP titled Today this March 2025.
IKON
iKON is one of the iconic (no pun intended) groups of this lineup, and it’s not a surprise when they performed cherished songs titled Love Scenario and Killing Me in the second stage of the show. Love Scenario is one of the best songs that the group has had in their career, and it was so popular and catchy that children in South Korea are fixated on the song, and some Korean elementary schools felt the need to ban it because why would they sing a song about a breakup all day? That aside, they showed that they aren’t afraid to deliver a performance other than their second stage, covering Ateez’s Inception and finishing 5th place with their song At Ease.
Sadly, there was not much news about iKON last year and this year. The most recent events that the boys went through were at the end of 2022, when iKON decided not to renew their contract and left YG Entertainment, and in 2023, they signed a new contract with 143 Entertainment and released a full-length album called “Take Off” and a single called “Panorama.” In 2023 as well, they went on a world tour titled “Take Off,” with iKON visiting Manila at the start of August. They also participated in KCON Thailand and Japan the same year. Since then, some members have announced their enlistment in the army, while others went on to have solo careers, and fans would have to wait until they had been discharged for any activities from them.
SF9
Last but not least, SF9. They’re one of the older groups in the show, as they followed iKON when it came to debut. They may have finished 6th, but they did not do it without a fight, as they won 1st place with their cover of The Boyz’s The Stealer and came in second with Move. The group then finished the show with an amazing song titled Believer. Although they have been placed 6th in the final standings, they still have performed amazingly and made good results in the show.
Since 2023, SF9 member Rowoon has departed from the band after everyone else renewed their contract, as he wishes to continue focusing on his individual activities. Because of this, SF9 continues as an 8-member band. By 2024, member Da Won is currently enlisted in the army, but the group released comebacks titled Sequence, ReStart, Fantasy, and D.B.W.H. Last month, SF9 released their 15th mini album, titled Love Race.
Kingdom: Legendary War was a show in 2021 that featured talented and iconic artists that have made a splash in the music industry, and it is interesting to know their journey after the show. From the global domination of Stray Kids and Ateez to the steady success of BtoB and The Boyz, each has been taking their unique journeys to touch the hearts of K-pop fans and make an impact on those who have listened to their music.
Have you watched Kingdom: Legendary War, Beupeus? Feel free to leave a comment on your experiences with watching the show!
Annyeong, beupeus! I am Skye Blu, and I am a Forensic Science student with a huge passion for music, books, and writing stories and poetry. Since 2019, I've been a die-hard fan of K-Pop groups such as Stray Kids and Xdinary Heroes! "Skye, can you write?" This is the one question that triggered a lifelong commitment for me to find my ultimate reason to write. People say that writing is a form of art and expression when verbal words fail to do so, and when I was 10, I started writing stories to express my passion for creativity and adventure. In my 10 years of writing, I realized that everything around me in my everyday life is a story in itself. Since discovering that, I made it my mission to write down my experience with life both fictionally and realistically. I hope that my stories will touch the hearts of people who get to read them and inspire them to start finding their reason and adventures through art, too.
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1 comment
2021 🥹 it’s been so long huhu