What Really Happened Between Trainee A and HYBE | Drama Behind The Scenes or REBRANDING?! 

I personally think most of the members will debut sometime next year under a different label or entertainment. Whether or not they want to debut or not, I wish all of them the best endeavors & wishes. ❤️

I always thought it was really bad idea to make social media for a predebut group, debut plans always get cancelled or the lineup changes or simply they don’t want to release the group

I was really looking forward to their debut ☹️ I hope they can have a chance to debut again. THEY WOULD BE ONE OF THE BIGGEST 4TH GEN KPOP GROUP

Like him or not, Leo leaving was the biggest blow to their debut and them as a group. Leo was the main member, the channel was filled with mainly him, it was obvious the company wanted him to be at the center of attention, which he was. He was probably going to be the leader and was decent at rapping, singing, dancing and producer, was also good looking. He was the most popular member before the controversy. But honestly, if it wasn't for Yorch's message, I'd think that maybe they deleted the Trainee A channel because debut was near? Perhaps they wanted a fresh start for them and the entire Trainee A channel was just a sneak peak for the actual debut. Bighit would be stupid to let go of this line up, in my opinion. They might have a tough time in Korea because they have a lot of foreign members but internationally they would kill it. The set of skills the members bring to the group especially in terms of rap and dance is unmatched in the K-pop industry.

The important thing to consider here was that Trainee A were not once, ever, officially recognised by BigHit or HYBE. There was never an official statement from the company, nor declaration that they were working towards or going to debut. The ONLY thing promised by the channel was to document the process of them becoming a team. They weren't even official on their 1M Subscriber plaque from RU-vid - their name was instead a set of numbers from the channel URL.

I just wanna see JJ again. He was such an amazing dancer.

I wish all of the boys a successful future❤️

Simple trainee a was created because of Leo just like Rm, and when Leo left, big hit saw that the group wasn’t ready, this is what happen when you build a group around one person... I really hope those boys get to debut whether it’s with big hit or with other company

That's actually really sad. I was looking forward to seeing JJ debut. Seen a lot of his dance battles, he's a talented little guy.

The atmosphere in the group must have taken a big hit after Leo left. Being a trainee with a closely approaching debut must be so stressful, I bet what happened was that multiple members wanted out due to it eventually being too stressful and not as much fun anymore.

Trainee A should never have happened the way it did. The boys got too much exposure too quickly, not to mention the pressure they were under and they didn't even debut yet. Had the Leo thing happened behind closed doors, no one would have known any better and he could have learned from the situation. Trainees make all kinds of mistakes but these are not put all over the internet for netizens to criticize them. Also, what is wrong with HYBE staff? Do they need some kind of sensitivity training? Why would they put that video of Leo out, in the first place?! 🙄 I hope HYBE have learned from this.

a lot of us were eagerly waiting for them to debut because of how hard they worked, but i just hope they get a chance to debut in a different company one day.

just imagine sangwon's 6 years of training just for nothing :

I was soo sad the day it was announced,,,i was sooo excited for their debut and even would pre order they're albums They were the first group i stanned before debut I am still rooting for them✊🏻💙

to be fair, leo was like a backbone for them. he was supposed to be the leader and he stayed with the members long enough before his departure. we all saw how that impacted them, they were all crying with him whenever he cried and they didn't post anything for some time after he left. it's very unfortunate this happened, especially since leo was very genuine in his multiple apologies. i hope they are happy at least, they don't deserve what they had to go through.

I really hope they manage to debut together.. I've been waiting so long and I believe they too')

This is really sad. It sucks to see young boys who worked really hard have their dreams sunk like that. I have a lot of thoughts about it though. 1) I think its funny how Leo was shredded online then people act shocked that he left because he felt pressured. The Kpop scene doesn't allow for any flaws, especially when it comes to behavior, and will push people to the absolute brink of mental destruction just for funsies. 2) If Leo was the backbone and he left, the company would need to rebrand everything anyway. And, on that note, Aloners Association is the worst name possible! It sounds like one of the fake names people call stray kids when the feel like dragging them. I hope, with the rebrand, they come up with a better name that Aloners Association! and 3) I don't think BH anticipated the success of their Japanese group. They are technically under BigHit and were received really really well in Japan and in general. Also, one of the contestants on their show who didn't make it but was hugely popular and very talented, Gaku, is hopefully still with BigHit and might be a possible new member of any new trainee group they do form.

I still have hope that JJ will debut🙏 they need to debut him, i do not think that they can afford to let go of a rare gem like him. TraineeA needs to debut together! I’ve grown attached to them already🥲

That so sad.. Leo's lyrics were offensive, but no one deserves to be bullied.. I hope he now understands what was wrong and be successful in future

When trainee a was first revel they showed 3 members leo, sangwon, junil. Junji was a free style dancer and a singer but after 3 weeks of being in the group and his vlogs he left and terminated his contract and jj was reveled next. It was supposed to be 8 members total. I don’t think the debut was canceled bc of Leo. I mean if u did watch their showdown u saw how the staff treated them. When they gave their best dance and was the most in sync they been working with the 3 new members they just got a week ago the staff/ dance supervisor would call them “pathetic” and say stuff like “this is trash you guys are so awful you won’t debut” let’s not forget they made their own song on 1 computer in the dance studio with barely any equipment and no skills in producing to get called names and say the song wasn’t good. Hybe really didn’t give Trainee a the attention they deserve. Then after Leo left they did get less active. In my opinion if this was going to happen and hybe knew they weren’t going to debut they should have never gave these kids false hope. They should have never exposed these kids this early if they were just gonna throw them away.

I really wanted to see JJ debut as a kpop idol! He's such a great dancer! I still think they will debut under a different name!

This is so sad! I was looking forward to their debut, however, I am not that shocked as it is hard to debut and even one tiny mistake can mess everything up. This industry is truly cut throat and filled with so much pressure. It is no wonder so many artists have a lot of psychological problems. However, I wish all of the members the Best regardless of what each of them decide to do. It should not be the end of their dreams and hope they get another chance to do what they want to do. Good luck to all of them!

Was really looking forward to this group especially JJ 😭Hoping the best for them!

James was a back up dancer for Jungkook's seven performance in inkigayo

I was so excited... it was such a diverse line up and they were so talented. I saw their pre-debut mv that they made with one of their phones and it was *SO GOOD*! It was the first group I stanned from pre-debut. I'm so mad at big hit. Maybe they will debut under a new label? Either way I really wish the best for their future endeavors

It's really a shame bc they were set to become one of the biggest group of the world, their dancing skills were the best

Honestly I feel like HYBE just didn't think the group was Korean enough after Leo left. They didn't want to add new members because they specifically planned to introduce and build up the reputations of the lineup predebut. Their plan was very carefully planned, and any issues would cause it all to fall apart (and it did).

I wish I could stay positive and believe in the "restructure" of the group, but I just don't see that happening. Deleting predebut content and social pages with a big following makes no sense. The company would just change the name of the social pages like they did for the transition between &AUDITION and &TEAM and keep their followers. The only thing we can maybe hope for is for some of the members staying with the company or getting a call back to join a future project like Yunjin from LE SSERAFIM. Trainee A as we know it with all the members we love probably won't exist, but I hope the fandom at least supports the members in their individual projects. I'm so sad it ended up this way.

Welcome to 131 LEO❤❤❤

I truly believe kpop fan culture has become one of the most toxic things about the industry. The Leo situation was blown way out of proportion, it's almost comical. The criticism wasn't unwarranted, but much of it was just too extreme. Kpop stans love to preach that kpop idols "are human", yet, they can never make mistakes and grow from them. Their careers are immediately ended. Fans have set the standard that idols need to be perfect 24/7 or it could be at the detriment to the careers. This (along with other stressors), is why so many idols have such deep mental health problems. I hope the other boys get to debut soon! 💕

They were monster rookies in the making it was sad that they had to go what happened!?!😭😭☁️❤️❤️Send them love

It’s sad that all of this happened in the first place, but I hope that the boys get the chance to debut again :( I can’t imagine their dreams, training years and all the potential going to waste, they were so great!

Release my son JJ from Hybe’s basement!! He needs to see the light and be able to expose his talent to the world! He is too talented to just be kept like this for goodness’ sake!

This group had so much potential and I truly believe they would have become very successful with such a solid line-up. I honestly can't believe just how many scandals HYBE has failed to prevent. Who doesn't make mistakes? Leo should have been given a second chance but the public obviously wouldn't agree, so here the company should have noticed the controversial lyrics and stopped its release. As such a big and international company now, I'm just really surprised at HYBE's incompetence in this.

crazy how they got mad at Leo for the misogynistic rap (as they should) but western male artists get away with it all time...💀

i was really rooting for them since first day. I hope they'll be succesful someday so i can watch them perform on stage as an idol. Best wishes to each of you.

I was so excited for their debut that I even had their picture on my social media account headers😭 It’s so sad that Leo left and now it’s even worse that this happened. Even so, I will still support each of the members! ❤

Im still waiting for their debut 😭😭😭

I was really excited to see Woochan debut 😢 i was there when he started from SMTM so my excitement when i discovered he was “gonna” debut was off the roof that’s why it’s so heartbreaking to hear the news 😣

I feel like Leo feeling depression with mental pressure impacted the whole group’s mental health coz it’s extremely hard being an idol in a big company like Hybe. As a stan of a Hybe group (Enhypen) I can say that for sure that it has changed them a lot, they used to be way more happier & relaxed during debut era, now they’re under heavy pressure 24*7, the physical exhaustion from dancing daily for hours non stop, the mental pressure of being top tier being in biggest company, making no mistakes, the constant online hate & what not, everything is just TOO MUCH ! Anyone would fall under depression like this tbh 😔 I pray for all these idols 🙏🏻 specially those under big demanding companies like Hybe who don’t even let idols breathe 😢

I feel really bad for them, I hope they eventually get to debut!

Much speculation but whatever the truth, Hybe knows what they are doing, they will not end projects lightly especially when they have invested so much into them. Hybe do protect, support and nurture their Artists, they have many plans for them. It may not be the end for Trainee A, they do have so much potential and talent, it would be a shame to let that go to waste. Wish them all the best ❤️

I really hope the members can debut in other groups, they worked so hard to be in trainee A and for the project to be scraped like that is just damn. I haven't been a kpop fan for long but what I've noticed with some musicians is that if one group doesn't work out, then in the next year or two we'll see them in a different group im rooting for these guys, they'll debut soon maybe not as trainee A but they'll debut

I feel bad and cried when hearing that they weren't going to debut. It was bad timing Garam and Leo almost at the same time. I miss them... and I worry about what is going to be their future. I think about JJ all the time... and the others.

I been a Yorch fan since his Thai drama days and wanted him to debut so badly 😭

They are so *TALENTED* so im more than sure *THEY WILL GET HUGE SUCCESS* in whatever they do

Imagine HOW MANY trainees go through this canceled debut situation, man, this must be so frustrating!!!!!!

Leo wrote bad lyrics but Hybe let him do it and posted the video. They removed because it got backlash, nobody else stopped that boy. Do not only blame him then

It's so sad and disappointing that the group won't debut 😞. I was really looking forward for them to debut. They were already very popular and have fans. They have potential. What a shame 😔

I was super upset when hearing they weren’t gonna debut, I was excited for it.

I was waiting for their debut, the whole thing ending like that was such a dumb conclusion it's sad.

It’s heartbreaking to see how close they were to debut, it was pretty much promised to them and all of the hard work that not only the company but also those trainees put in and their sacrifices from the foreign members being so far away from home to the hours the had to put in. This is just heartbreaking

They would've been monster rookies

I'm gonna become mad if hybe never let's them debut for a stupid reason. They would've been one of the most successful 4th gen groups. Unless they wanna take a break, that's alright and they can.

To be honest I just think shutting down all the updates is a marketing strategy, this is to draw more attention to the group as many people are constantly searching for more information about the project's sudden closure. I think they will definitely debut in 2023 so don't lose hope!

i miss them so muchㅠㅠ i hope that they could still debut but im not sure.... they were the best and ive been following them since day 1

This is the reality of kpop. It’s a business. That’s what usually happens behind closed doors, this company just made the mistake of giving too much coverage on trainees that weren’t fixed yet.

I was waiting for them to debut they were so popular now I find out all this happened if bighit restructures the group I hope the majority of them come back I am always rooting for them ❤

Its so sad like they were so excited to debut and i was patiently waiting for there debut so sad to hear this news

I really hope Hybe is going to do the right thing for these boys and their fans. I hope they don’t let them get scooped up by other agencies after everything they have invested in them. It’s very disappointing.☹️

I wish the trainees had better careful psychological advisors or therapists to process their feelings and the pressure. Leo should not have had to swallow all of it up until it all broke down…

I wish they can debut all together somewhere!!! They all look great and cool together!! Well wherever they go, I hope it's good or something 🤩😍

I was really surprised when Leo decided to leave the group like he traveled from Australia to south korean to persue his dream and him just leaving like that was weird like he might've already knew they're not debuting the group . And i personally felt like after the affiliated agency debuted &team they had less chances .

I did lose interest after Leo left but I am pretty sad that bighit did that to them. Its so unfair. 💔 they wasted these boys time.

When I heard about it I was so sad because even if they didn’t debut yet I knew that I would Stan them this is so sad

im so sad for them ! they worked so hard ! I hope they will achieve their dreams no matter what

Hope they debut under different agencies and get recognition

I really miss them... I really hope and wish that the other members will debut :'(

If they didn't debuted then bighit really really lost the most talented gems.... We all know how talented these boys are, we all are familiar with their talents, they all are really really very talented, and if what I'm thinking is true then bighit really lost the most talented gems..... They would've have bring them a massive profit but they lost all of them....

Some people are pointing out how much money their agency must have used for resources and training and even sending them to LA to train over there too. So to mot debut them after all would actually be money lost on their agency. So they must have had a valid reason to not debut them in the end. Whatever it may be, a company wouldnt just stop a project with so much money invested for nothing.

regarding these "controversial speech/lyrics," i love how kpop stans will just "OH HE'S 17 SO HE'S STILL A MINOR, HE DOESN'T KNOW YET" and when he turns 19 "OH HE'S AN ADULT, HE SHOULD'VE KNOWN BETTER" as if in 1 year,, he's all mature and knows about world problems and shits not defending him but kpop stans are so hypocritical.. there's no age limit where you're supposed to know it all. you make mistakes, you learn and you grow... that's how it goes till you die

i was really saddened to hear when Leo left and now hearing that the group disbanded :( I will continue to support them with their future endeavors 🤍 and looking at Leo’s recent instagram, he seems to be doing much better which is all that matters

I still love trainee A and support them. ❤hope they will debut idk why hybe ur doing this but u have to let them debut 😌🥺

I have not followed any trainee before debut except trainee A and found them very very good. I hope they can still debut with or without Leo.

Not much time has passed since it's only Jan. 2, but I hope that they continue to be friends. They've spent so much time together and have been through so much that i would hate for that all to go away just because they are no longer training together, and most have probably gone back to their own countries

Missing their supposed leader and not finding one who could replace him is i'm sure a big chunk of why a group couldn't debut. I haven't seen a group who debuted without one... it might be seen as an ominous start.

Love them all. I feel so bad for them. All that hard work. I pray they go into other groups where they debut.

i want them to debut i don't care if they add new members i'm too attached to them

Leo debuts as soloist under 131 and Yorch debuts with POW under GRID. Like Yorch said ‘no matter what they do or which way they go I hope everyone will support them as always’ I love that they show up on public one by one (this is not what I want but nah at least we still see them around) You will regret this BH =(

Good to see that Yorch ended up in POW.

I just started stanning them like a week ago and this happened. I was so sad but i hope that all of the members would debut in other labels or groups that hybe entertainment is making!

I hope they will be successful in future

i was really looking forward to them and hearing they won’t continue honestly made me sad😭

i am still goin to believe that the other 5 members are preparing for debut with just 5 of then or maybe some new/other trainees, but i just need to believe and want for at least the 5 of them to debut together… 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼✨✨✨ i wish yorch the best and hope to see him soon either in the drama industry or as an idol, and leo’s music comming this yeR so very excited for that!!!

I’m not into kpop but ive watched these boys and liked them a lot I’m so sad I wanted them to debut so bad lol i was gonna be a stan 😢

HYBE has been having some issues regarding management and stuff cause it’s such a big company now. Hoping there’s something good in store for them even if it’s not now.

This is so sad, they worked so hard they didn't deserve this 😢 they were all so talented, i wanted to see them grow 😔this would've been my favourite 4th gen BG

I hope they still debut as a group in any entertainment😭- All of them who still wanted in, at least.

Im sorry but it feel incredibly weird being obsessed with a predebut group…

Not gonna lie, this got me sad. I was waiting for their debut. Hope they’re all doing well and keep pursuing their dreams. I do believe Big Hit (HYBE) wouldn’t waste all this time and money just for it to all disappear. Wishing at least some of the guys to debut with new members (although I was already attached to the original Trainee A members). Guess we’ll see what 2023 brings.

I'm still waiting for them 😢😢

This is very sad honestly. I didn't know about them until not so long ago before Leo left, and honestly all the content and the fandom that they have really made me think that having one member less wouldn't be like a huge change, except that maybe their debut would take a little longer. But just hearing that the project ended by Yorch really hit me. I sincerely wish that they could continue as a team, but I have no idea if they are going to debut or not :(

okay so when they announced the project ended i literally cried.... i was waiting for their debut for such a long time.... i wasn't happy when leo left, since he was my bias but that wasn't gonna stop me from supporting them and rooting for them, as i just grew to love all the members so much. they had an insane amount of followers, they had more attention as a pre debut group than some active kpop groups. i really hope that they ended trainee_a to get a clean cut, to leave the controversy behind. ig some people still think of leo's scandal when they think of trainee_a, so it might be a smart move to end the project, delete all former content and have them come back with probably a different line up and a new name. since they had so much attention i think this will only work to a certain extent but i sincerly hope that those were bighits intentions. i also hope that the amount of attention, their huge following and their obvious talent won't go to waste and that bighit feels like they invested a lot. i mean fr bighit u had a perfectly functioning group. they had it all. okay so leo left and they may feel the need to replace him - i get that and i also understand that it's not easy to just replace him with the groups dynamic. i find that bighit has really poor management when it comes to the mental well being of their artists. the way staff talked to trainee_a was harsh and i understand that you have to be tough on them in order to prepare them for debut but i didn't find is incouraging and i understand why that may lead to members questioning their abilities. leo was considered the ace and he wasn't taken care well enough. if u see someone with obvious talent, please take your time and incourage them, give them nice words for a change, instead they were always just threatening them with the canellation of their debut. i really hope this isn't what has happenend in the end. it's still said that bighit will debut a new group next year, and that zicos label will debut a boygroup, so maybe trainee_a members where moved there. tbh their vibe would fit so well into koz because they had more of a hip hop feel than the "classic" boygroup (i hope people understand what i mean by that). hope dies last ig and i hope i won't be too disappointed if they don't debut as a whole. tho i was pleasently surprised not seeing any of the members joining boys planet 999 which ngl gave me a lot of hope that they will still be active as a group together. i really don't want to see them scattered everywhere ...

I think they will debut but not the OT6/7 we have known for the past 2 years. Another member probably left during their debut preparations and I think BigHit reshuffled them. With Leo leaving, the teams balance was already thrown off, and if someone else left, then it just made things even worse. I'm sure that BigHit will debut Aloners association next year with a bunch of the Trainee A boys and some new members. They probably deleted the content so that they can use the accounts but without content of the members that have left. I'm sure that 3-5 of them will debut in Aloners Association next year. I just hope that all the other members will also get a chance to debut one day. All we can do now is wait. Hybe has a lot of things planned for next year. I'm sure we'll see them again

The song "Move On" by Leo.... made me realise how talented in production and versatile Leo is.....

I was so looking forward to their debut😭

I REALLY hope JJ is put into some group since his dancing & looks are ideal.

I do think some trainee members have shuffled around and will have some members debut in KOZ and Pledis's new boy group.

I was so excited for them FR

I hope these fans would look back at trainee A and realise how much influence their bullshit comments have on someone's life. Trainee A could've been a big group, touring cities and charting billboard but now they're all in a completely different direction and situations. Leo's case was not that serious tbh who knows what namjoon wrote in his 'runch randa' days. And honestly if kpop fans want their idols to be global and break into america then they should at least try to give them half the freedom of American/global artists.