“Where are the loser outfits?” — BIGHIT’s reported new boy group sparks hilarious comparisons with BTS & TXT’s debut eras

On April 2, 2025, India Times reported BIGHIT MUSIC's upcoming boy group arrived at Incheon airport, and their looks reminded fans of BTS and TXT's debut era. The rookie group's debut date has yet to be announced, and the name has also been kept confidential. However, fans noted that James from Trainee A is one of the members of the upcoming new group.

HYBE introduced Trainee A in 2022 under BIGHIT MUSIC. The group included seven members—Leo, Yorch, Sangwon, Woochan, James, JJ, and Jihoon. The group was supposed to debut in 2023; however, it did not go as planned.

While HYBE and BIGHIT MUSIC have announced that they will debut a new boy group, the label has yet to confirm further details. Fan speculation, however, indicates that the new upcoming group reportedly consists of Seji, Hajun, Juhoon, James, and Martin.

Meanwhile, the supposed rookie group from BIGHIT MUSIC made headlines recently as fans noted that the five boys looked refined and polished like celebrities. Although the members' visuals earned them praise, BTS and TXT fans couldn't help but share hilarious photos of the two groups' old trainee days.

As revealed by Bang Si-hyuk on You Quiz on the Block and in a Bloomberg interview in November 2023, BTS debuted in 2013 and came from a bankrupt company, BigHit Entertainment (now HYBE). They are known to joke about wearing eyeliner and cheap clothes for their debut, which became an inside joke between BTS and their fans.

Similarly, TXT's debut days included the boys wearing cute yet unfashionable outfits.

Both fandoms hilariously called their respective K-pop group's trainee and debut era fashion "loser." For the unversed, in the K-pop community, the term "loser" is a hilarious way to joke about their favorite idol's clumsy or goofy behavior or action.

On April 3, 2025, fans flooded social media as the picture of the reported upcoming BIGHIT MUSIC's boy group's airport look went viral online. One fan hilariously remarked:

"Where are the loser outfits?"

Both BTS and TXT fandoms reunited to tease their favorite idols lightheartedly. They joked that the leader of the new boy group must have dimples, as it's the "tradition." This is a reference to the fact that BTS leader Namjoon and TXT leader Soobin both have dimples.

"The leader better have dimples we have traditions in this household," a fan wrote.

"Three of them better have the same last name and the leader better have dimples THERE ARE RULES," another fan joked.

"The leader better have dimples yo we have a tradition to uphold," another fan added.

Others joked that BIGHIT MUSIC should give the supposed new group members "counterfeit clothes, eyeliner" to uphold the debut traditions.

"Give me counterfeit clothes, eyeliner and a terrible color palette or do nothing," a fan joked.

"I need losers like this. Cheap eyeliner. $3 chains. Free trial editing apps. Chanel and Gucci fits from Temu. Where the eldest steals his mom's cookware so you can cook and eat well. The whole shebang," another fan added.

"They don't debut losers anymore.... These guys look like celebrities," another fan hilariously wrote.

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What happened to BIGHIT's promising boy group Trainee A that led to its disbandment before debut?

HYBE announced Trainee A in early 2022. The seven members include Leo, Yorch, Sangwon, Woochan, James, JJ, and Jihoon.

They piqued interest with frequent engagement with fans via YouTube and Instagram by showing off their talents and what they did in their daily lives. With the amount of content they created online, they buit a solid fan base back then.

The group's possible rise suddenly turned problematic in December 2021, when member Leo received backlash for self-written rap lyrics that were deemed misogynistic and offensive. The lyrics featured a video titled Showdown, which led to the video being taken down quickly, and both Leo and the Trainee A production team issued formal apologies.

In August 2022, Leo revealed that he would be leaving Trainee A, citing internal pressures and mental health issues. In a video announcement, he expressed gratitude for his time in the group but stated that the constant worrying had become too much to handle.

Trainee A's path changed considerably in December 2022, when BIGHIT MUSIC announced it had shut down all social media channels of the group.

Subsequently, member Yorch confirmed the group's disbandment through his personal social media account. He conveyed gratitude to fans and apologized for the project's conclusion, marking the end of Trainee A's collective journey.

Following the disbandment, former members embarked on individual paths within the entertainment industry:

• Leo: In July 2023, Leo joined 131 Label, home to artist B.I, and debuted as a solo artist with the single "One Look" in August 2023.
• Yorch: After departing from HYBE, Yorch debuted with the group POW under GRID Entertainment, following a solo single release.
• Sangwon: He has released solo music on platforms like SoundCloud, indicating a potential solo career.
• Woochan: Maintains an active presence on Instagram, though specific career plans remain unannounced.
• Jihoon: Debuted with boy group TWS under Pledis Entertainment, another HYBE subsidiary, in 2024.
• JJ: Joined SM Entertainment in 2024 as a trainee.
• James: Believed to still be with HYBE, James was recently spotted as a backup dancer for BTS member Jungkook.

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Currently, BTS members are gearing up for their military discharge in June 2025 and their return to the entertainment industry. TXT is on their ACT: PROMISE -EP.2 2025 World Tour.