HYBE, Geffen Records to launch new girl group

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Entertainment & Arts

Wed, December 6, 2023 | 07:06

K-pop

HYBE, Geffen Records to launch new girl group

Posted : 2023-08-29 17:16

Updated : 2023-08-30 16:06

Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of K-pop powerhouse HYBE, speaks during a press conference at IGA Studios in Los Angeles, Monday (local time). Courtesy of HYBE x Geffen Records

By Dong Sun-hwa

HYBE, home to K-pop megastars BTS and NewJeans, will launch a new girl group in cooperation with American label Geffen Records.

The K-pop powerhouse unveiled 20 contenders for its upcoming audition program, "The Debut: Dream Academy" during a press conference at IGA Studios in Los Angeles, Monday (local time). The participants hail from 12 different countries including Korea, the U.S., Japan, Brazil, Slovakia and Thailand. Their average age is 17.

"I have long wanted to incubate talent from different countries using the K-pop methodology and create a global group adopting the K-pop style," HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk said. "I am truly glad that I can realize my long-standing dream and share this news with you."

The contestants, who were chosen out of 120,000 applicants, have been training at HYBE's American branch and Geffen Records ― a subsidiary of Universal Music Group ― for about a year. The two companies have been preparing for the launch of "The Debut" project since 2021, after establishing the joint venture, HYBE x Geffen Records (HxG). The project intends to transplant HYBE's K-pop system to the U.S. and rev up its global presence.

The hopefuls will vie against one another on "The Debut: Dream Academy" from Sept. 2 to Nov. 18, which will be available on major video/social media platforms including YouTube and Instagram. The final members to debut will be selected through viewers' votes and evaluations by the judges.

Streaming giant Netflix will film the competition and roll out a documentary next year. Nadia Hallgren, the director behind the 2020 Netflix documentary, "Becoming," will take the helm.

"We are happy to announce today we are documenting every step of this journey," Geffen Records Chairman John Janick said. "These women are in control of their destiny, working hard together to develop their unique individual talents on the global stage. We are so excited for everyone to see what they have been working on."

The new female act will perform in the U.S. and beyond, Bang stressed.

"Its members will strive to showcase the best version of themselves in the countries they are connected to," he said. "They will not forget to respect K-pop as well. Korea will become a crucial platform for their musical activity."

sunhwadong@koreatimes.co.kr