Mega idol bands new K-pop trend
Lee Soo-man, the founding chairman and producer of S.M. Entertainment / Courtesy of SM Entertainment
Bigger is better in the K-pop industry this year, with mega idol bands all the rage.
With huge sums of money and the experience of major entertainment companies, large-scale bands are being readied for their debut.
Cable channel Mnet’s new reality girl band survival show, “Produce 101,” premiered on Jan. 22 and a mega-band will result.
Produce 101 / Courtesy of Mnet
“Produce 101” puts together 101 trainees from 46 entertainment companies to produce a girl band of 11 finalists.
They will release an album right after finishing the show.
Boys 24 / Courtesy of CJ E&M
CJ E&M’s “Boys 24” is a male version of “Produce 101.”
The company will invest 25 billion won ($20 million) in the project over three years. After selecting 24 boys through auditions, they will receive rigorous training and get a chance to appear on TV. The auditions, which began on Jan.18, will continue until Feb. 19.
SM Entertainment recently announced its new boy band, Neo Culture Technology (NCT), which will debut in the first half of the year.
NCT is SM’s new hallyu project, focusing on openness. There is no limit to the group’s numbers and the band will have members from various countries, singing the same songs in different languages.
The band will appear in Seoul, Tokyo, Chinese-speaking cities, regions in Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Woo Joo So Nyeo / Courtesy of Starship Entertainment
Starship Entertainment and Yuehua Entertainment have teamed for girl band Woo Joo So Nyeo that will debut this year. The 12 members will perform in Korea and China.