Big Hit and Universal Music Group to create new boy band though auditions

[rose-potion.livejournal.com]

Big Hit Entertainment, home to K-pop juggernaut BTS, will join forces with Universal Music Group (UMG) to create a new boy band through an audition program.

The announcement was made during the two companies' online press conference held Thursday morning (KST). The event was attended by Big Hit CEO/Chairman Bang Si-hyuk; Big Hit Global CEO Lenzo Yoon; UMG CEO/Chairman Lucian Grainge and Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO John Janick.

Geffen Records is UMG's label which was behind the success of big-name artists including Elton John and Nirvana.

Big Hit and Geffen Records will set up a joint venture based in Los Angeles to launch the new boy band. They are also slated to team up with a media partner in the U.S. to produce an audition program through which the members will be selected. The show is expected to go to air in 2022.

The new act will debut in the U.S., but follow the K-pop system in terms of music, performance and fashion, among others, Big Hit said in a statement issued later Thursday.


K-pop fans are divided over the news.

"Portfolio diversification is important for any company," a fan wrote on internet community. "I am thrilled to see the new faces."

Another commented: "I hope Big Hit takes better care of the existing groups instead of churning out new bands one after another."

Big Hit debuted boy band Tomorrow X Together (TXT) in 2019. Only a year later, Belift, a joint venture established by Big Hit and entertainment giant CJ ENM, launched another boy band ― ENHYPEN. Big Hit and its affiliated labels are planning to showcase more acts this year and in 2022.

During Thursday's event, UMG also said that more of their stars like YungBlud will join Big Hit's fan community platform Weverse ― where they can actively interact with followers ― as part of the two companies' strategic partnership. Some artists including Gracie Abrams and New Hope Club are already using Weverse.

"I strongly believe that UMG and Big Hit, two companies that endlessly pursue innovation, will create a synergy that will rewrite global music history," Bang said during the press conference.

"With their innovative approach to developing artists and embracing new technology, Big Hit has become one of the most dynamic companies in music entertainment," Grainge said. "We're thrilled to be working together as we launch a new joint venture between our companies that will further accelerate K-pop as a global cultural phenomenon."

Last week, UMG and YG Entertainment ― which houses K-pop girl band BLACKPINK ― announced they would invest in VenewLive, a digital live streaming platform launched by KBYK Live. KBYK Live is a company founded last May by Big Hit and the U.S. streaming service startup Kiswe.



Source: The Korea Times

How hard do you think this new group will flop?

Comments

[premonitioner.livejournal.com]

everything I learn about this company is against my will and I do not look forward to the cringe worthy cultural bloopers and appropriation that this venture will inevitably bring

[premonitioner.livejournal.com]

does appropriating a music industry that appropriated culture from your own country count as double appropriation or does it cancel it out? 🤔

[vintage-boom.livejournal.com]

considering this is the US re-buying the system it created decades ago idek

[premonitioner.livejournal.com]

so many layers...

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

This... is going to be interesting to say the least !
But 2022 is still a long way to go, so many things could happen before then.

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

i am wishing them zero luck, success and money xoxo

[dior-chic.livejournal.com]

idk why this has me cracking up lol!

[xoxkenzxox.livejournal.com]

love this.

[degloss.livejournal.com]

i love the energy in this comment

[theweebdream.livejournal.com]

So are they wanting a white boy group?? No but really America is never gonna accept boy groups again ppl here love to talk about manufactured kpop is like most top American artists don’t write their own music anyways lmao

[audiograms.livejournal.com]

Lol

[foxmadgirl.livejournal.com]

keep it

[rainstormraider.livejournal.com]

I’d be into it if it was girl or mixed group related.

Otherwise why?

[kcaomei.livejournal.com]

no thanks

[queenmedea.livejournal.com]

Has the story of Icarus been translated into Korean? Is there somewhere to send it where we can ensure Big Hit sees it? Maybe we should change Icarus' name to Bighit first, to make sure there's no confusion on their part.

For real though, NO. What are the chances of this even getting off the ground though?

[violoncelliste.livejournal.com]

I hate this, but despite the majority that I've seen saying that it's going to fail I feel like it might actually work out for them.

It's unfortunate that I like the txt guys so much because I really hate big hit and it's not possible to disconnect the group from the agency. It's exhausting.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

I thought a girl group was supposed to be next? Did I imagine that?

[rose-potion.livejournal.com]

They'll announce it next week if I remember correctly.

[lightframes.livejournal.com]

Oooh thanks

[em-cavey.livejournal.com]

The new act will debut in the U.S. but follow the K-pop system in terms of music, performance and fashion, among others

So it's just.... pop? Wait are they still singing in Korean? But why lol

I think they're really overestimating the US's mainstream acceptance of Kpop's style of music/content. It's still a niche genre and idt actual planned permeation into the American market has ever really worked. I'm sure they'll find a fanbase without too much problem but as much as times may have changed Americans in general are just over boy bands and girl groups and will always think they're culturally "better" than Asians.


"I hope Big Hit takes better care of the existing groups instead of churning out new bands one after another."

Do staff have to tuck them at night with warm milk and cookies and lemon verbena aromatherapy wth does this even mean

[lolknope.livejournal.com]

Wait I thought big hit just created a new boy group tho? Gurl bye with trying to recreate bts ova and ova again

[frequency.livejournal.com]

lol didn't enhypen just debut not that long ago? big hit needs to slow their roll. are they hoping to produce another cash cow or sth?

The new act will debut in the U.S., but follow the K-pop system

??? how well do they expect this to go?

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

mte! there are enough boy groups as it is and bighit already has 3 now right? chill

and it's not like the kpop system is something you would want to copy? (what do they mean with the kpop system in the first place? form of releases or also exploitative training?)

[minstradamus.livejournal.com]

There's going to be a new girlgroup this year too. So Big Hit labels will have 4 new groups in total.