NEW YORK (US) – The firm behind South Korean teen band BTS announced on Wednesday its project to unearth the next K-Pop sensation via an international audition programme which is slated to air in the US next year.
Big Hit Entertainment said it was joining hands with Universal Music Group to find, develop and train the fresh band.
Its global executive Lenzo Yoon said the new project would “apply Big Hit’s success formula established over the past 16 years to the US, the center of the global music market.”
The new band will record on a new Los Angeles-based record label within the Universal Music Group.
Seven-member BTS made its debut in South Korea in 2013 and went on to dominate the highly competitive US music market with top-selling singles and videos having a sunny, positive flavour. BTS, which boasts a large fan base, was named entertainer of the year by Time magazine last year.
In a statement, Universal Music Group CEO Sir Lucian Grainge said the joint venture “will further accelerate K-Pop as a global cultural phenomenon.”
The K-Pop industry is marked by rigorous training in dancing, singing and linguistic skills and has produced sensations such as girl group Blackpink.