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“We will now apply the globally recognized K-pop methodology and create a K-pop style global group with talents from countries around the world.”
On the morning of the 29th at 9 AM (Korean time), Bang Si-hyuk, Chairman of HYBE, revealed this at the IGA Studio in Santa Monica, Los Angeles, USA. The attention of over 180 journalists from around the world, including Korea, the United States, and Europe, both on-site and online, was focused. On this day, Chairman Bang unveiled 20 multinational female trainees selected in collaboration with the major U.S. record label Universal Music Group’s (UMG) division, Geffen Records, over the past two years.
Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, “Father of BTS,” is collaborating with Geffen Records to launch a global multinational girl group debut project called “The Debut: Dream Academy.” HYBE and Geffen Records stated, “Within a week of audition recruitment, 70,000 people applied, and out of a total of 120,000 applicants, 20 were selected.” Participants from 12 countries including South Korea, the United States, Japan, Thailand, the Philippines, Brazil, Argentina, Switzerland, Sweden, Slovakia, Belarus, and Australia will compete for a spot in the final debut group from September 2nd to November 18th. The entire audition process will be livestreamed on YouTube and will also be featured in a Netflix documentary series in 2024. Chairman Bang emphasized the background of this project, stating, “For K-pop to truly become mainstream worldwide, the ‘K’ in K-pop needs to be removed, and it should just be ‘pop’ in itself,” adding that “viewers will root for the the audition process based on diverse cultural backgrounds, just as they would for the Olympics.”
In the Korean music industry, HYBE is garnering attention for its “U.S. Localization of K-pop Methodology.” Bang Si-hyuk and HYBE will pass on their know-how in selecting and training trainees, which was the foundation of BTS’s success myth, while Geffen Records will be in charge of setting up the stage for the group’s American debut, marketing, and arranging the song supply system. To achieve this, HYBE has established a training center in Los Angeles and dispatched “BTS Choreographer” Son Sung-deuk as the head creator of the local production team.
Expanding the pool of “Non-Asian” candidates for K-pop is not a new concept. Last month, JYP also partnered with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records and selected 11 candidates for their U.S. localization girl group project “A2K.” Among the participants, only 2 were of Korean descent or had Korean heritage, while the rest were of non-Asian backgrounds. Previously, the four major entertainment companies in South Korea (HYBE, SM, JYP, YG) primarily recruited group members from Asian backgrounds, mixed Asian backgrounds, or Southeast Asian origins. Some reactions from overseas fans questioned whether K-pop idols needed to resemble Koreans in appearance. However, two major entertainment companies have taken the lead in changing this precedent.
Critic Lim Hee-yun stated, “From a profitability perspective, it’s natural to consider ‘race’ and ‘exporting production systems’ as the ultimate growth challenges for K-pop.” She added, “Similar to how ‘webtoons’ successfully started in Korea and built a global platform, K-pop could generate greater revenue by exporting the ‘group production system’ itself.” Having members with diverse cultural backgrounds, like BLACKPINK’s Thai member Lisa, a significant driving force behind the team’s expansion into the Southeast Asian market, is advantageous in attracting a larger number of international fans. Lim also noted, “It’s important to remember that more than half of the profits for companies like HYBE and other major domestic agencies come from overseas.”
On the other hand, there are views that these efforts could further ignite the recent debate on the “racial diversity of K-pop.” The emergence of K-pop groups like BLACKSWAN with no Asian members and XG, an all-Japanese girl group that resembles K-pop styles and focuses on Korean activities but claims, “We are not K-pop,” has led to an identity debate. As various nationalities and ethnicities are represented in K-pop groups, questions arise about whether a group without Koreans or the use of the Korean language can still be considered K-pop.
HYBE has been emphasizing multicultural codes whenever introducing participants in the “Dream Academy.” It encourages participants to introduce themselves using their native flags and languages, and incorporate elements like “Korean Daenggi hair (traditional Korean braided hairstyle)” and “Indian Bindi (traditional Indian makeup on the forehead)” into their outfits. Critic Lee Moon-won mentioned, “In no country in the world has a group prioritized a ‘multicultural’ message over ‘music’ as their identity,” adding that “such contrived planning could potentially generate backlash from fans who viewed K-pop as ‘music that uplifts minorities.’”
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