Big Hit, Universal Music Group to launch new K-pop boy band in US

BIG Hit Entertainment and Universal Music Group announced plans for a Los Angeles-based joint venture between UMG's Geffen Records and Bit Hit Ent for the launch of a new global K-pop band in the US, The Korea Herald reported on Thursday.

The members of the new boy group will be chosen through a global audition that will air in the US in 2022.

Big Hit Entertainment created K-pop group BTS while UMG is one of the biggest music companies in the world, with top artists such as Lady Gaga, Taylor

Swift and Maroon 5.

In the press conference streamed through streaming platform VenewLive, the companies laid out the details of their expanded strategic partnership. The two companies said they would work closely together to increase opportunities for artists through innovation and technology, whilst expanding the global reach of K-pop around the world.

“We will strive to secure competitive platform leadership and develop a top group of artists through the close partnership between our two companies, enabling K-pop to transcend all borders and languages,” said Lenzo Yoon, CEO Global & Business of Big Hit Entertainment as quoted in the report.

“This project is especially significant as it will apply Big Hit's ‘success formula' established over the past 16 years to the US, the center of the global music market.”

Big Hit will utilise its global expertise gained from the success of BTS to lead the discovery, training and development of new artists, fan content production processes, and management of fan communications through the

Weverse platform.

In addition to working closely with a US media partner to produce the audition Programme, the team at Geffen Records will leverage their extensive industry network and partners to oversee the music production, marketing and global distribution operations.

“With their innovative approach to developing artists and embracing new technology, Big Hit has become one of the most dynamic companies in music entertainment,” said Lucian Grainge, chairman & CEO of UMG.