HYBE and Geffen Records, who launched the group KATSEYE, are preparing for their second global girl group.
HYBE X Geffen Records announced on the 7th that they will start a large-scale audition called ‘WORLD SCOUT THE FINAL PIECE’ across Japan.
‘WORLD SCOUT THE FINAL PIECE’ is a global talent discovery project co-planned by HYBE and Geffen Records. HYBE's elite scouting team will personally seek out aspiring stars with outstanding potential.
Successful audition candidates will receive ‘K-pop style training’ developed by HYBE and Geffen Records for the U.S. market from October to December. Those selected will join a training camp set up in the U.S. and will be ultimately chosen as members of a team aiming for debut next year after a competition.
This entire journey will be exclusively revealed in the spring of 2026 on the Japanese OTT service ABEMA. HYBE X Geffen Records introduced ‘WORLD SCOUT THE FINAL PIECE’ as a process that captures the growth of talented individuals alongside world-class producers.
There is anticipation whether HYBE's strategy for ‘K-pop globalization’ targeting the global music market will succeed once again. HYBE X Geffen Records already created the six-member global girl group KATSEYE through the large-scale audition ‘The Debut: Dream Academy’ in 2023.
During the airing of ‘The Debut: Dream Academy’, viewers from around the world watched with interest as participants from different regions and ethnic backgrounds competed and grew within the ‘K-pop production system’. This served as a stepping stone for the ‘K-pop DNA’ to be implanted in the world’s largest pop market, the U.S.
KATSEYE, which created a sensation upon debut, recently took the stage at ‘Lollapalooza Chicago’ and received explosive responses. They are consistently loved on major global charts such as the U.S. Billboard main charts ‘Hot 100’ and ‘Billboard 200’, achieving remarkable results.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
