The Battle for the Next Top Girl Group
YG Entertainment and THEBLACKLABEL are racing to dominate the new girl group scene. The intrigue sparked by a photo of Moon Seo-yoon, granddaughter of Shinsegae Group Chairman Lee Myung-hee and daughter of Shinsegae President Chung Yoo-kyung, with THEBLACKLABEL’s trainees, has taken the internet by storm. Shinsegae suggested asking YG for details, highlighting a widespread misunderstanding. Although THEBLACKLABEL began as a YG subsidiary, it has since significantly diluted its equity structure. This year marks the start of their direct competition.
Who Will Craft BLACKPINK’s Sister Group?
The K-pop industry is buzzing over the impending clash between former allies Yang Hyun-suk and Teddy (Park Hong-jun). This year, ‘BABYMONSTER’ by Yang Hyun-suk and Teddy’s debut girl group are gearing up for a direct confrontation in the first half of the year.
Teddy made a name for himself as a YG producer and composer with ‘1TYM’ in 1998, under Yang Goon Planning, YG’s predecessor. The group won fans with its fresh American hip-hop style, launching five albums before disbanding in 2006. Recognizing Teddy’s talent, Yang Hyun-suk entrusted him with the production of most of YG’s albums post-1TYM. Under Teddy’s vision, 2NE1, BIGBANG, and BLACKPINK came to life. With 2NE1 affectionately calling Yang Hyun-suk “Boss” and Teddy “Papa,” Yang publicly named Teddy as his chosen successor.
Their paths diverged in 2016 when Teddy founded ‘THEBLACKLABEL’. Starting as a YG sub-label, THEBLACKLABEL pursued independence, adjusting its equity structure along the way. YG now holds a 21.59% stake in THEBLACKLABEL. A representative from THEBLACKLABEL emphasized that, despite YG’s stake, the company operates independently, especially in management and artist affairs, making it effectively a separate entity.
Girl Group Rivalry Heats Up
Yang Hyun-suk and Teddy are preparing their girl groups for a monumental showdown. Yang Hyun-suk’s ‘BABYMONSTER’ debuted with ‘Better Up’ last November and is set for more releases with its first mini-album in April. Remarkably, ‘BABYMONSTER’ is the only YG group without Teddy’s production input. It is also the first girl group Yang Hyun-suk has produced from start to finish.
THEBLACKLABEL is also on track to debut its new girl group, featuring a diverse lineup that includes Moon Seo-yoon, ‘Little Jennie’ Ella Gross, and teen dance prodigy Bailey Sok. Their debut is poised to ignite a fierce competition for the title of BLACKPINK’s successor against ‘BABYMONSTER’.
Auditions Open: A New Wave of Talent
Yang Hyun-suk’s YG is partnering with Japan’s avex for public auditions, marking their first joint venture in eight years. They plan extensive auditions across Japan’s seven major cities.
On the other side, Teddy’s THEBLACKLABEL will lead the production of Mnet’s ‘I-LAND 2’ as its master producer. This collaboration promises to bring forth a new girl group under CJ ENM’s WAKEONE label.
YG’s impressive lineup includes BLACKPINK, WINNER, AKMU, TREASURE, and Eun Ji-won. BLACKPINK members manage group activities under YG and solo projects through their own agencies.
THEBLACKLABEL boasts talents like BIGBANG’s Taeyang, Zion.T, Jeon Somi, and actor Park Bo-gum. It also includes Lauren, son of Naver’s founder Lee Hae-jin. Moon Seo-yoon’s debut would mark a unique alliance between the heirs of Naver and Shinsegae. Industry insiders note the trend of prominent families’ heirs entering major agency trainee programs, offering support akin to overseas boarding school programs. HYBE recently established an in-house clinic, showcasing their commitment to artist well-being.
THEBLACKLABEL is gearing up for an IPO, with its valuation rumored to be in the trillion-won range. As of the last trading day, YG’s market cap was 808.4 billion won. Currently, HYBE, JYP, and SM Entertainment are the only entertainment companies with valuations over a trillion won.
The debut performances of the girl groups in the first half will be a critical test for THEBLACKLABEL’s ambitions. As Yang Hyun-suk and Teddy gear up for their epic showdown, fans eagerly await to see which group will capture their hearts.
Reference: https://n.news.naver.com/mnews/article/023/0003818469?sid=102
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