The global partnership between HYBE and Geffen Records, a label under Universal Music Group, is expanding its quest for the next big pop sensation. Following the success of their first multinational girl group, KATSEYE, the two companies have announced a new audition project, “World Scout: The Final Piece,” aimed at forming a second international girl group.
This new project, announced on Wednesday, will begin its talent search with a large-scale audition tour across Japan. The goal is to discover and develop a next-generation girl group specifically for the international music market.
The Audition and Training Process
According to HYBE and Geffen, top scouting teams from HYBE will lead the effort to identify promising trainees with high potential. The selection process is intensive, with auditions in Japan running from August 6 through September 22. The project is open to women and non-binary individuals aged 15 to 24.
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Candidates who make it through the initial rounds will undergo specialized “K-pop-style training” from October to December. This training, designed to be specifically adapted for the U.S. market, is a key component of the companies’ global strategy. Selected trainees will then advance to an advanced training camp in the U.S., where they will compete for a spot in the final debut lineup, which is slated for 2026. The entire journey, from auditions to the group’s formation, will be broadcast exclusively in the spring of 2026 on the Japanese streaming platform ABEMA.
Building on a Successful Blueprint
This new venture builds on the momentum created by the first collaboration between HYBE and Geffen. Their 2023 audition program, “The Debut: Dream Academy,” led to the formation of KATSEYE. The group’s performance metrics suggest the strength of this partnership: their debut EP, ‘Beautiful Chaos,’ appeared on both Billboard and UK Official charts, and their singles ‘Gnarly’ and ‘Gabriela’ saw multi-week runs on the Billboard Hot 100.
The success of KATSEYE, whose fanbase is largely international (with over 20% of their Spotify listeners in the U.S. and only 1% in Korea), supports HYBE’s strategy of developing acts for international markets rather than exporting groups originally developed for Korea. HYBE America CEO Jason Jaesang Lee noted, “The success of KATSEYE demonstrate[s] that the K-pop system can work in the U.S.”
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The website for the new project emphasizes its global ambitions, stating that a top-tier scouting team with a “proven track record of discovering global stars such as BTS” will be involved. The new group is positioned to continue Hybe’s bold expansion strategy, further shaping the future of K-pop on the world stage.
