BTS is bringing its multi-label agency, Hybe, to Las Vegas next month for a company-wide worldwide audition in search of fresh talent, and the city is expected to receive some major K-pop waves as a result.
Hybe said on Monday that it will hold a joint audition for seven of its affiliate labels in Las Vegas next month. The audition will take place in person over four days on April 8-9 and 15-16, and will be open to the public.
The Hybe Labels Japan and Hybe America will also participate in the search for new musicians, in addition to the five South Korean labels — Belift Lab, Big Hit Music, KOZ Entertainment, Pledis Entertainment, and Source Music — that are already active in the country.
This is the first time that Hybe's affiliate labels have come together to host a joint audition, and the entertainment company has dubbed it the "largest audition in the company's history."
According to Hybe, the labels are looking for new talent in three areas: singing, rapping, and dancing (among other things). Anyone between the ages of 11 and 19, regardless of gender, is eligible to apply, and registrations must be received by April 4.
BTS, the world's biggest K-pop boy band, will also be making a second appearance in Las Vegas in April, as previously announced.
The band will perform four performances on April 8-9 and 15-16 as part of their "Permission to Dance on Stage" tour, with a live crowd at the Allegiant Stadium and thousands more watching remotely on a huge screen at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, which is just a few miles away.
BTS will be in attendance at the 64th Grammy Awards on April 3rd, where they will have the distinction of being both a performance and a nominee, only a few days before the arena is transformed into a purple haven by their adoring fans.
With their megahit track "Butter," the seven-member band has been nominated for a Grammy this year in the category of Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The nomination marks their second consecutive year, following their initial nomination the previous year. They received a nomination for the song "Dynamite," but they were unable to secure the overall victory.
For the third year in a row, BTS has also been named to the Grammy Awards' roster of performers. This year, the K-pop group will perform on the main stage among other celebrities such as Brother Osborne, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow, and Olivia Rodrigo, among others.
While this is going on, Pledis Entertainment launched a separate online audition dubbed "Global Wonder Teens" on Friday to find fresh talent in three categories: voice, performance, and self-confidence. Many prominent K-pop idol groups, notably Seventeen, fromis 9 and Minhyun and Baekho of the now-defunct NU'EST, call Pledis home, including fromis 9's Minhyun and Baekho.
Anyone born in 2003 or after, regardless of gender or nationality, is eligible to apply by submitting a video demonstrating their abilities in singing, rapping, dancing, or any other sort of performing arts performance. Registration for the audition will be open until April 17, and the ultimate winners will be given the chance and financial assistance to train and make their professional debut as a K-pop idol in the future.
