 |
| K-pop boy group BOYNEXTDOOR / Courtesy of KOZ Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Competition in the music industry is likely to get into full swing this year with the debut of rookie groups created by major K-pop companies.
KOZ Entertainment, a sub-label of K-pop powerhouse HYBE representing megastar band BTS, debuted its first boy group BOYNEXTDOOR on May 30.
Established by rapper-producer Zico in 2019, KOZ unveiled the six-piece act, consisting of Sungho, Riwoo, Jaehyun, Taesan, Leehan and Woonhak. Its debut album, "WHO!" features three tracks: "But I Like You," "One and Only" and "Serenade." The group is already hitting the ground running, with its "One and Only" music video surpassing 20 million views on YouTube as of Tuesday.
HYBE is poised to showcase one or two more rookie acts in 2023, but details have been kept under wraps. According to some reports, its sub-label Pledis Entertainment is likely to launch a new boy group. Pledis manages boy group SEVENTEEN and girl group fromis_9, among others.
In line with its success with the phenomenal girl band BLACKPINK, YG Entertainment has plans to debut another female act, following in the quartet's footsteps. BABYMONSTER, comprising three Korean (Ahyeon, Haram and Rora), two Thai (Pharita and Chiquita) and two Japanese (Ruka and Asa), is slated to make an official debut this fall. YG's founder Yang Hyun-suk previously said that the group is made up of "babies with YG's DNA."
Earlier this year, the seven members showed off their musical prowess on the reality show, "BABYMONSTER ― 'Last Evaluation.'" They are already gaining traction on YouTube, amassing 2 million subscribers in only 129 days.
SM Entertainment, which houses NCT and aespa, has ambitious plans to produce three new acts in 2023. It plans to launch "NCT Tokyo" (tentative name), a new sub-unit of the renowned boy group NCT, which will be based in Japan. This upcoming sub-unit marks the final addition to NCT's diverse lineup.
Sungchan and Shotaro, who recently left NCT, will form a boy group with other idol trainees at SM as well. The group will include other members hailing from Korea and the U.S. A new girl group is also in SM's pipeline but the exact debut date is unknown.
JYP Entertainment, home to Stray Kids and NMIXX, was set to launch a boy group this year but this plan is unlikely to proceed, according to industry insiders.
![[INTERVIEW] How AmazeVR revolutionizes aespa's LYNK-POP concert](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4431833759c44bdaa414cb314e90f2fe.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
