On August 7, HYBE and Geffen Records, following the debut of their multinational girl group KATSEYE , announced the launch of a large-scale audition across Japan titled ‘WORLD SCOUT THE FINAL PIECE,’ targeting a spring 2026 debut. This global talent discovery project involves HYBE’s scouting team directly seeking promising stars with exceptional potential.
Successful candidates will enter a K-pop style training program from October to December that has been specially tailored considering the characteristics of the U.S. market. Afterward, selected trainees will join a training camp in the U.S. where they will compete in performances, with the final team members set for debut in 2026.
The journey and growth of these talents alongside world-class producers will be exclusively documented and released by Japanese OTT platform Abema in spring 2026.
Previously, HYBE and Geffen collaborated on The Debut: Dream Academy in 2023, which produced KATSEYE, a six-member global girl group including members Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae. The show highlighted participants from diverse regions and ethnic backgrounds competing and developing under the K-pop production system.
KATSEYE recently performed at the world-renowned music festival ‘Lollapalooza Chicago.’ Their second mini-album, BEAUTIFUL CHAOS , ranked 4th on the Billboard 200 (July 12 issue), with tracks ‘Gabriela’ and ‘Gnarly’ entering the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, demonstrating worldwide recognition.
Their debut title track, Touch, was nominated for ‘Best Push Performance’ at the MTV Video Music Awards on September 5 (local time). This project underscores HYBE’s growing strategy of global localization in the K-pop industry, aiming to merge international talent with Korea’s world-leading production techniques to reach a broad audience.
“We expect to discover and nurture future global stars through this ambitious project,” said representatives from HYBE and Geffen, highlighting their commitment to global music expansion.
Sources: Netizenbuzz