This year, the music industry will witness the debut of many up-and-coming groups. A little while ago, BIGHIT Music announced its rookie group, CORTIS.
Now, the latest that we know is that HYBE is also going to launch a new girl group. For the unversed, this multinational team will be the second one to be backed by the agency after KATSEYE.
Geffen Records, a label under the Universal Music Group, will also be backing the new group.
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HYBE’s take on the rookie group
HYBE announced its decision to launch the new girl group on August 6. The agency also revealed that the group will be formed through World Scout: The Final Piece. Reportedly, the event will kick off with an audition tour across Japan, where the judges will seek some exceptional talent from around the world.
Top scouting teams from HYBE will identify only those trainees who have strong potential. Those selected will participate in a “K-pop-style training” program, specifically modified for the U.S. market. This training will reportedly happen between October and December this year.
After that initial training, the chosen members will move on to an advanced training camp, where they will be competing for a spot in the final 2026 debut lineup.
World Scout: The Final Piece will be broadcast in the spring of 2026 on the Japanese streaming platform ABEMA.
According to an official statement by HYBE and Geffen Records, “The program will capture how talented individuals grow while working alongside world-class producers.”
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KATSYE: The OG HYBE Girls Group
Earlier in 2023, HYBE stunned the world by introducing a rookie girl group, KATSEYE, through the audition show, The Debut: Dream Academy. For the unversed, this group was based in Los Angeles and included six members: Daniela, Megan, Lara, Manon, Sophia, and Yoonchae.
KATSEYE eventually debuted in June 2024 with their single Debut. This was quickly followed by the girl group’s breakthrough single, Touch. Later, they released their first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), that year.
This year, the group also released Gnarly, which earned them their first entry into the Billboard Hot 100 chart. KATESYE’s second EP, Beautiful Chaos, was released in June 2025. It also debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200, which is their highest-charting release to date.
While KATSYE has already made a place for itself among the established groups in the industry, it is yet to be seen whether the new group in the making will make similar records or not.