'Girls Planet 2027' TV show marks collaboration between KCON producer CJ ENM and music powerhouse Republic Collective In a makeshift audition booth assembled in a far corner on the ground floor of the Los Angeles Convention Center, a steady stream of K-pop lovers took their shot this past weekend. As part of the annual KCON Korean entertainment and culture festival, producers of a hit Korean talent competition series held auditions on Aug. 14-15 for the upcoming season of “Girls Planet,” a making-of-the-band story in which viewers will vote on the members of a new all-female K-pop group. Veteran South Korean TV producer Kim Sinyoung is chief producer of “Girls Planet 2027” and the previous three seasons of the “Planet” competition series.
He was on hand at KCON in downtown L.A. to keep an eye on the turnout for the open-audition opportunity at the three-day event produced by CJ ENM, the same company that produces “Girls Planet” and also owns Mnet, the South Korean network on which it originates. The stakes are high for Season 4 as Mnet has partnered with music industry powerhouse Republic Collective to bring a twist to the competition series. This time around the focus will be on assembling a K-pop group designed to appeal to U.S. and Western audiences.
Republic is home to many of the biggest acts in contemporary pop, rock and country music. Which speaks volumes about their interest in tapping into K-pop’s sunny vibes and fierce fandoms. Republic will collaborate with “Girls Planet” team to promote the band and a global rollout of the group’s debut project.
So that’s the biggest difference with the previous season,” Kim Sinyoung told Variety. Mnet’s “Planet’ music competition has traveled beyond Korea as a success in Thailand and Japan, among other markets. In Japan it airs on the popular free streaming platform Abema.
Kim Sinyoung said he has learned key truths about talent and stardom by through his work on the “Planet” series. Musical talent is essential, he observed, but it’s only one element that an artist aka “idols” in the slanguage of K-pop) needs to ascend to true stardom. But more important are a strong character and personality to grab the attention of the audiences,” Kim Sinyoung said.
Through a translator, Kim Sinyoung reinforced the qualities that he will look for in selecting “Girls Planet” contestants. It could be their skill sets are like super talented, or someone has their own like personal history, or just their character or their charm. That’s what he’s looking for.” Like its predecessors, “Girls Planet” will begin with a field of 100 contestants that will be winnowed to about 20.
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