Girl group 4 Minute gets a Universal Music deal

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Girl group 4 Minute gets a Universal Music deal

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Max Hole, executive vice president of Universal Music Group International, takes a moment for a photo with the members of 4 Minute. Provided by Universal Music Group

While Korean girl band the Wonder Girls is striving to make a name for itself on the U.S. pop circuit, it appears another local girl group, 4 Minute, has gotten the green light for a possible debut outside Korea.

Play Cube Entertainment, 4 Minute’s management agency, signed an agreement with Universal Music Group earlier this week that puts the band, which just debuted six months ago, on a roster with other high-profile artists such as Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga and the Black Eyed Peas.

Under the deal, Universal will be in charge of licensing and distributing the albums of 4 Minute and other Play Cube Entertainment artists in Korea and abroad.

The Korean talent agency is headed by Hong Seung-seong, former CEO of JYP Entertainment, which produced the Wonder Girls and Rain.

“This strategic alliance signals a new start in the Korean pop music industry,” said Hong. “We hope that our collaboration with Universal will allow our artists to go beyond our borders and make a successful debut in the international pop music scene.”

Universal Music Group is one of the world’s leading music companies. It boasts a network of subsidiaries, joint ventures and licensees in 77 countries around the world.

Max Hole, executive vice president of Universal Music Group International, visited the Play Cube studio ahead of the signing ceremony.

“I’m glad to be at the place where new talents are being discovered,” Hole said. “With Universal Music Group’s strong marketing tactics and networks, we are happy to introduce these talents to the world market.”

For starters, 4 Minute’s latest album “Muzik” will be released in eight countries in Asia this month, according to Universal Music Korea officials. It will be released in Japan in the coming days, they added.

With their debut single “Hot Issue,” the five-member girl group stormed onto the local pop scene last June, attracting attention with their bold, over-the-top fashions and catchy, upbeat music.


By Kim Hyung-eun [hkim@joongang.co.kr]
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