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HYBE collaborates with songwriter Ryan Tedder to find next K-pop boy band

Published: 21 Feb. 2025, 12:54

From left are HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk, Scooter Braun and Ryan Tedder [HYBE]

K-pop powerhouse HYBE, home to boy bands BTS and Tomorrow X Together, is looking for the members of its next boy band to debut in the United States, the agency said on Friday.

HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk is collaborating with American producers Scooter Braun and Ryan Tedder to hold auditions to find the members of a new boy band, according to HYBE.

Online applications for the audition process are now available online at hybeamerica-audition.com.

Male candidates between the ages of 13 and 23 are eligible regardless of their nationality. Candidates must submit their photos and a video of themselves dancing or singing.

Four-time Grammy winner Tedder collaborated with HYBE on Tomorrow X Together’s “Back for More” (2023), boy band &TEAM's "Dropkick" (2023) and girl group Katseye’s “Debut” (2024). Braun is known for discovering and managing global stars like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.

“We’ve already demonstrated that K-pop strategies can succeed in the United States, through Katseye," said HYBE chairman Bang. "This partnership with Tedder and Braun represents a crucial step in preserving our legacy in the music industry.”

Katseye, formed through a collaboration between HYBE and U.S.-based Geffen Records, debuted its EP “SIS [Soft Is Strong]” (2024) on the Billboard 200 albums chart for the last week of August last year. “Touch,” one of the two lead tracks of the EP, exceeded 100 million streams on Spotify 82 days after its release.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]