<\/p>\n
HYBE has launched a new label called ABD, dedicated exclusively to girl group development, with plans to debut its first act in the second half of 2026.<\/p>\n
The label\u2019s name stands for \u201cA Bold Dream,\u201d the K-pop giant behind acts like BTS, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, ILLIT <\/b>and KATSEYE<\/b>, said in an announcement on Friday (May 8).<\/p>\n
HYBE<\/b> said ABD<\/b>\u2019s creative philosophy centers on \u201cunconventional, flexible, and playful ideas that push beyond norm.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGuided by a deep understanding of both artists and fans, the new label aims to pursue the intrinsic joy of music while exploring new possibilities and expanding the horizons of K-pop,\u201d said HYBE.<\/p>\n
ABD will be led by Jiwon<\/b> No<\/b>, who previously served as Head of Artist Planning at PLEDIS, another HYBE subsidiary. No was named President of ABD, responsible for the label\u2019s overall management and strategic direction. Her background spans both PLEDIS<\/b><\/a> and MORE VISION<\/b><\/a>, another South Korean label established by American rapper Jay Park in 2022.<\/p>\n Sung Soo Han<\/b>, a master professional known as the producer behind artists like SEVENTEEN<\/b>, After School,<\/b> IZ*ONE<\/b>, and TWS<\/b>, will lead ABD\u2019s overall production spanning music, concept and performance. The South Korea-based music executive and producer founded PLEDIS<\/b> Entertainment<\/b>,\u00a0in which HYBE owns<\/a> a majority stake.<\/p>\n \u201cGuided by a deep understanding of both artists and fans, the new label aims to pursue the intrinsic joy of music while exploring new possibilities and expanding the horizons of K-pop.\u201d<\/p>\n HYBE<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Speaking with<\/a> MBW in 2024, Sung Soo Han said HYBE\u2019s purchase of a majority stake in PLEDIS in 2020 \u201cwas a great opportunity for mutual growth, a chance for HYBE (formerly BIGHIT Entertainment) and PLEDIS Entertainment to come together, share our talent and know-how, and synergize.\u201d<\/p>\n The exec and producer also explained at the time that PLEDIS Entertainment continues to operate as an \u201cindependent label with creative freedom\u201d and that it \u201ccontinue[s] its traditions, while also benefiting from the support of HYBE\u2019s resources to deliver even better music and content to the fans globally.\u201d<\/p>\n HYBE said the launch of ABD is in line with its multi-label strategy. Taeho<\/b> Park<\/b>, who leads HYBE NEXT ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS (NEB) and Data Strategy Center at HYBE, told MBW in April that HYBE\u2019s multi-label system \u201cplaces the highest value on respecting each artist\u2019s unique identity and independent decision-making, so the final decision rests with the label.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur conversations are shaped by a holistic consideration of each artist\u2019s musical direction, brand identity, and growth plans.\u201d<\/p>\n On ABD\u2019s launch, HYBE said: \u201cWith a distinct focus on girl group development and the introduction of differentiated IP and artistic identity, the launch of ABD marks a strategic step in strengthening HYBE\u2019s multi-label ecosystem as K-pop continues to evolve globally.<\/p>\n The announcement comes as HYBE doubles down on auditions globally as it seeks to export the K-pop methodology beyond its home market. Last month, HYBE launched<\/a> nationwide auditions in India in search of a new girl group. Applications will come on July 31.<\/p>\n After the success of KATSEYE, HYBE\u2019s first Western girl group\u00a0formed<\/a>\u00a0through a partnership with\u00a0Universal Music Group<\/a>\u2018s\u00a0Geffen<\/b>\u00a0Records<\/b>, the HYBE-Geffen alliance\u00a0launched<\/a>\u00a0another talent search for a second girl group, which kicked off in Japan last year. Three contestants from\u00a0the 2023\u00a0Dream Academy,\u00a0<\/i>which produced KATSEYE, were\u00a0confirmed<\/a>\u00a0as members of the unnamed group.<\/p>\n That search, aired through the survival program World Scout: The Final Piece, <\/i>narrowed its contestants down to two finalists last week ahead of its finale, according to<\/a> The Korea Herald.<\/i> HYBE posted<\/a> its highest-ever first-quarter revenue in Q1 2026 at 698.3 billion South Korean won <\/b>(approximately\u00a0USD $475 million<\/b>). That figure was up\u00a039.5% YoY<\/b><\/span>\u00a0from\u00a0500.6 billion won<\/b>\u00a0in Q1 2025.<\/p>\n In the US,\u00a0KATSEYE\u00a0surpassed<\/a>\u00a032 million<\/b>\u00a0monthly listeners on\u00a0Spotify<\/a><\/b>, which HYBE says is the highest figure among girl groups worldwide. Combined sales of the group\u2019s first two EPs,\u00a0SIS (Soft Is Strong)<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0BEAUTIFUL CHAOS<\/i>, reached\u00a01 million<\/b>\u00a0copies.<\/p>\n Music Business Worldwide<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.musicbusinessworldwide.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HYBE has launched a new label called ABD, dedicated exclusively to girl group development, with plans to debut its first act in the second half of 2026. The label\u2019s name stands for \u201cA Bold Dream,\u201d the K-pop giant behind acts like BTS, LE SSERAFIM, NewJeans, ILLIT and KATSEYE, said in an announcement on Friday (May […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2412160,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2412159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/HYBE-taps-PLEDIS-Jiwon-No-SEVENTEEN-producer-Sung-Soo-Han-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2412159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2412161,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2412159\/revisions\/2412161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2412160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2412159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2412159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2412159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n