BLACKPINK agency to seek new K-pop artists through audition in Japan

[Courtesy of YG Entertainment]

SEOUL -- Girl band BLACKPINK's agency YG Entertainment will collaborate with Japan's entertainment agency Avex to hold an audition in Japan. Regardless of nationality and gender, anyone born between 2003 and 2013 can apply for the audition, which seeks talented K-pop artists. 

YG Entertainment said the "YG x Avex Audition 2024" will take place in seven cities in Japan in April, starting in Sapporo on April 7. The other six cities include Nagoya, Fukuoka, Osaka, and Tokyo. Along with Avex, the South Korean agency aims to discover the next-generation artists to lead the K-pop industry.

After completing an online video review, applicants will participate in on-site auditions. Selected candidates will move on to further evaluations. Previously, the two groups cooperated to hold a joint audition in 2016. 

Meanwhile, YG Entertainment's promising girl band BLACKPINK attracted about 110,000 fans through a two-day concert at Tokyo Dome, an indoor stadium regarded as the "dream stage" among Japanese artists. While BTS is considered the leading K-pop boy band, the girl group led the K-pop fandom as an iconic girl band. The South Korean entertainment powerhouse's other acclaimed groups include BIGBANG and BABYMONSTER.