HYBE held a band audition in Latin America. Legendary musicians representing the Latin music industry sat in the judges' seats. Their appearance alone received an enthusiastic response from the audience. However, a sense of tension soon filled the studio. The fingertips, gazes, and trembling voices of each audition participant who took the stage revealed their earnest desire for their dreams.
Participants expressed their stories and emotions through music. Some sang about the pain of love, while others sang about the longing for family. Many talented individuals showcased their skills with the accordion, guitar, and drums, indicating fierce competition ahead. Upon hearing the judge's shout, "Eres una de las elegidas," one participant's eyes filled with tears.
On the 8th (local time), the story of 'Pase A La Fama' premiered on Telemundo, a Spanish-language broadcaster under NBCUniversal in the United States. A familiar yet unfamiliar landscape unfolds in Mexico City on the other side of the globe. The so-called 'K-Pop methodology' of discovering talented individuals and nurturing them into artists has collided with Latin music culture. As the program name, which translates to "a step towards your dreams," suggests, the unveiled 'Pase A La Fama' has opened the door to new possibilities. It achieved the highest viewership rating in its time slot among Spanish-language broadcasts (according to Nielsen ratings), with an average of 200,000 viewers aged 18-49 and a total audience of 688,000.
Along with skilled participants, legendary musicians serving as judges captured the attention of viewers. Iconic singer and actress Ana Bárbara, renowned for straddling traditional and modern musical worlds, Adriel Favela, and one of the most influential hit composers in the Latin music scene, Horacio Palencia, poured their passion into finding hidden gems.
'Pase A La Fama' was not just a simple survival competition; it was a touching stage where each person's dreams and stories intertwined. The faces of those who received golden tickets to advance to the next round were filled with hope instead of tension, and confidence instead of fear. Judges did not forget to encourage the unfortunate participants who were eliminated, saying, "This is not the end, but the beginning."
According to HYBE Latin America, the three judges evaluate participants based on their musicality, instrument performance, stage manner (interaction with the audience), teamwork, and star potential, among other overall capabilities. Participants who receive passing scores from at least two of the three judges earn the 'Pase a la Fama' golden ticket and reassemble into bands to enter an artist camp. Each band is assigned a mission song, and participants undergo a focused training period before standing on the competitive stage again each week.
Sometimes sharp, sometimes warm, the judges' advice further immerses viewers in 'Pase A La Fama.' As participants continue to perform, they gain awareness of their limits and work to improve their shortcomings, crafting a growth narrative that leads to increasingly polished performances.
HYBE Latin America has established a 'T&D 360' (Training & Development 360) system for this purpose. Additionally, a group of experts with a deep understanding of Latin music and culture has joined to support participants' training. Those who have experienced a systematic K-Pop training system and mentorship are expected to transform into artists with competitiveness and identity capable of succeeding on global stages.
'Pase A La Fama' will air over approximately three months. Expectations are already building around the impact that the next-generation bands discovered and nurtured through HYBE Latin America will have in the local music market.
[Photo] HYBE Labels
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