"HYBE Latin boy idol group" Santos Bravos (SANTOS BRAVOS) is about to debut. The five final members selected through the eponymous reality series that has been running since mid-August and their debut song are set to be revealed in a concert at 12 p.m. on the 22nd (Korean time) at Mexico City's Auditorio Nacional.
HYBE Latin America said on the 21st that Santos Bravos' debut song is "0%." The positive message of "don't worry about others' gaze, enjoy this moment" is carried on a heartbeat-like, thrilling beat. The song was produced by Johnny Goldstein, a songwriter who has collaborated with global pop stars such as The Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears and Madonna, raising its musical completeness.
Before the release of the single, behind-the-scenes footage of the "0%" music video shoot was recently exposed on social media, drawing attention. The dynamic images of the Santos Bravos prospective members freely weaving through cars and motorcycles stacked layer upon layer in a junkyard excite viewers. The 10 audition participants, before the finale stage, enjoyed filming while encouraging one another despite not knowing the results. Their characteristic passionate energy and close bonds stand out.
Tickets for the concert, which will mark Santos Bravos' first step, are already sold out. Originally prepared for 5,000 seats, additional seats were opened due to strong local fan response, and a total of 10,000 seats sold out quickly. The concert will be streamed live on the HYBE Labels official YouTube channel, and Mexican singer and actress Danna and the global party brand BRESH DJ team were announced as guest performers, raising fans' expectations.
Santos Bravos will immediately embark on a global path after the concert. On the 23rd, a session titled "The Building of Santos Bravos" will be held as part of Billboard Latin Music Week. Now in its 36th year, Billboard Latin Music Week is the largest event representing the Latin music industry. They were invited to this large-scale event, which gathers major artists and industry figures from around the world, even before their official debut.
Santos Bravos members will attend the event alongside the reality series' executive producer Jaime Escallón and Billboard Latin chief content officer (CCO) Leila Cobo to highlight the excellence of the K-pop training process and production system. HYBE's "multi-home, multi-genre" strategy, which aims to discover global stars and lead the global music market by applying the "K-pop methodology" tailored to local cultures and characteristics, is expected to attract attention once again.
HYBE Latin America COO Juan S. Arenas said the core of Santos Bravos lies in building the group's identity by combining rigorous training, creativity and fan participation based on the methodology and vision designed by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, and emphasized that Santos Bravos will present a new model to the Latin music scene.
Kwon Ae-young, leader of HYBE Latin America T&D (Training & Development) Center, said Santos Bravos, which covers stage capability, vocals, artists' identity and branding, was a program designed to cultivate musicians who will lead the next 10 years of Latin pop, and asked fans to watch the journey the five members will unfold.
Santos Bravos is the second global project presented by HYBE Latin America following the band audition program Pase a la Fama. Among numerous audition applicants, 17 people of various nationalities — Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Peru, Spain and the United States — joined the training boot camp and competed, and 10 participants currently remain. Only five of them will realize their debut dreams.
[Photo] Provided by HYBE Latin America.
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