Singer Lee Seung-Chul expressed confidence in the "raw gems" that will be polished into "jewels" through The Scout: Reborn Stars.
ENA's new entertainment program The Scout: Reborn Stars (hereafter The Scout) has unveiled itself. The Scout, which premiered on the 8th, is a growth-oriented music project in which top experts in the music industry directly discover "raw gems" whose talents have not yet been fully displayed and present them with new directions and possibilities.
The Scout, which sheds light on the process of contestants—some of whom have already once challenged their dreams or have honed their skills in their respective fields—returning to the stage, promises a depth in harmony distinct from existing auditions because of the blend of different genres and experiences. It is also notable as a growth-oriented music project that captures the process in which top music industry experts discover raw gems who have not been able to display their talents, suggest new directions, and refine them into global stars through a professional and systematic multi-care system.
Beyond simple skill competition, the nurturing format in which mentors directly discover and develop participants' potential, the narratives created as mentors who have built their positions in each field participate and work closely with contestants, and a structure that focuses on the scope of change and potential rather than initial skill all depart from past audition programs and present a new paradigm.
Like Lee Seung-Chul, who wanted to briefly show how a singer is made to help those unfamiliar with the inner workings of entertainment understand, The Scout's training scale overwhelms most large agencies beyond typical audition shows. Introducing a professional and systematic multi-care system to craft raw gems that have not yet seen the light into global stars is The Scout's distinctive feature.
Lee Seung-Chul, who directly planned and produced The Scout over some two years, mentioned its overwhelming scale. "Each team has dedicated staff for hair, makeup, stylists, vocal trainers, physical trainers, and arrangement directors who are perfectly organized as one team. The specialized staff caring for the four teams alone amounts to as many as 120 people. For live stages, three of the country's top designers will create and dress all participants in custom outfits, and we will spare no investment."
The faces of the raw gems that they will polish into "jewels" are also splendid. While there are completely unrefined pure rookies, many are veterans who have had idol debut experience or are active as musical actors, such as ATBO's Kim Yeon-gyu, TRCNG's Yang Tae-sun, and Jo Yoon-chan, formerly of The Idol Band, so how their training proceeds is a point of interest. "Veterans get scolded about 10 times more painfully. Completely new rookies absorb like sponges, but veterans have already tasted the stage and have bad habits and stubbornness. We push them much harder, saying, 'You know it but why can't you do it, you've been on stage but why do you miss the details!'"
Sometimes like a strict teacher, sometimes like a friendly older brother, Lee Seung-Chul's goal in guiding the muses is a nameplate that will never be outshone: a graduate of The Scout. "A singer must do more than just sing well. Like G-Dragon, they must have performance, fashion, and strong mental fortitude—having all four elements. The kids from our program will go out into the world with perfect quality so they will never feel intimidated."
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