Singer Lee Seung-Chul directly planned and produced "The Scout: The Reborn Star," which is leaving a big impact on the industry.
ENA's new entertainment program "The Scout: The Reborn Star" (hereafter The Scout) has unveiled itself. Broadcast for the first time on the 8th, "The Scout" is a growth-oriented music project in which the music industry's top experts directly discover "raw gems whose talents have not yet been fully realized" and present them with new directions and possibilities.
"The Scout," which highlights the process of contestants who once challenged their dreams or have honed their skills in their own places returning to the stage, promises a harmony distinct from existing auditions because of the blend of different genres and experiences the contestants bring. Another key point is that it is a growth-oriented music project that finds raw gems whose talents have not been realized, presents new directions, and follows the process of their completion as global stars through a professional and systematic multi-care system.
Beyond a simple talent competition, the "developmental format" in which mentors directly discover and nurture participants' potential, the narratives created as mentors established in their fields take part and work closely with participants, and the structure that focuses more on the degree of change and potential than initial skill all diverge from previous audition programs and present a new paradigm.
In this way, "The Scout" focuses on mutual growth rather than a simple survival competition. Word has it that this radical system is already attracting interest from overseas. "Some countries have shown interest in this format and contacted us."
Lee Seung-Chul analyzed the reason for overseas love calls as a universal emotional code. "The story of a global pop star discovering and nurturing a rising star resonates anywhere in the world. Imagine Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift appearing as masters on the U.S. version to donate their talent. The ripple effect would be enormous."
But Lee Seung-Chul had a different ultimate blueprint in mind. It was the construction of a healthy and transparent K-pop ecosystem. "Many aspiring artists actually fear the word 'agency.' That's because of past unfair contracts and dark issues. I wanted to show how experts sweat and run a proper system to create a singer, and the transparent, genuine side of this industry. Only then can they pursue their dreams with peace of mind."
An evaluation method that thoroughly excludes existing broadcasting power is also part of the ecosystem innovation. The Scout masters do not participate in judging even 1% and leave it entirely to a nationwide evaluation panel. "Instead of celebrity judges, we structured it so contestants are judged coldly from the perspectives of real audiences and industry professionals, such as current music café DJs, students in applied music departments, and magazine editors."
Within this blueprint, Lee Seung-Chul plans for season 1 and season 2 to seek male soloists, season 3 to seek bands, and season 4 to seek female solo "gems." "Although idol groups are dominant, it's time for a generation that speaks English like native speakers to produce global solo singer-songwriters like Ed Sheeran or Charlie Puth. We chose to find male soloists first this time because we believe in that destructive power."
Changing the paradigm of audition programs and further influencing the industry ecosystem, "The Scout." Lee Seung-Chul asked viewers for this: "Breaking away from a past centered on broadcasters or viewers, we are absolutely participant-centered. Viewers, please don't just watch from outside the screen; watch with immersion as if 'if my family member were in there.'"
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