HYBE has established a new label specialized in producing girl groups, "ABD," and will unveil a rookie girl group in the second half of the year.
HYBE said on the 8th that it officially launched the new label ABD. ABD is an abbreviation of the brand slogan "A Bold Dream," and carries the meaning of "imagining D, not C after A and B." Based on flexible and intuitive creativity that goes beyond existing formulas, it aims to pursue the pure joy of music and, grounded in a deep understanding of fans and artists, to pioneer a new realm of K-pop.
Noh Ji-won, former head of the Artist Planning Office at Pledis Entertainment, was appointed as the new CEO. Noh has built label management experience at Pledis and MORE VISION, and will oversee ABD's overall management, working to stabilize the organization and lay a foundation for growth.
The establishment of ABD was pursued as part of strengthening HYBE's "multi-label strategy." HYBE has expanded its competitiveness in the global music market by building a system in which each label operates independently based on its unique identity and production capabilities. ABD also plans to establish itself as a specialized label by securing differentiated intellectual property (IP) centered on an organization and creators dedicated to girl-group production.
ABD plans to present its first rookie girl group in the second half of this year. Master Professional Han Sung-soo will head overall producing. Han has taken part in producing numerous K-pop artists, including SEVENTEEN, After School, IZ*ONE, and TWS. Han will lead the rookie girl group's music, concept, and overall performance.
Currently, girl groups under the HYBE Labels umbrella include LE SSERAFIM (Source Music), NewJeans (ADOR), ILLIT (Belift Lab Inc.), and KATSEYE (HYBE LABELS). In particular, ADOR led NewJeans' success and achieved significant results in the K-pop market, but group activities have effectively been halted amid legal disputes. The industry is watching to see whether the new girl group to be introduced by ABD can become HYBE's next core girl group.