K-pop stars search for next global idol group in TV5, MLD’s ‘Be the NEXT: 9 Dreamers’
MANILA, Philippines — K-pop icon 2NE1’s Sandara Park, AB6IX’s Park Woojin, Bang Ye-dam, HORI7ON’s Vinci, Hyebin (formerly of MOMOLAND), EXO’s CHEN, choreographer Bae Wan Hee and producer Bullseye will headline TV5 and MLD Entertainment PH’s “Be the NEXT: 9 Dreamers.”
Dara will serve as the host, while the rest will be the mentors of the K-pop survival show, which will start airing on Feb. 8 — Saturdays at 7:15 p.m. and Sundays at 8:15 p.m., with weekday catch-ups at 11:30 p.m.
Seventy-five aspirants from across the globe will vie for a coveted spot in a new nine-member boy group.
At a recent press conference at Novotel Manila Araneta City, Dara shared that she is “excited and nervous” because it will be her first time hosting a show.
“It’s a new challenge for me,” she stated. “I’ve done acting, being on stage and being in a musical show, but being a main host — it’s my first time. So, I’m really excited,” she said, also quipping, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do because alam niyo naman krung krung ako so…”
Dara will be traveling back and forth to Manila for the show. Amid her tight schedule, which includes 2NE1’s ongoing “Welcome Back Tour” and her other commitments, she emphasized the importance of staying healthy.
“It’s important to stay healthy so I can do all my schedules in my best condition. I’m really busy. So, no friends muna, no alcohol, no rest, no vacation — just focus. I’m really focusing on my work and I work out when I have time. And of course, I get massages. Mamaya magpapa-massage ako.”
The leader of the South Korea-based Filipino boy group HORI7ON, Vinci, felt honored to be part of the panel of mentors.
“We are very new to the industry, HORI7ON. So, it’s a big responsibility for me. But as a young artist myself, I also have insights on how to navigate toward their dreams, and I hope I can share insights (just like) how I navigated through mine,” he said.
“I think it’s very useful to apply my leadership skills because I can also look at the trainees as members and see how they can perform as a group,” he added.
The mentors also shared the qualities they are looking for in the next global idols.
Bae Wan Hee, through an English interpreter, admitted that choosing the nine members would be very tough. “For me, I will be looking at how hard they worked, their sweat, and how diligent they are. That would be my basis.”
“Members with confidence and yung passion nila nag-sho-show through their performance — that’s something I look forward to (seeing in the) contestants,” Vinci added.
For Bang Ye-dam, his criteria would be “how much they grow, how much they pursue their dreams and how hard they work.”
Skill is important for Park Woojin. “But I also want to see how much they shine when they’re not trying to make it look pretty. (It should be) really natural — their uniqueness, which is something innate.”
Hyebin echoed this sentiment. “Yes, I think skill and uniqueness are important, but I also want to see what positive influence they will bring to the show.”
“I think the other mentors will be good at judging the trainees, but for me, I will choose the one who truly makes an impact on my heart,” shared Bullseye.
Meanwhile, MQuest Ventures’ MQuest Artists Agency head Jeff Remigio recalled to The STAR how the major deal with MLD Entertainment came to be.
“‘Be the NEXT: 9 Dreamers’ was almost two years in the making,” he said. “MLD actually came to us and approached us, and I was the one who entertained their interest and inquiry in the beginning. I think this was around mid-2023 — early as that — when we started talking. And of course, I was thankful because they came to us. They did their first installment with ABS-CBN.”
“They said they wanted to explore other opportunities and see the potential of TV5 as well. So, we presented it to the management, and of course, we all loved the concept. They wanted to promise a different kind of presentation this time.”
Jeff believes they chose the Philippines as the host country because “there’s so much talent in the country.”
“The Philippines is a market that is thriving when it comes to K-pop, P-pop, and J-pop, and you know, everything in between. I believe they chose to hold it here because of that. They did HORI7ON, and they were able to produce a group last time,” he said.
“So, I think they are very confident that they will be able to come up with a new set of talents — not just from the Philippines, but from other parts of the globe as well. The fact that they are opening the doors to a lot of talents globally makes this project even bigger. And we’re excited.”
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