JTBC 'RU Next?', Hive Next girl group final debut with only 6 members

The 22 trainees from Belifrap, who were aiming to become members of the Hive Next girl group, finally started flying toward their dreams.

In the first episode of 'RU Next?' (producer Studio Jam/Mushroom Company), which first aired on the 30th of last month, the long-awaited first round 'Tryout' began, and the fierce competition between participants rose.

After the first broadcast, we were able to confirm the enthusiastic response to the program in various online communities and SNS. The keywords 'RU NEXT' and 'RUNEXT' entered real-time Twitter trends in Korea as well as overseas such as France and Thailand.

'RU Next?' is a program that determines the final members of the next-generation global girl group of Hive and CJ ENM JV Belief Lab. Participants pass through a total of seven gateways to become 'global K-pop stars', proving their potential and star quality. Under MC Choi Soo-young's progress, the final number of debutants was revealed to be 6 people.

The first round 'try-out' is the gateway to confirm the potential of the participants. The evaluation method is evaluation by level within the unit, and after the coaches see the stage of a total of 7 units, the level of each participant is divided into high level, mid level and low level. Yesterday's companion, who practiced together before the contest, has become today's competitor.

Even though there was a sense of tension, the contestants suddenly changed their eyes when they went on stage. Their eagerness to debut made them fall into their stage. Starting with the vocal avengers unit 'Batme Girls' (Jungeun, Chanel, Jiwoo) with outstanding teamwork, the strong dance team 'Power Cats' (Iroha, Hyewon, Jihyun) captivated the coaching staff with their confident attitude, smart and cute. From the united chick unit '16,200,000' (Seoyeon, Iris, Wonhee, Ena) to the 'I One' (Youngseo, Mocha, Moa) who enjoyed the stage leisurely and made the coaches cheer as well as the trainees, each unit has its own unique concept and costumes. It provided a variety of attractions.

Terms containing the identity of 'RU Next?' were also revealed. While the participants practice wearing a unified 'uniform', the area in which they are active is called the 'locker room'. When announcements are delivered to participants, a 'buzzer sounds'. The unique setting that emphasized the charm of the healthy and unaffected participants and melted the survival identity added to the fun of watching. The affectionate directing and editing method that pointed out the attractive points of each trainee was also different.

Coaches such as Park Gyu-ri, Lee Hyun, Jo Kwon, Kim Jae-hwan, and Aiki also stood out. The stage screening was cold enough to show off the members of Hive's Next Girl Group, which will be active on the global stage, but considering the younger age participants, they calmly explained how they could grow for the next stage. It is evaluated that the trainees were not simply treated as participants on the contest stage, but as senior artists and seniors in life, and presented a direction for the participants to move forward.

Meanwhile, 'RU Next?' is co-produced by Belif Lab, Studio Jam, and Mushroom Company, and is globally transmitted worldwide through JTBC, Japan's Abema, and other Hive Labels' YouTube channels. In Korea, you can watch it again on Netflix and Wave. On the 23rd of last month, the first global voting began through Weverse, a global fan community platform, and Toss, a mobile financial app. Voting is conducted once a day, per person, per account, and the combined score of Weverse and Toss will be reflected in the voting results later. At 00:00 on July 6, the first global vote closes.

Reporter Yoon Jun-ho, Ten Asia delo410@tenasia.co.kr