TITAN

(l to r: Titan Content chief visual officer Guiom Lee, CEO Katie Kang, board chair Nikki Semin Han, and chief performance officer Lia Kim. Photo Credit: Titan)

A little over two weeks after officially launching, self-described “K-pop powerhouse” Titan Content has teed up a series of open auditions.

Founded by former SM Entertainment head Nikki Semin Han, Titan Content emailed DMN about its planned auditions, which are expected to take place in a number of countries between January and March of 2024.

According to the Los Angeles-based business, which in November disclosed an “initial seed round with multinational investors and strategic partners,” the forthcoming tryouts are designed “to discover and nurture the next wave of international K-pop superstars.”

Though concrete details are relatively limited at present – venues and a comprehensive schedule will be revealed “at a later date”– Titan indicated that it’s poised to host “a range of auditions, from solo acts to group performances across diverse fields.”

Additionally, the quick-approaching auditions are set to take place between January and February in the US (New York City, Hawaii, LA, Houston, and Atlanta), Canada (Toronto and Vancouver), and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne).

Meanwhile, the global talent-seeking initiative will in February and March reach Japan (Tokyo and Osaka), Hong Kong, Taiwan (Taipei), Vietnam (Saigon), Singapore, Thailand (Bangkok) and Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Titan communicated.

The “target age” for prospective signees is anyone born after 2000, including ages a bit older than that associated with other such tryouts, Titan’s website shows, and applications are already available for interested individuals. Notably, the company is further prepared to pay “a scholarship of $1,000 including public charge and tax” to each person responsible for a trainee recommendation resulting in an eventual signing, per the same webpage.

“As we make our way across North America and beyond,” Titan chief performance officer Lia Kim elaborated, “we know there are so many talented individuals with unique styles and backgrounds.

“These auditions will provide ambitious artists with an unprecedented opportunity to step onto the world stage and showcasing their artistry, charisma, and dedication to K-pop,” concluded the 1Million Dance Studio professional Kim.

And in remarks of her own, Titan CEO Katie Kang emphasized an overarching goal of casting “a wide net to discover exceptional talent with the potential to redefine the K-pop landscape.”

Against the backdrop of a quick-expanding K-pop space – which is enabling some high-profile groups’ members to make commercial waves as solo acts – Titan is hardly alone in hunting for the stars of tomorrow.

Multiple years after announcing auditions for a stateside K-pop girl group, Hybe and Universal Music’s Geffen in November formally revealed the act’s name and members, who’d auditioned and then competed for the spots. The companies are developing a new boy band as well.

Plus, SM Entertainment and Sony Music’s RCA in September partnered on the rollout of a group called Riize, with Kakao and Columbia (another Sony Music subsidiary) having previously inked a deal, focused initially on two-year-old Ive, to bring the former’s artists to fans on the global stage. Lastly, Attrakt, which announced in September that it had received a $7.5 million investment, is also developing a new girl group.



[Excerpts] Digital Music News - KPOP NEWS: THE LATEST INDUSTRY UPDATES & DEVELOPMENTS, Dec 13. 2023
https://variety.com/2023/music/news/titan-content-k-pop-nikki-han-1235810710/