Scooter Braun

Scooter Braun, CEO of HYBE AMERICA and founder of SB Projects, was invited as a special guest to &AUDITION – The Howling – FINAL ROUND, which took place Sept. 3 in Tokyo. The audition program produced by HYBE, the company behind BTS, was conducted in an unprecedented style with the aim of launching a global group comprised of members selected from a mix of contestants from I-LAND (the project that launched ENHYPEN) — K, EJ, NICHOLAS and TAKI — and 11 trainees.

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One new aspect of this audition was that its nature was cooperative and not competitive. Audition programs tend to promote ruthless rivalry, but &AUDITION – The Howling placed emphasis on mutual support and growth among the contestants. Sometimes the mission was designed to evaluate the overall perfection as a group rather than the excellence of the individual. As the rounds progressed, a strong bond was formed between all 15 participants, and when the nine debuting members were announced as the new group &TEAM in the final round, the men who weren’t selected congratulated the winners with beaming smiles in the end — though they did shed a few tears when they first learned the results.

Braun is a prominent executive and manager in the music industry. One of his companies, Ithaca Holdings LLC, merged with HYBE in May 2021 to become HYBE America, making it easier for HYBE’s artists — BTS included — and related businesses to penetrate the North American market. The close association between K-pop stars popular in Asian regions and Braun’s artists in North America can further expand the huge base that both companies have in the future.

Braun’s presence at &AUDITION – The Howling – FINAL ROUND shows his commitment to music and artists in Asia. At the same time, expectations for &TEAM’s global expansion are growing.

Braun had some heartfelt and profound words of advice for the nine debuting members of the new band &TEAM. Speaking from experience working with some of today’s biggest stars, he noted that “every great artist has a story of adversity. All the global stars that I’ve had the chance to work with have heard more ‘no’s than ‘yes’es” and “that’s what makes them great.” With that in mind, he encouraged the new members to overcome any adversity together, emphasizing that “you have a team, you have a family now to fight through that together, so never forget that [and] lean on each other.”

Braun promised he would return to Japan for the group’s first stadium show to cheer them on. He concluded his warm message to the group slated to debut as &TEAM by telling them, “Never, never give up. And when one of you falters, the other one pick him up, OK? You are family now. You got it. Congratulations! You can all smile, you’re here now.”

&TEAM consists of nine members: K, FUMA, NICHOLAS, EJ, YUMA, JO, HARUA, TAKI and MAKI. The brand-new band will drop their debut single Dec. 7. There’s a hopeful meaning behind the group’s name: “& is about bonding – people & individuals, humans & the world, fans & artists, fans & fellow fans, and ultimately bonding between nine members each with their vivid colors. In a constant pursuit for a better self, the members’ energy synthesizes to create one team that continues to excel and break through its limits.” Fans of the group will be collectively called LUNÉ, and the group is set to take on the global stage with LUNÉ’s dedicated support.

—This article by Suhi Yoon first appeared on Billboard Japan