The Korea Herald

지나쌤

YG to launch new boy band battle show ‘Mix & Match’

By Korea Herald

Published : Aug. 29, 2014 - 19:53

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One year after top K-pop talent agency YG Entertainment aired its hugely popular “WIN: Who Is Next?” the agency announced that it would soon launch its newest trainee boy band survival program, “Mix & Match.”

In the hopes of giving fan favorite trainees B.I. and Bobby, along with the rest of the members of last year’s runner-up Team B, an opportunity to possibly make their debut. Officials at YG have only announced small details about their upcoming reality TV show plans, which are said to include a few new faces. 
Team B of last year’s “WIN: Who Is Next?” boy band reality competition show. (YG Entertainment) Team B of last year’s “WIN: Who Is Next?” boy band reality competition show. (YG Entertainment)

According to a statement released by YG on Thursday, the show will be another all-out battle featuring all the members of the previous Team B (leader B.I., Bobby, Gu Jun-hoe, Kim Jin-hwan, Song Yun-hyeong and Kim Dong-hyuk) and three new YG trainees, for a total of nine battlers.

As the title of the upcoming show suggests, based on the skills and abilities of the contestants, the members will be mixed and matched into various teams with the goal of creating YG’s newest boy band.

During the filming of last year’s “WIN,” YG founder Yang Hyun-suk stated on numerous occasions that no matter the show’s outcome and fan responses, the losing team would “disband and undergo changes,” meaning that some members would most likely have to leave the group and possibly even the agency.

After the conclusion of “WIN” in October, the winning Team A ― which then took on the band name “Winner” ― topped the charts with its debut album “2014 S/S.” Former Team B leader B.I. and rapper Bobby have also taken a stab at re-entering the limelight by participating in the ongoing hip-hop reality show “Show Me the Money 3.”

Although B.I. has already been eliminated from the show, Bobby is still in the running for the crown after reaching the final round this week.

The upcoming “Mix & Match” survival program is scheduled to premiere on Sept. 11 via Mnet and online through Naver.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)