(From left) Bull$EyE, AB6IX’s Park Woojin, Momoland’s Hyebin, Sandara Park, Bang Yedam, HORI7ON’s Vinci, and Bae Wan-hee during the media conference of “Be The Next: 9 Dreamers.” Image: Handout photo
For the mentors of the survival show “Be The Next: 9 Dreamers,” talent, star power, and passion are among the qualities that the 75 contestants should have to secure a winning spot.
Hosted by Sandara Park, the South Korea-Philippines survival show brings together 75 trainees from different parts of the world to compete for a spot in an upcoming nine-member boy group.
They will be mentored by EXO’s Chen, HORI7ON’s Vinci, solo artist Bang Ye-dam, AB6IX’s Woojin, Momoland’s Hyebin, music producer Bull$EyE, and choreographer Bae Wan-hee.
During a media con for “Be The Next: 9 Dreamers,” Woojin, Hyebin, and Bang said they are aware that “skill and talent” are crucial to last. But it is their growth and positive influence that will bring them far in the competition.
(From left) Bull$EyE, Momoland’s Hyebin, AB6IX’s Park Woojin, Sandara Park, Bang Yedam, HORI7ON’s Vinci, and Bae Wan-hee during the media conference of “Be The Next: 9 Dreamers.” Image: Handout photo
“At the beginning of the program, there are some who will be very good. Some will grow as the program goes on. My basis is how they’ll grow and how much they’ll pursue in working hard,” Bang said in Korean.
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Woojin also hoped to see how trainees would manage to make their skills look effortless.
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“For me, skill is important. But I would like to see how they will shine when they don’t try to make it look pretty, how they’ll make their uniqueness look natural,” he said.
Meanwhile, Vinci, Bae, and Bull$EyE said they are looking forward to how the trainees will display their passion amid the show’s tough landscape. “Members with confidence and passion that will radiate through their performances is something that I will look forward to,” said HORI7ON’s leader.
Bull$EyE added: “The other mentors will be good at judging the trainees, but I will choose the one who would really [grab] my heart, someone who can get my heart.”
Mentorship style
Despite being the youngest on the panel, Vinci wants to be a mentor who can empathize with the trainees’ hardships and offer advice on how they can reach their skills with the right mindset.
“I am very honored to be part of a very unreal panel of mentors because we, HORI7ON, are very new to the industry so it’s a big responsibility for me. But as a young artist myself, I think I also have an insight on how to navigate towards their dreams. I hope I can give insights on how I navigated through mine.” he said.
Vinci also touched on his leadership experience with the global pop group, saying he would mentor the trainees as how he would help his bandmates.
“It is very useful to use my leadership skills because I can look at the trainees as my members,” he said. “I want to be known [as a] representative of [the trainees] who relates to them. As a young artist like myself and a trainee like them [before], I want to empathize with them, be strict, and apply what I learned in my journey.”
Hyebin pointed out that having a mentor who can recognize a trainee’s talent would help them work harder, which she hopes to become.
“I know it’s important to have someone who can recognize you at an early stage. I would like to be a mentor who can recognize their talents and what they have within them,” she said.
Going beyond the bond between a mentor and trainee, Woojin, Bae, and Bull$EyE said being a “friend” to the contestants will help their mental well-being as the show goes on. “I would like to be a mentor that trainees can remember not only here but when they experience success in their lives,” added Woojin.
MEET YOUR MENTORS ✨
LOOK: The upcoming survival show “Be The Next: 9 Dreamers” holds a press conference in Quezon City ahead of its premiere.
The South Korea-Philippines-helmed show will feature 75 contestants competing for a spot in an upcoming boy group. | @HMallorcaINQ pic.twitter.com/AD3ZCXJJoB
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) January 20, 2025
Bang, while acknowledging his skills in dancing and singing, said he wants to be a guide to the trainees in various areas.
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“I want to help them through my dancing and singing. But not only that. I want to be remembered as a warm mentor who helps them in various areas, and not to only focus on skills,” he said.
The survival show, which premiered on February 8, is a collaboration between MLD Entertainment and TV5. MLD is the home of global pop group HORI7ON, P-pop boy group New:ID, and K-pop girl group Lapillus.
The South Korean music label also manages the careers of rapper Cheetah, JT&Marcus, CocaNButter, and Narin, and was the former home of “Bboom Bboom” hitmakers Momoland.
