HYBE’s next girl group, PRELUDE, is already active facing intense scrutiny, even before their official debut.
The company has gradually introduced the group, revealing three members so far. The final training should be determined through the program World Scout: the final piecewhose conclusion is scheduled for May.
Ahead of the final decision, the partially revealed members made a public appearance at the 2026 Billboard Women in Music ceremony, a major industry event celebrating influential female artists.
However, once photos of the event circulated online, they quickly became a hot topic, and not in a good way. Many netizens reacted critically, questioning the group’s presence at such a high profile event before even making their official debut.
Some commentators highlighted what they perceived as a lack of visual cohesion between memberswhile others expressed confusion as to why an unfinished group was being promoted onto such a large stage. The situation has also led to criticism leveled at HYBE, with accusations that the agency is pushing the group too aggressively before their debut.
While discussions continue online, PRELUDE’s initial visibility has sparked a larger debate about pre-debut promotions and whether such strategies help or hurt new artists in the long run.
Sources: Koreaboo
Related articles
