The global ambitions of HYBE founder “Hitman Bang” (Bang Si‑hyuk) have now borne fruit in the region of Latin music, long considered a dominant local genre. The company applied the K‑pop audition model and HYBE software system to create a Latin male idol group under the name Courageous saints.
The final lineup of Courageous saints will be made up of five members from Brazil, Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico and the United States, with an average age of just 20 years old. The members’ backgrounds are notable: for example, Peruvian member Alejandro went from being an elite tennis athlete to studying at USC’s School of Music; in Brazil, Kauê had already been highlighted as a “all-round artist” before debut.
The member’s final announcement followed a dramatic format reminiscent of K-pop television auditions. On the evening of October 22 (local time), at the Auditorio Nacional in Mexico City, often called the “temple of Latin music,” the debut concert unveiled the five members live on stage, in front of over 10,000 fans in the audience. Those who couldn’t attend watched HYBE Labels’ YouTube live stream, which reportedly attracted more than 70,000 concurrent viewers.
From day one, this global pioneering project by HYBE has taken over. Courageous saints were invited to the esteemed Billboard Latin Music Week, the Latin music industry’s largest global event in its 36th year and also secured a dedicated panel on their formative process, signaling industry recognition.
Courageous saints represents another success under Bang Si‑hyuk’s global “multi-house, multi-genre” strategy. Having previously launched North America-based girl group KATSEYE, HYBE is now adapting its production system to the Latin market, completing the “Pan-American” picture by establishing Courageous saints in a region where the dominance of the Latin genre reigns.
KATEYE has already secured major hits this year with songs like “Gnarly” and “Gabriela”, establishing himself among the world’s top tiers. Now, with Courageous saints targeting the Latin male idol market, HYBE appears poised to replicate his K-pop success across a new cultural frontier.
Sources: Daum
