The Black Label poaches more Big 4 talent with SM's creative director Kim Sejun

  • Why are multiple lead staff members from the big 4 going to a much smaller company with only two big artists (Somi, ZionT)? Previously, they poached another lead staff member from one of the big 4 (SM or Hybe's visual director I think). Why is TBL recruiting so aggressively when they are so small, and why do these staff members think TBL is better for their careers than the big 4, including YG?


    Something is going on at TBL... Maybe Blackpink will join TBL after their contract expires... Maybe this is in preparation for TBL's upcoming GG (but that is probably 2+ years from now because YGNGG will come out first)... It's a mystery. I don't get it.


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  • Aside from him, who else transferred to TBL?


    I think he’s connected to the whole TBL revamp thing that happened weeks ago, after that TBL party. Well, i just hope he brings something new to the table.

  • Why are multiple lead staff members from the big 4 going to a much smaller company with only two big artists (Somi, ZionT)? Previously, they poached another lead staff member from one of the big 4 (SM or Hybe's visual director I think). Why is TBL recruiting so aggressively when they are so small, and why do these staff members think TBL is better for their careers than the big 4, including YG?


    Something is going on at TBL... Maybe Blackpink will join TBL after their contract expires... Maybe this is in preparation for TBL's upcoming GG (but that is probably 2+ years from now because YGNGG will come out first)... It's a mystery. I don't get it.


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    maybe TBL offers more freedom for creativity?

  • Why are multiple lead staff members from the big 4 going to a much smaller company with only two big artists (Somi, ZionT)? Previously, they poached another lead staff member from one of the big 4 (SM or Hybe's visual director I think). Why is TBL recruiting so aggressively when they are so small, and why do these staff members think TBL is better for their careers than the big 4, including YG?


    Something is going on at TBL... Maybe Blackpink will join TBL after their contract expires... Maybe this is in preparation for TBL's upcoming GG (but that is probably 2+ years from now because YGNGG will come out first)... It's a mystery. I don't get it.


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    Well THEBLACKLABEL is bigger than most people know. They have an army of producers. They're also building a roster of actors and models, they also have quite a bit of trainees both guys and girls. TBL is like a mini-YG, which is pretty much what YG envisioned. They even moved into YG's iconic old building.

    I believe TBL is going to be like YGPLUS, which is a subsidiary of YG that is also publicly-traded and doing very well. They have actors and models too and is in a bunch of other industries like streaming, investments but its biggest business is being arguably the largest digital and physical music and merch distributor in Kpop.


    Based on what I've read that THEBLACKLABEL is gearing up to go public on the stock market, which will be a huge gush of revenue.

    RBW, Mamamoo's label, went public recently and their IPO brought in $20 million. I think TBL can do double that.


    Last November TBL went from being a subsidiary of YG to an associated company. Which just means YG went from majority stakeholder to minority.


    I believe YG is going to get preferred stock options when TBL does go public.


    Also due to Naver's close partnership with YG on several ventures, I believe Naver will be a huge stakeholder in TBL too.

    Also because the Founder of Naver's son, Loren, is an artist with THEBLACKLABEL.

    YG Family

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  • link?

    They didn't revealed their faces but they teased it so they're probably debuting one soon. Here's the link skip to 5:55

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  • They're debuting a new GG, they revealed some trainees in somi's reality show.

    Teddy wasn't there, so they are not in the main selection process yet.


    Also, isn't YG debuting a GG around the end of the year or early next year? I don't think TBL would debut a GG soon after YG. They would probably want at least a year between them (I don't think they want them to compete like Ikon-Winner... or do they... probably not), so they would be debuting about 2+ years from now.


    I suppose they could be preparing the visual direction long before debut, but this new creative director is only going to work directly on Somi and maybe ZionT for a couple years, and Somi only has a comeback once a year and obviously already has a team, unless someone was fired/quit.

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  • Well THEBLACKLABEL is bigger than most people know. They have an army of producers. They're also building a roster of actors and models

    Producers, and actors/models don't need an in-house creative/visual director.

    they also have quite a bit of trainees both guys and girls.

    Trainess don't either, and they are probably not going to debut within the next year. See my post directly above.


    Only TBL performers need an in-house creative/visual director, and the only ones they have right now are Somi and ZionT (and maybe Vince if he is not just a producer now) and they don't even release very often. What are they hiring Kim Sejun to do all day, when they presumably already have a visual director?

    Based on what I've read that THEBLACKLABEL is gearing up to go public on the stock market, which will be a huge gush of revenue.

    Maybe. What have you read to make you think this?


    Perhaps Teddy wants TBL to be a creative wing of YG. So Blackpink might still be signed to YG, but almost all the creative work is handled by TBL staff. TBL already does BP's music production, so they might extend their role to visual direction as well.

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  • They didn't revealed their faces but they teased it so they're probably debuting one soon. Here's the link skip to 5:55

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    this are not just for the bl or yg, uniq have evaluation there but they didnt debut under yg

  • Producers, and actors/models don't need an in-house creative/visual director.

    Trainess don't either, and they are probably not going to debut within the next year. See my post directly above.


    Creative/visual directors can be used for anything, not just music artists for MVs and concepts. That title can apply to virtually anything.

    Creative directors work in literally all parts of the entertainment industry.



    Only TBL performers need an in-house creative/visual director, and the only ones they have right now are Somi and ZionT (and maybe Vince if he is not just a producer now) and they don't even release very often. What are they hiring Kim Sejun to do all day, when they presumably already have a visual director?

    They've been doing auditions for trainees the past few years so they have a lot of them now. So they are likely to to debut a lot of artists the next couple of years.

    And if they do things like YG, each artist will have a Creative team, a marketing team, etc assigned to them.


    What have you read to make you think this?

    As I mentioned, in November TBL officially changed from a subsidiary of YG to associated company of YG.

    They are making moves to become a full-fledged entertainment company, not just a record label. The goal usually is to go public and get a stream of revenue from investors.

    I've always kept up with YG business news for years. It just comes from paying attention daily to articles that come out from Korean news portals (NOT AKP or Kbizz who are usually inaccurate when it comes to business news).

    Perhaps Teddy wants TBL to be a creative wing of YG. So Blackpink might still be signed to YG, but almost all the creative work is handled by TBL staff. TBL already does BP's music production, so they might extend their role to visual direction as well.


    YG doesn't need a creative wing. They have an army of creative staff. YG had to actually send YG staff to run HIGHGRND when Tablo ran it into the ground.

    YG has actually helped quite a few former YG staff start their own labels.

    YG (the person) told SINXITY, a YG creative director, that he should start a label, AXIS, and even helped him get funding from Naver. YG did the same for YG producer Rovin. Brave Brothers also took that same path.


    THEBLACKLABEL is more than a creative department at this point. That's why they moved from renting 2 floors at a high-rise office building to taking over the old YG building.

    BLACKPINK is sort of in a unique position in that Teddy really took the role that YG normally would with his groups. It just so happens Teddy started his own label in the meantime but is still acting in the role of YG Executive Producer for BLACKPINK.

    YG Family

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  • Creative/visual directors can be used for anything, not just music artists for MVs and concepts. That title can apply to virtually anything.

    Creative directors work in literally all parts of the entertainment industry.

    Yes, but for models and actors the production house provides the creative direction, not the agency. Are you suggesting that TBL plans on becoming an advertising and/or video production house? Right now they operate as a music label and talent/modeling agency.

    As I mentioned, in November TBL officially changed from a subsidiary of YG to associated company of YG. They are making moves to become a full-fledged entertainment company, not just a record label. The goal usually is to go public and get a stream of revenue from investors.

    They seem to be doing fine with the private capital they have been able to secure so far, and going public comes with additional costs and issues. Perhaps if they plan on debuting multiple groups in the next two years (or if they plan on expanding into advertising or video production) they might need more, but I have only seen evidence that they plan on debuting one girl group within the next couple years, and that's not even taking into account how Teddy has a habit of delaying everything.

    YG doesn't need a creative wing.

    YG doesn't need it, but Teddy might want all the creative staff that works on his artists/projects under his company, including projects TBL does for YG. Right now he seems to be relying on some of YG's staff for some parts of production, particularly for BP.

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  • Teddy wasn't there, so they are not in the main selection process yet.


    Also, isn't YG debuting a GG around the end of the year or early next year? I don't think TBL would debut a GG soon after YG. They would probably want at least a year between them (I don't think they want them to compete like Ikon-Winner... or do they... probably not), so they would be debuting about 2+ years from now.


    I suppose they could be preparing the visual direction long before debut, but this new creative director is only going to work directly on Somi and maybe ZionT for a couple years, and Somi only has a comeback once a year and obviously already has a team, unless someone was fired/quit.

    YG doesn't care about award shows, remember their orignal plan of debuting a BP sister GG right after their debut??

    But I don't think Teddy can manage two ggs at the same time so maybe you're right.

  • YG doesn't care about award shows, remember their orignal plan of debuting a BP sister GG right after their debut??

    But I don't think Teddy can manage two ggs at the same time so maybe you're right.

    Teddy probably wont be involved with YGNGG, except maybe a song or two. There's no way he'll be the main producer when he has BP and is working on his own new group.


    People were speculating that Ella Gross will be in TBL's group, but she's only 13 right now. Although, the trainees in the Somi video were clearly 15+, so it is possible that they plan on debuting them next year, but that means the debut will be at least two years from now, after Teddy inevitably delays it a couple times.

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