Singer and producer Sang-min Lee is kicking off an idol-making project — and he’s taking fans inside the entire journey on YouTube.
232 Entertainment, founded by Lee, will roll out the idol production and audition process step by step via the YouTube channel 232 Project. The venture marks his first attempt at producing an idol album in roughly 25 years, drawing major attention.
Lee previously took part in producing and releasing albums for acts including Country Kko Kko, S#arp, Roo'ra’s 6th–8th albums, Diva’s 4th album, Bros, X-LARGE, QOQ, and Baek Ji-young’s 4th–5th albums. Explaining why he’s returning, Lee said, "Since it’s been a while, I thought documenting the production as-is would allow a realistic evaluation of my producing capabilities."
The bold twist with 232 Project: the debut track drops first, and members are then selected to match the music. Lee has already completed the debut song 'Genius' and will recruit applicants around it.
Hopefuls can listen to the pre-released track to see if it fits their style and direction before auditioning. Compared to other agencies, the project also promises a relatively fast path to debut.
While the arrangement may be tweaked by debut time, the song’s overall flow and genre will remain. Encouraging participation, Lee said, "If the music speaks to you, take the leap and go for it."
Meanwhile, the member selection and growth story will be revealed on 232 Project starting on the 6th of this month, with new content every Wednesday at 6 p.m.