The team-up kicks off with the just-released EP from girl group izna, whose music is helmed by BLACKPINK and KPop Demon Hunters producer Teddy. izna Courtesy of WAKEONE Trending on Billboard ALPHA DRIVE ONE and izna were both built by fans, backed by one of Korea’s strongest cultural conglomerates and now two of K-pop’s most-watched acts have a major U.S. partner. Billboard can exclusively report that South Korean label WAKEONE has entered a strategic partnership with REPUBLIC Collective, the Universal Music Group division that has led three of Billboard‘s year-end label charts for the past five years: Top Labels, Billboard 200 Labels and Hot 100 Labels. Officially announced Tuesday (June 9), the deal will see REPUBLIC support WAKEONE’s girl group izna and the recently debuted boy band ALPHA DRIVE ONE for the acts’ global expansion including album promotion and distribution. Related Both izna and ALPHA DRIVE ONE were assembled in real-time by international K-pop fan voters: izna through the 2024 survival singing competition show I-Land 2 — where fans across a reported 217 countries and regions voted for the final girl group lineup — and ALPHA DRIVE ONE (also known as ALD1) on Boys II Planet, which reportedly drew more
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