【ABEMA】America Arc Full of Turmoil Begins! ILLIT's IROHA Recalls Days of Grueling Practice: "Crying and Almost Hyperventilating..." | 'WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE' #6

ABEMA, the new future TV, began free broadcasting of #5 of the audition program 'WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE' by HYBE × Geffen Records, which aims to discover Japan's top talent for a global debut in 2026, on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 8 PM, and started free on-demand streaming after the broadcast.

■ What is 'WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE'?

'WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE' is a scout project by HYBE × Geffen Records, a collaboration between HYBE, which has produced numerous global artists including BTS, and Geffen Records, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, one of the world's largest music companies, to make a full-scale entry into the global market. In this project, HYBE × Geffen Records' top scout team will visit Japan to conduct a large-scale audition across the country, with an eye on a global debut in 2026. Together with EMILY, LEXIE, and SAMARA, who participated as trainees in 'The Debut: Dream Academy', they will discover "only one artist" in Japan to become the final member of a new global girl group debuting from HYBE × Geffen Records.

Rino Sashihara, along with SAKURA and KAZUHA of the five-member global girl group LE SSERAFIM, belonging to HYBE MUSIC GROUP LABELS' SOURCE MUSIC, and MOKA and IROHA of the five-member girl group ILLIT, belonging to HYBE MUSIC GROUP LABELS' BELIFT LAB, have been announced as studio cast members for this project. The豪華 cast will watch over the growth and decision-making moments of the participants who are challenging themselves for their dreams.

In #6, broadcast on Tuesday, March 31, 2026, HIORI, AYANA, SAKURA, and AOI, who successfully passed the third round of screening, landed in Los Angeles, USA. The group began communal living in a luxurious accommodation, but HIORI developed a fever on the very first day. Afterwards, they had their first meeting with EMILY, LEXIE, and SAMARA. Here, they were given the final mission to "master two English songs in one month until the final screening," and the original challenge songs for the final screening, 'PARTY b4 the PARTY' and 'WE RIDE', were announced.

Furthermore, world-class coaches carefully selected by HYBE × Geffen Records arrived in America to guide the candidates. Nikki Paramo, a dancer for Britney Spears and Beyoncé and a dance coach, made harsh comments: "I was surprised when I saw your third-round audition videos, in a bad way. They weren't good at all." "Give it your all and show 10 times the power you have now." Martha Ishihara, a dancer for Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande and a dance coach, also said, "I think you've been doing it in Japan, but now that you're coming to America, you have to switch your mentality. If you lose mentally, it won't work out, so enjoy yourselves."

In the studio, SAKURA (LE SSERAFIM) recalled, "KAZUHA cried on the first day of practice (because she couldn't communicate)," and commented, "I think there are parts where you feel frustrated by the language." KAZUHA (LE SSERAFIM) also sent encouragement, saying, "I hope they don't shrink back and do their best." Furthermore, MOKA (ILLIT) looked back at that time, saying, "When I first came to Korea before my debut, I couldn't speak at all. IROHA-chan had been in Korea since she was little, so the Japanese people around her were good at Korean... I felt pressured and thought I would be left behind." She then shared her real-life experience of working globally, saying, "But I had no choice but to do it, otherwise I couldn't talk to anyone."

Finally, the lessons began. This time, the participants were divided into two teams: AYANA and HIORI, who have dance experience, and AOI and SAKURA, who have no singing or dancing experience. However, HIORI was absent from the lesson due to a fever. AYANA, with 10 years of dance experience, smoothly mastered the choreography and was highly praised by dance coach Presley Tucker, who said, "If you can do this much detail at this point, you might not have to worry. I'm very happy."

Afterwards, HIORI finally recovered on the third day of lessons. She tried her best to catch up on the lessons she missed, but she expressed her impatience, saying, "I was surprised at how much I couldn't do. AYANA was perfectly executing the teacher's moves, and I wondered why I couldn't do it..."

Furthermore, the team of AOI and SAKURA, who have no singing or dancing experience, were pointed out for their slow progress, and in an uneasy atmosphere, dance coach Nikki Paramo, who had criticized the candidates on the first day of practice saying "It wasn't good at all," appeared. The studio members exclaimed, "This is bad!" and "At this timing?" At Nikki Paramo's instruction, the two performed a dance three times in a row, showcasing their current abilities while hyperventilating midway. Presley Tucker, their coach who had been watching their dancing, said, "These three times were the best I've seen today. Why didn't you try your best until she came? Honestly, I'm a little annoyed and frustrated."

Seeing the more tense situation than the Japanese screening, IROHA (ILLIT) in the studio revealed her experience, saying, "I also experienced dancing while crying and almost hyperventilating, even though I was doing my best, when someone said, 'Why aren't you serious?' But when I watched the video, the performance I did last was the best. I realized that if I overcome the pain, I can deliver an even better performance."

FAQ

What kind of program is 'WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE'?

It's an audition program by HYBE and Geffen Records to discover one final member in Japan for a girl group aiming for a global debut in 2026.

What was depicted in episode #6?

It showed the successful third-round candidates starting communal living in Los Angeles, USA, facing a tough final mission and training from world-class coaches.

What experience did IROHA of ILLIT share?

She revealed her own experience of 'dancing while crying and almost hyperventilating' during practice, stating that overcoming hardships leads to better performances.

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