LOS ANGELES, CA / MEDELLÍN, COLOMBIA (April 25, 2025) — Medellín, the beating heart of Latin music, takes a bold step forward through a strategic partnership between the City’s Youth Secretariat and HYBE Latin, the Latin division of HYBE, South Korea’s global entertainment powerhouse known for developing global icons like BTS and for reshaping the music industry through innovative talent development models. Together, they launch a new chapter of Medellín Music Lab, a music incubator that has already transformed lives and now evolves into a bridge between local talent and global opportunity.

“Medellín has played a key role in shaping the global rise of Latin music. With this partnership, we aim to amplify that impact by combining local talent with HYBE’s expertise in developing global superstars,” said Santiago Duque, Head of Label at ZRPZ, HYBE Latin’s flagship label. “Medellín Music Lab is our shared commitment to a new generation ready to make history.”

In this edition, the program has more than 3,000 registrants, from whom it will select 64 talents and produce 20 original songs. In addition to developing artists, it also prepares producers, managers, creatives, marketing experts, audiovisual professionals, and legal professionals: all the roles that make music work. Its impact is already visible: four participants were selected to perform at La Solar, Medellín’s most important music festival, marking a major milestone in their professional journey.

“This alliance with HYBE reflects what we’ve always believed: our youth have the talent to go far, if given real opportunities,” said Federico Gutiérrez, Mayor of Medellín. “The world is beginning to look to our barrios, to our ideas, to the dreams that can truly change lives. HYBE believes in that. And so do we.”

The partnership officially kicked off today with Medellín Suena, a community event hosted at UPB’s Forum Event Center, where artists, music professionals, and citizens came together to celebrate the city’s next wave of talent.