Latin music and K-pop are two genres already familiar to global audiences. They feel natural on their own, but when combined, they become something unfamiliar and new. HYBE has deliberately broken that boundary through its Latin American division.
The experiment is already showing results. SANTOS BRAVOS, a Latin rookie group formed in less than a year, has quickly appeared on global stages and even earned a nomination for a rising rookie award at a major Latin global music ceremony.
Now the group is expanding further. They will spend around three weeks in Korea, appearing on music shows, radio programs, and other promotional schedules as they begin a full entry into the K-pop system.
On April 10, SANTOS BRAVOS held a media roundtable at HYBE’s headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul. The members spoke about their confidence in Latin music and their excitement for K-pop. The five-member group consists of Drew (U.S.–Mexico), Alejandro (Peru), Kauê (Brazil), Gabi (Puerto Rico), and Kenneth (Mexico).
For the members, visiting Korea carries special meaning. “The Korean market is the root of HYBE and the stage we always wanted to stand on,” Gabi said. “We worked constantly to reach this moment.”
Drew described their approach as learning from the ground up. “We came here with a student mindset,” he said. “We are growing step by step by taking advice from senior artists like TWS, LE SSERAFIM, and ILLIT.”
Kenneth highlighted the importance of their time in Korea. “Every moment here matters to us,” he said. “We plan to actively promote through music shows and radio.”
Alejandro expressed surprise at how familiar Korean audiences already are with Latin music. “On a recent radio show, Gabi sang a Bad Bunny song and the audience sang along,” he said, referring to Bad Bunny. “We are also studying Korean language and culture,” he added. “We are practicing simple phrases like ‘please give me water’ and ‘please give me food.’”
SANTOS BRAVOS recently released their debut EP, 'DUAL.' Kauê called it “a special project introducing our music for the first time,” explaining that it contains a wide range of emotions and styles.
The album follows a dual concept, featuring two contrasting title tracks built around “Santo” (softness) and “Bravo” (intensity), reflecting the group’s name and emotional range.
Drew said, “We wanted to show that people experience many different emotions. It is like an emotional rollercoaster.” The first title track, “MHM,” is a Latin pop song with soft synth sounds and warm vocals, capturing hesitation and excitement in love.
The second track, “VELOCIDADE,” has a completely different energy, built on Brazilian funk and Latin club rhythms with strong percussion and heavy bass. The group’s multicultural identity is central to their concept. Each member represents a different country, and they aim to connect audiences worldwide. Their multilingual style blends Spanish, English, and Portuguese naturally, while K-pop training has added structure and polish.
Despite being newly formed, SANTOS BRAVOS has already achieved notable milestones. Six months after their debut, they performed at Paris Fashion Week and were invited to major music festivals in Mexico, Colombia, and Guatemala.
Kenneth recalled, “Our debut concert in Mexico sold out 10,000 seats. I will never forget that moment.” Their goal goes beyond success charts or numbers. They want to create music that resonates globally while embracing cultural diversity.
“We represent our countries on this stage,” Kenneth said. “We want to be a group people can rely on and look up to.” Kauê said the K-pop training system played a key role in their development. “It is one of the best training systems for artists,” he said. “It gave us confidence that hard work can achieve anything.”
The process was intense. Drew revealed that the group originally started as a 16-member boot camp and was reduced to five members within six months. “It pushed us beyond our limits,” he said.
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