Meet Skyle, the new K-pop girl group formed by Louis Koo – is the mixed Korean and Chinese band really angling for Blackpink’s crown already?

Jul 28 , 2021

Skyle are a new K-pop band, brought together by Hong Kong actor Louis Koo and whose debut track, Red Queen, is out soon. Photo:@official_skyle/Twitter

K-pop fanatics are always on the lookout for new groups entering the scene. If you’re one of them, then you’ll want to hear about Skyle, a four-member girl group who are to make their debut on August 4. But if you’re wondering which of Korea’s famous entertainment companies they’re signed to, here’s the surprise – their manager is none other than Louis Koo, the Hong Kong actor so beloved his city named a cinema after him.

Which Hong Kong celebs are stanning Mirror star Keung To?

The group’s name stands for “Show the Kinetic and Youth Leading a new Episode”, and it consists of one Chinese member – Erin – and three Koreans: Chaeyeon, Ginny and Ujeong.

For debut track Fly Up High, the Skyle girls can be seen wearing white and champagne coloured outfits with gold chokers and tiaras as they each perch on a throne – a confident look for newbies to be sure! Are they sending a message to current K-pop girl band royalty, Blackpink, who recently marked their fifth anniversary?

Skyle’s debut track Fly Up High is set to be released on August 4. Photo: @official_skyle/Twitter

Skyle are the first group to debut with Koo’s Good Luck Entertainment, which has until now usually signed actresses or solo artists. Trainees from all across Asia were tried out in forming the group, with most of the girls going through taxing idol training for three to four years, and one member reportedly completing seven years of training.

Hard life: 5 ways BTS, Blackpink and other K-pop idols struggled as trainees

Skyle’s YouTube channel has released videos of the girls performing dance covers, which have built up expectations of their group performance for their new song. Photos: 玫瑰味的妮妮子/Weibo

The group’s official YouTube channel has uploaded three videos of the girls, with two dance cover videos of the girls in pairs and one group dance cover. From high energy hip-hop choreography to graceful cartwheels and dropping into the splits, anyone can tell that these girls are highly talented performers in different styles of dance.

Why is ‘genderless’ fashion the K-pop style statement of the moment?

Skyle’s debut was originally scheduled for July 19, but was pushed back due to one of the company’s staff being in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case.

Good Luck Entertainment is a subsidiary of the One Cool Group, founded by actor Louis Koo in 2013. One Cool joined forces with Jacso Entertainment to create One Cool Jacso Entertainment Limited in 2016, managing artists within mainland China.

How Taemin slayed three generations of K-pop

Good Luck Entertainment has been managing Korean artists since 2018, and now debuting their first group as K-pop’s international appeal continues to grow, their team surely has high hopes of striking gold with the next big girl group.

Before Louis Koo was a household name in the cinematic world, he got his start in a local TV drama. Photo: @kootinlok_louis/Instagram

The transition from acting to artist management might seem an odd career decision, but Louis Koo isn’t the first Hong Kong actor to form a Korean pop group. No less a figure than Jackie Chan personally chose the members for, and managed, a boy band, JJCC, who debuted in 2014. Perhaps it takes a celebrity manager to see that star quality in others and train them up? For sure fans will be watching closely to see if Koo can indeed help the girls of Skyle become queens of K-pop.

Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter.

K-pop idols

Jackie Chan launched the six-member K-pop hip-hop group JJCC – now Hong Kong actor Louis Koo’s Good Luck Entertainment is debuting four-piece girl group Skyle
The band stars three Korean idols – Chaehyeon, Ginny and Ujeong –next to Chinese member Erin, and debut single Fly Up High drops on August 7