K-Content News

'Queendom 2,' 'Street Man Fighter:' Mnet to air sequels of popular shows

By Dong Sun-hwa

The upcoming year 2022 is set to be another big year for cable channel Mnet, which is planning to launch a slew of sequels to its most popular programs.

The first in the lineup is the second season of "Queendom" (2019), a competition show for high-profile K-pop girl groups. Mnet recently revealed that the new season will hit the air in March, but it has not yet revealed who will be the cast members.

The first season of "Queendom" was a big hit. All the artists featured in the program ― MAMAMOO, Lovelyz, AOA, (G)I-DLE, OH MY GIRL and soloist Park Bom ― were brought into the limelight for their gripping performances. In particular, (G)I-DLE made waves on several music streaming charts with "Lion," a single that was premiered on the show, and OH MY GIRL became the talk of the town for its unique reinterpretation of Lovelyz's 2018 release, "Destiny." The success of "Queendom" also led to the creation of its version for men, "Road to Kingdom" (2020) and "Kingdom: Legendary War" (2021), both of which also enjoyed popularity.

The men's version of Mnet's latest hit, "Street Woman Fighter," is scheduled to air in the second half of next year as well, featuring some of the most talented male dancers in Korea. Kwon Young-chan, the chief producer of "Street Woman Fighter," will lead "Street Man Fighter."

"More unconventional dancers will take the stage in our upcoming program," Mnet said without mentioning specific names.

"Street Woman Fighter" was one of the most attention-grabbing shows this year, propelling many dancers, like Noze, Honey J and Monika, to meteoric stardom. The eight dance crews in the program ― PROWDMON, Coca N Butter, HOOK, LACHICA, HOLYBANG, WANT, WAYB and YGX ― are currently holding sold-out concerts nationwide.

Also in the pipeline for next year is the eleventh season of Mnet's hip-hop survival show, "Show Me the Money." It will be helmed by Choi Hyo-jin, who directed the program since the launch of its fourth season. The tenth season of the show wrapped up Dec. 3, with rapper Jo Gwang-il being crowned the winner.