BLACKPINK Kicks Off New YouTube Originals Music Show RELEASED

YouTube today announced "RELEASED," a new weekly music series set to premiere on October 1 at 11:45 pm ET, kicking off with world-renowned, Youtube record-breaking music group, BLACKPINK, on BLACKPINK's Youtube Channel just minutes before the release of their highly-anticipated debut studio album. From Gunpowder & Sky CEO, Van Toffler (TRL, MTV VMAs, Unplugged), and Den of Thieves (MTV VMAs, Netflix's Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour), "RELEASED" will premiere on Thursdays in the moments just before artists release new music at midnight ET. The 16-episode series will feature the world's biggest artists and highlight music moments from the week, all leading up to one exclusive video premiere that artists and fans experience together only on YouTube, the largest platform and destination for music consumption.

"Van Toffler is the visionary behind some of music's most memorable moments and the perfect partner to bring this project to life," said Susanne Daniels, Global Head of Original Content for YouTube. "'RELEASED' brings a dream team together for a topical weekly series that celebrates the inventive way music is consumed on Youtube while revitalizing a tried-and-true format with proven success."

"Thursday nights on Youtube are going to be mic drop moments," said Lyor Cohen, Global Head of Music for YouTube. "YouTube Music is all about connecting artists and fans and this Original series brings the world's biggest artists and their newest videos and projects straight to the fans right before they're released. We feel lucky to kick off this series with BLACKPINK, arguably the biggest artist in the world."

"As an avid music fan, Youtube is hands down the best idea and most immersive playground of the 21st Century," said Van Toffler, Gunpowder & Sky CEO. "To be able to enlist its fanbase, platform and technology to highlight the best and breakthrough talent in music is a wish fulfilled. On top of that, I get to produce the show with my beloved creative colleagues Susanne and Lyor, plus the Den of Thieves team - let the mayhem begin!"

"We know first-hand the importance of the artist-to-fan connection, and we can't think of a better destination to serve that connection than YouTube. We are excited to be joining with these incredible partners to give unprecedented access to some of the biggest artists in the world and celebrate their work each week," said Den of Thieves co-founders Jesse Ignjatovic and Evan Prager.

Hosted by Washington D.C. DJ, Little Bacon Bear, "RELEASED" will be YouTube's prime destination for everything happening in music each week with episodes including unfiltered access to the featured chart-topping artist with exclusive performances and announcements. Segments will also highlight the week's most buzzed about music moments for fans to discover on Youtube as the countdown to midnight ET music video premieres approach.

Watch a trailer here:

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