MNL48 will momentarily become a 36-member girl group for the upcoming Third ‘Senbatsu’ or General Election .
Hallohallo Entertainment President Paolo Kurosawa made the announcement last Wednesday, September 30.
In the statement, Kurosawa said that the girls ‘have been able to rise above the challenges’ during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“MNL48 has shown resilience during this difficult time and will continue to bring joy, music and entertainment to the fans,”
MNL48 has been holding several online events via Kumu and Youtube such as the Virtual Handshake event and the launch of its first subunit Baby Blue.
He said that fans will see more subunits and independent projects as the management shift to focusing on the girl’s talents and skills.
“Therefore, to be able to concentrate on each member, we have arrived at an important decision. For the upcoming Third Generation, HHE has decided that MNL48 will momentarily become a 36-member girl group.,” he explained.
“Despite this change, MNL48 is here to stay and we are excited for what’s in store for the group”, Kurosawa said as he unveiled that the sixth single River and its music video will soon be released. Fans can also look forward to MNL48’s digital concert series in the coming months.
“We appreciate and thank you for the unconditional love and support for MNL48. We hope to see you all soon,” he ended.