'Produce 48' News & Update: Mnet Releases 3rd 'Pick Me' Song; Girls Hoping To Be The Next Park Ji Hoon, Release Date Now Revealed

by Betty Potts / May 11, 2018 01:56 AM EDT

Female challengers graced the stage for the first time to perform the program's official track, 'Pick Me (Naekkeoya).' Photo by Mnet Official/YouTube Screenshot

The upcoming reality show Produce 48 has a new theme song, and it is now revealed by its Korean and Japanese contestants. On the Thursday episode of M! Countdown, the female challengers graced the stage for the first time to perform the program's official track, "Pick Me (Naekkeoya)."

The performance was led by Miyawaki Sakura and After School's Kaeun. They are also Produce 48 contestants. The show's official song, "Pick Me," is reportedly composed by Flow Blow, the same composer who worked on Produce 101 Season 2's hit song, "Never," per Soompi.

According to SBS, this is the third time Produce 48 released a song titled "Pick Me." The first season also unveiled a track with the same title while the second season's theme song still has the same words, "It's Me (Pick Me)." The first two tracks were both big hits; thus, the latest tune is also expected to be a success.

Meanwhile, almost all of the new Produce 48 contestants can be seen winking while performing "Pick Me"—thanks to Wanna One's Park Ji Hoon's infamous wink in the show's previous season. It looks like these girls are hoping to be the next "Wink Girl" of the series. So, they kept twitching their eyes.

Netizens who witnessed the girls' performance of "Pick Me" said Produce 48 now has a "winking syndrome." One fan asked if the Japanese and Korean contestants had eaten something sour that made them twitch their eyes every now and then. Another one also commented he is wondering how many times they winked for the whole performance for that legendary scene. One fan even said the girls looked as if they were trying hard to become the new Park Ji Hoon. "This is too much. Stop winking," they said, per All Kpop.

Produce 48 is a part of the Produce 101 series and is made possible by the network's collaboration with Japan's AKB48 system. Here, 96 Korean and Japanese contestants will be competing to be a part of a new K-pop girl group.

Mnet now revealed Produce 48's official release date. A source from the network told Xsportsnews on Thursday that the reality series' first episode will be officially seen on June 15 at 11 p.m. KST. On the other hand, the 96 contestants' profiles will be unveiled on Friday, May 11, on the show's official website.

Produce 48 will be hosted by the national producer representative, Lee Seung Gi. Alternatively, the trainers will be FTISLAND's Lee Hong Ki, Soyou, Cheetah, Bae Yoon Jeong, 1MILLION Dance Studio's May J Lee, and the famous choreographer Choi Young Joon.