Dream Academy

Last updated

Dream Academy
Dream academy logo black.png
Also known as드림아카데미
Genre Reality television
Created by Bang Si-hyuk
Creative director Humberto Leon
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producerSon Sung-deuk
Production locations Los Angeles
Seoul
Production companies Hybe Corporation
Geffen Records
Original release
Network YouTube
ReleaseAugust 19 (2023-08-19) 
November 17, 2023 (2023-11-17)

The Debut: Dream Academy is a talent competition reality show created as an international collaboration between record labels Hybe and Geffen Records aimed at creating a global girl group. The fan-interactive project involves 20 female candidates from around the world competing in three "missions" to test their artistry. Eliminations occur after each mission, leaving 10 contestants to compete in the finale, during which the final group's members will be decided. [1]

Contents

According to Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the project's intention is to form "an international group based on K-pop methodology". [1] The project was announced on August 28, 2023, [2] premiered later that week on September 1, and finished on November 17, running for a total of 12 weeks. The show concluded with the announcement of the winner's six-member girl group known as Katseye. [3]

Selection

In order to select the 20 candidates competing for a spot in the group, Hybe and Geffen Records launched global auditions online in November 2021. [1] [3] Over 120,000 submissions were received. [4]

Voting

After each mission performance release, fans were encouraged to vote via Weverse and by liking their favorite contestants' fancams on YouTube. Fan votes were taken into consideration in addition to commentary from experts.

Missions

Mission 1

During Mission 1, the 20 contestants were split into four groups–two performing vocals and another two performing choreography. [5] The six contestants with the most fan votes would receive immunity and continue to Mission 2. [6]

Vocal Teams:

  1. Paramore's "Still Into You": Celeste, Lara, Nayoung, Samara, and Sophia
  2. Robyn's "Dancing On My Own" x Billie Eilish's "Happier Than Ever": Brooklyn, Iliya, Karlee, Lexie, and Manon

Dance Teams:

  1. Blackpink's "Pink Venom": Adéla, Daniela, Hinari, Megan, and Ua
  2. NewJeans's "OMG": Emily, Ezrela, Marquise, Mei, and Yoonchae

The results were released on September 15, 2023. At the end of the mission, Adéla and Hinari were eliminated. [7]

Mission 2

For Mission 2, the girls traveled to the Hybe headquarters in Seoul and received a surprise appearance from Le Sserafim. [8] [9] The 18 contestants were split into four groups, each assigned to sing and dance one of two of Le Sserafim's songs, either "Fearless" or "Antifragile". [5]

  1. "Fearless" Team A: Brooklyn, Lexie, Marquise, Mei, and Nayoung
  2. "Fearless" Team B: Celeste, Daniela, Ezrela, Manon, and Ua
  3. "Antifragile" Team A: Emily, Lara, Sophia, and Yoonchae
  4. "Antifragile" Team B: Iliya, Karlee, Megan, and Samara

Results were announced on October 8, with Brooklyn, Iliya, Karlee, and Mei eliminated. [5] On October 21, Dream Academy announced Lexie's decision to withdraw from the competition, which reduced the number of contestants eliminated in the next mission from four to three. [5]

Mission 3

Mission 3 entailed group performances that were uploaded on October 28. [10] Centered on artistry, the mission divided the 13 members into three groups to perform three "iconic" songs and an original choreography. [11]

  1. Demi Lovato's "Confident": Lara, Marquise, Megan, and Yoonchae
  2. The Pussycat Dolls' "Buttons": Celeste, Daniela, Manon, Nayoung, and Sophia
  3. Spice Girls' "Wannabe": Emily, Ezrela, Samara, and Ua

The results were released on November 5, with Celeste, Nayoung, and Ua eliminated. [5]

Live finale

The live finale occurred at XR Studios in Los Angeles, and premiered at 7 PM PST on YouTube on November 17. [12] The remaining 10 contestants performed original songs for the first time. Two songs were performed in teams of five, "Girls Don't Like" and "Dirty Water", as well as a group performance of "All the Same". [13]

Finale Teams:

  1. "Girls Don't Like": Daniela, Emily, Marquise, Megan, and Yoonchae
  2. "Dirty Water": Ezrela, Lara, Manon, Samara, and Sophia

Early fan voting occurred on Weverse from November 10–17 and then live voting occurred for the first 30 minutes of the finale. Fan votes, a panel of three Hybe x Geffen executives, and the input of both labels' CEOs were used to decide the winners. [14] The six slots in the final girl group, named "Katseye", went to Sophia, Lara, Yoonchae, Megan, Daniela, and Manon, eliminating the other four contestants: Samara, Emily, Ezrela and Marquise. [15]

Netflix series

The full process of the international girl group's creation has been documented along the way and has been released as a Netflix series on August 21, 2024. [1] [12] [14] [15] Pop Star Academy: Katseye was directed by Nadia Hallgren and explores the contestants' training and development throughout the project. It was produced by Hybe, Interscope Films, and Boardwalk Pictures. [2]

List of contestants

NameAgeNationalityMission 1Mission 2Mission 3Finale points
VotingVotingVotingPre-votingLive votingJudgesFinal score
Sophia Laforteza 20 Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines 2nd1st1st401038.3388.33
Lara Raj 17 Flag of the United States.svg USA 5th6th2nd37936.6782.67
Daniela Avanzini 19 Flag of the United States.svg USA 17th5th5th32740.0079.00
Yoonchae Jeung 15 Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 6th3rd12th34836.0078.00
Megan Skiendiel 17 Flag of the United States.svg USA 10th9th11th24341.3368.33
Manon Bannerman 21 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland 4th7th9th30533.0068.00
Samara Siqueira17 Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil 3rd2nd8th28632.6766.67
Ezrela Abraham20 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia 9th10th4th26430.0060.00
Emily Kelavos17 Flag of the United States.svg USA 14th13th7th20136.6757.67
Marquise Auramornrat17 Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand 8th12th10th22233.3357.33
Nayoung Lee21 Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea 1st4th3rdEliminated
Celeste Diaz19 Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina 11th8th6thEliminated
Ua Shimada15 Flag of Japan.svg Japan 13th14th13thEliminated
Lexie Levin19 Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden 7th11thWithdrew
Mei Terada 17 Flag of Japan.svg Japan 12th15thEliminated
Iliya Fedartsova21 Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus 16th16thEliminated
Brooklyn Van Zandt17 Flag of the United States.svg USA 19th17thEliminated
Karlee Tanaka19 Flag of the United States.svg USA 18th18thEliminated
Hinari Irie14 Flag of Japan.svg Japan 15thEliminated
Adéla Jergová 19 Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia 20thEliminated
  The contestant was eliminated
  The contestant received enough fan votes to be safe from elimination
  The contestant was on a winning team and was safe from elimination
  The contestant withdrew before the next mission
  The contestant was in the final top six and earned a position in Katseye

Post-show activities

Other contestants

See also

References

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  2. 1 2 "Hybe x Geffen Records Announce Contestants for Unprecedented Global Girl Group" (Press release). Archived from the original on November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Hybe and Geffen Records Launch Girl Group Audition Shows on YouTube and Netflix as K-Pop Business Model is Exported". August 29, 2023. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
  4. "BTS' label Hybe begins girl group project Dream Academy, unveils 20 finalists". The Straits Times. August 29, 2023. ISSN   0585-3923. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
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  14. 1 2 Morin, Natalie (November 13, 2023). "Meet the Wildly Talented Members of KATSEYE, Hybe x Geffen's Newest Girl Group". Netflix. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.>
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