Following a rigorous reality-style competition, South Korean powerhouse HYBE and Geffen Records have confirmed the final lineup for The Debut: Dream Academy. The program brought together 20 contestants from around the globe vying for one of six spots in a new girl group. Modeled after the K-pop training system, The Debut: Dream Academy used a combination of fan voting and evaluator feedback to trim the pack down to the final 10 contestants.
Over the past few weeks, the young performers — who hail from many corners of the world, including the US, Thailand, Philippines, and Brazil — split into various units to display their vocal, dance, and performance training. For the live finale in Los Angeles, the remaining 10 young women were split into three groups to debut original, exclusive songs. Early votes, real-time votes, and evaluator scores determined the final results together.
The Debut: Dream Academy concluded by confirming Daniela, Yoonchae, Lara, Sophia, Manon, and Megan as members on HYBE’s YouTube channel. The team now officially includes representation for the US, South Korea, Switzerland, and the Philippines. The group name, KATSEYE, was also announced.
Fans will be able to stay in touch with KATSEYE through Weverse, HYBE’s fan communication and updates app. While a number of original unit songs were performed throughout the finale, an official introductory group song is forthcoming. Debuting through HYBE means KATSEYE will fall under the same umbrella of acts like BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans, and more.
The entire finale can be replayed below.
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