Dream Academy

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. The series ran for 12 weeks.

According to Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, the project's intention is to form "an international group based on K-pop methodology." The project was announced on August 28, 2023, premiered on September 1, 2023, and finished on November 17, 2023, with the announcement of the winner's six-member girl group known as Katseye.

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. Over 120,000 submissions were received.

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.

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

Vocal Teams:


 * 1) Paramore’s Still Into You (special arrangement): Sophia, Lara, Nayoung, Samara, Celeste
 * 2) Robyn x Billie Eilish’s Dancing On My Own x Happier Than Ever: Manon, Brooklyn, Lexie, Karlee, Iliya

Dance Teams:


 * 1) Blackpink’s Pink Venom: Daniela, Megan, UA, Adela, Hinari
 * 2) NewJeans’s OMG: Yoonchae, Emily, Ezrela, Marquise, Mei

At the end of the mission, Adéla and Hinari were eliminated.

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


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

Results were announced on October 8, 2023, and Brooklyn, Iliya, Karlee, and Mei were eliminated.

On October 21, 2023, Dream Academy announced Lexie's decision to withdraw from the competition, citing the desire to work in music production instead.

Mission 3
Mission 3 entailed group performances that were uploaded on October 28, 2023. Centered on artistry, the mission divided the 13 members into three groups to perform three "iconic" songs and an original choreography.


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

The results were released on November 5, 2023. Celeste, Nayoung, and UA were eliminated.

Live finale
The live finale premiered at 7 PM PST on YouTube on November 17, 2023. The remaining 10 contestants performed 2 songs ("Girls Don't Like" and "Dirty Water") in teams of 5, as well as a group performance of an original song titled All the Same that Lara described as "the emblem of this program."

Finale Teams:
 * 1) Girls Don’t Like: Daniela, Megan, Yoonchae, Emily, Marquise
 * 2) Dirty Water: Sophia, Lara, Manon, Samara, Ezrela

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. With only six slots in the final girl group–named Katseye–Samara, Emily, Ezrela and Marquise are the four contestants who were eliminated, leaving Sophia, Lara, Yoonchae, Megan, Daniela, and Manon as the final members of the group.

Reception
On August 28, 2023, Billboard released an article announcing the project and which finalists would compete in the competition series. Elle.com wrote an article on Dream Academy and its contestants on August 29, 2023.

On November 5, 2023, the group appeared in Elle Korea's November issue. Teen Vogue also chatted with the 10 finalists and discussed the upcoming finale in an exclusive interview released on November 13, 2023.

Dream Academy contestant Samara appeared in an Instagram Reel with Tomorrow X Together’s Huening Kai in promotion for their song "Back for More" on October 7, 2023.

Each contestant has also garnered thousands of followers on their personal Instagram pages since launching Dream Academy.

Netflix series
The full process of the international girl group's creation has been documented along the way and is set to release as a Netflix series in summer 2024. "Pop Star Academy: Katseye" is directed by Nadia Hallgren and will explore the contestants' training and development throughout the project. It is being produced by Hybe, Interscope Films, and Boardwalk Pictures.