I Discussed HYBE Training with Dream Academy Contestants, Marquise and Ezrela
The Netflix documentary, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE , uncovered the collective story of twenty aspiring pop stars undergoing an intensive K-Pop training program. With the knockout show having hit streaming in August of 2024, I recently had the opportunity to speak with two of the show's finalists. As 'Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE' was HYBE's very first all-girl survival show and its first collaboration with American record label, Geffen, it may take some getting to know the company itself preceding an intensive deep dive into the program. HYBE is a company that overshadows multiple record labels, including BigHit Entertainment (BTS, TOMORROW X TOGETHER), Pledis Entertainment (SEVENTEEN, TWS), Belift Lab (ENHYPHEN, ILLIT), and Source Music (LE SSERAFIM). The original HYBE setting, HYBE Korea, has since expanded and emerged HYBE America and HYBE Japan, the former supporting the likes of artists such as Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande.
Unlike the record labels listed above, Geffen Records is an American record label utterly separate from HYBE, having, until the point of this collaboration, nothing to do with the Korean company. HYBE and Geffen came together in collaboration for this project of DREAM ACADEMY, hoping to utilize the priming style of the K-Pop world to bridge the gap between Western and Eastern music. The uniquely traditional K-Pop algorithm in terms of debuting an artist includes years of intense training in dance, vocal, and image development, followed by the uncertainty of a company choosing members of a group to debut together. However, in the case of Pop Star Academy- KATSEYE , what began as a training and development opportunity quickly became a survival show in which 20 girls from across the globe competed for six spots in what would come to be HYBE's first global girl group. Here's what two of the program's finalists, Marquise and Ezrela, had to say about it.
In reference to the initial public audition for the training & development stage, Marquise reflects, 'There are so many people. You have your number on and you just go in one by one.' She says that the second round of auditions was as simple as a video review, smiling fondly in remembrance. However, when the topic escalates to the start of the trainee period, Marquise indicates that it wasn't all fun and games. 'It honestly felt like we were in a loop for two years. I mean we were doing the same things over and over again every single day.' Unlike the ability of K-Pop trainees to remain under coaching as needed, the preparation for an upcoming survival show kept the DREAM ACADEMY girls running on borrowed time. 'It was basically wake up, eat, practice, practice, practice, probably cry, and then eat,' she unfolds playfully.
In regards to feeling resultantly dejected, Ezrela was no stranger. 'I went through a lot. There were months where I could see improvement, but the instructors didn't. So, with that came times when I was confused because I wasn't experienced enough to see what they were seeing.'
Those who saw Ezrela's talent unfailingly, however, were the fans. After communicating this message to the twenty-one year old, she claimed that there was a secret to her long held-out success in the show. 'With resilience, it comes from getting knocked down and then you keep getting back up.'
But in light of the strenuous approaches that the K-Pop methodology operates on, there also exists the glamorous side of the industry that we most often find ourselves drawn to. Knowing this, I would have imagined that these amusing side-quests would be what the girls had imagined they'd be doing, instead. Fans would be relieved that they got to live out their pop-star dreams, even if it was only a minor part of the process. 'It's dazzling. I think there was one moment where we came onto set, and there was this guy with a little speaker, and he was like, 'the talent is here.' And you're like, 'oh my god,'' Ezrela smiled. 'It really does feel like you're an artist. It felt like Hannah Montana at the start of her movie.'
Not only did the DREAM ACADEMY take their contestants closer to their American TV fantasies, they managed to fly them out to Seoul, South Korea, for an immersive K-Pop training experience. Marquise took to our discussion to express just how much it meant to her. 'When I was in Korea, we were training in the facilities where all the trainees were. Honestly, I have so much respect for trainees there, and it made me feel like, 'oh there are so many people out there who are going through the same things as us.' We were just in this little bubble, the twenty of us, but seeing all these other people going at it even harder, it was really heartwarming.'
But HYBE didn't just arrange for the girls to rehearse their missions day and night. They managed to bring K-Pop sensations, Le Sserafim, to surprise and visit the competitors in the iconic company practice room. 'That was the highlight of the trip for me,' Marquise reminisces. 'I've only seen these K-Pop artists on screen or in concerts, and Le Sserafim were just so down to earth. They listened to our concerns as trainees, and talking to people who have made it to the other end was really inspiring.'
Little did these finalists know that they had already taken the shoes of those who came before them. Today, the contestants of DREAM ACADEMY have amassed millions of followers across social platforms online, and they continue to do so even after the show's run. Whether it's TikTok dance challenges or small contestant reunions, the girls continue to engage their audiences with any samples of art that they release, and are always keeping us thrilled for however they choose to put their T&D skills to use in the future. Related
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