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Meet the 20 Contestants in Hybe X Geffen Records’ ‘The Debut: Dream Academy’

HYBE Labels and Geffen Records announce the participants for 'The Debut: Dream Academy.' Credit: Twitter/Dream Academy

K-pop entertainment company HYBE Labels partnered with Universal Music Group subsidiary Geffen Records to create a global girl group through The Debut: Dream Academy show. 

On Tuesday, August 29, the agency revealed the 20 candidates from all over the world who will be competing in the upcoming reality program. 

 

What we know about ‘The Debut: Dream Academy’

These 20 candidates were chosen from over 120,000 applicants from 13 cities across the globe. Also, these young women are aged between 14 to 21. 

Moreover, these candidates come from South Korea, Japan, United States, Australia, Brazil, Philippines, Argentina, Belarus, Sweden, and Slovakia. 

 

HYBE has also been releasing individual photos and profiles of the participants. As well as feature films showing the whole group. 

 

The audition program will air on Youtube and the Japanese streaming platform Abema starting on September 1. Over the course of 12-weeks, these 20 participants will undergo a series of survival missions.

Interestingly, fans can also help determine which of the candidates will make it to the US-based international group through online voting. 

 

The finale will air live on November 17, wherein they will announce the final lineup and the girl group’s name. 

Aside from the audition program, a Netflix docuseries chronicling the creation of this upcoming global girl group will also be in the works. It will be helmed by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren. And it is expected to be released sometime in 2024. 

HYBE goes global 

The entertainment company behind K-pop superstar BTS teamed up with the US label back in November 2021. 

“I have wanted to form an international group based on K-pop methodology for a while,” HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk told the press. 

For his part, Geffen A&M Records CEO John Janick also shared that they’re looking forward to this venture.  “Each candidate is incredibly talented, dedicated, and driven, making this an exciting moment for music fans around the world,” he added. 

Aside from The Debut: Dream Academy, one of the subsidiaries of HYBE Label is also holding a survival program for a girl group. Titled R U Next, the winning participants from the program will debut under BELIFT LAB. 

Moreover, several HYBE Label subsidiaries are holding global online auditions. 

BIGHIT Music’s audition program is only open to male applicants born between 2005 and 2013. It will close on September 22. Meanwhile, auditions for KOZ Entertainment will run until November 18. Only individuals born after 2006 can apply. 

Next is the most recently announced audition for PLEDIS Entertainment. Only individuals born after 2005 can audition, and it will run only until September 17.

Featured image: HYBE Labels and Geffen Records announce the participants for ‘The Debut: Dream Academy.’ Credit: Twitter/Dream Academy

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