Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE is the latest Netflix documentary showing the creation of the first global girl group, with its cast members coming from all walks of life. Out of the 120,000 submissions, only 20 got to train and compete on the survival show. These girls underwent rigorous indoctrination, with the contestants battling it out for the final six positions. Pop Star Academy began with the training of all the members selected for Dream Academy - the competition program that created KATSEYE.
The eight-episode series took the viewers through the trainees' preparations in areas that were crucial for them to improve on, including working on their vocals and dance moves. It also covered the fans who followed the competition between September and November 2023 through TikTok, YouTube, and Weverse - this was an important aspect of the entire contest. Each episode showed fierce challenges among the girls, resulting in some being eliminated from the Dream Academy. Read on to meet the eliminated cast members, learn about the drama, and figure out who the queens of KATSEYE are.
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Many Pop Star Academy Season 1 Stars Were Eliminated
There Were 16 Eliminations
KATSEYE wasn't formed in one day. Over 120,000 young girls auditioned for the spot. Geffen and HYBE, the two recording labels behind the project, only shortlisted 20 participants. During this survival show, the Pop Star Academy contestants were challenged on three missions, with elimination happening at each stage. The show deceived its cast members by not letting them know they would participate in a survival show.
They were subjected to grueling online challenges that would be ranked by the fans, who ridiculed some participants, such as Emily, leaving them shaken. The documentary showed instances where the girls talked about their physical and mental health and how exhausting the whole process was. Abby, a 17-year-old Colorado native, was the first person to be disqualified from Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE in episode 1.
Despite being very talented, Abby's skill sets didn't match what the judges needed, so they let her go. Naisha was the second contestant to leave the show after violating her NDA clause. The Brazilian native uploaded a video of herself singing an original song on Instagram. She insisted that only the girls in the competition had seen it. Still, Missy, the production manager and the rest of the production crew argued that other followers might have seen it, jeopardizing their project. Here is a list of who got eliminated from the Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE:
Contestants' Names | Episode Eliminated On |
|---|---|
Abby Saltzman- USA | Episode 1 |
Naisha Dos Santos-Brazil/Spain | Episode 3 |
Adela Jergova- Slovakia | Episode 5 |
Hinari Irie-Japan | Episode 5 |
Brooklyn Van Zandt -USA | Episode 6 |
Karlee Tanaka - USA | Episode 6 |
Iliya Ria- Belarus | Episode 6 |
Terada Mei - Japan | Episode 6 |
Lexie Levin - Sweden | Episode 7 |
Shimada UA - Japan | Episode 8 |
Lee Nayoung - South Korea | Episode 8 |
Celeste Diaz- Argentina | Episode 8 |
Ezrela Abraham - Australia | Episode 8 |
Emily Kelavos- USA | Episode 8 |
Marquise - Thailand | Episode 8 |
Samara Siqueria- Brazil | Episode 8 |
Some Contestants Almost Made It Into The Group
They Deserved A Chance
Swapping the trainee program into a survival show caused massive drama in Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE. Most participants felt cheated out of the experience since the Korean-style survival show - The Debut: Dream Academy- determined the final lineup, something they weren't aware of when joining the show. This survival segment allowed fans to vote for their favorite participants based on their charisma and craft. Drama erupted when Pop Star Academy: KATSEYEexecutives put the girls against each other. The contestants who had, over time, developed a sisterhood were expected to come up with names of their ideal debut group participants.
14 of the Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE cast members included Sophia in their group, with 12 adding Daniela. Unfortunately, no one voted Brooklyn or UA into their debut teams, stirring up more tension. After that elimination process, things were never the same, especially with Lexie, who left the group voluntarily. She would have been a perfect addition to KATSEYE. The Swedish participant, who had conquered countless hours of practice and injury, said that the whole program collapsed heavily, and she disagreed with it.
"The whole program changed so much when it was public and when it turned into, like, this show, turning us against each other. And that was something I really didn't like personally."
Meet The New Pop Queens Of KATSEYE
The Girls Are Booked & Busy
KATSEYE is ready to hit the world stage! The girls who made it to the six-member girl group were Sophia, Lara, Yoonchae, Megan, Daniela, and Manon. This summer, they officially debuted their single "Touch" under the HYBE recording label. Notably, KATSEYE recently performed on Good Morning America on August 5, 2024. Here are the queens of the KATSEYE group:
Sophia Laforteza
The 21-year-old was born in New York but grew up in Manilla, Philippines. Upon her debut on Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, Sophia received a lot of love and support from her country's people, propelling her to the end. Sophia's mother, Carla Laforteza, is a well-known singer and actress from whom she might have gotten her dancing and singing inspiration.
Lara Rajagopalan
The 18-year-old hails from Los Angeles and was in high school when she got recruited into the program. It didn't take long before Lara became a fan favorite due to her constant display of her Indian culture, which many loved. Previously, Lara was part of Michelle Obama's Global Girls' Alliance campaign.
Daniela Avanzini
Daniela is from Atlanta, Georgia, and has a Cuban and Venezuelan heritage. She competed in So You Think You Can Dance? season 13 before joining Pop Star Academy. She's bilingual, speaking both English and Spanish. Daniela was so good that she was often ranked among the top trainees throughout her Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE appearance.
Megan Meiyok Skiendeil
Megan is a Hawaii native who was one of the stand-out contestants on Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE after training for over a year due to her skilful singing and dancing styles. According to her Netflix profile, Megan speaks French and English and is also learning Mandarin and Cantonese. Besides dancing, Megan has modeled before and once did a show in Paris.
Manon Bannerman
The 22-year-old from Zurich, Switzerland, didn't have the best time in the beginning. She was always in trouble with the judges and fellow Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE contestants for failing to show up for practice and not putting in enough effort like the other girls. Eventually, Manon's work ethic changed, and she presented her skills so well that she made it to the KATSEYE group. Despite it all, Manon gave the main character energy anytime she was on stage, and her growth was remarkable.
Yoonchae Jeong
Yoonchae is from Seoul, South Korea. The 16-year-old Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE star showed she had what it took to join the girl band. After joining the BTS fan club, Yoonchae fell in love with K-pop so much that she became a K-pop trainee in 2020. Therefore, being Korean and having gone through the process before meant that she was more familiar with the K-pop style, making the process easier for her.
Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE season 1 is available for streaming on Netflix.
Sources: HYBE LABELS/YouTube, Lara Rajagopalan/Instagram, Netflix
