It’s been over a year since KATSEYE debuted, and the girls are just getting started.
Over 120,000 applicants from around the world applied to be a part of KATSEYE, a K-pop girl group collaboration between Hybe and Geffen. The Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, tracked the process of narrowing down the contestants to six. Girls were chosen from countries across the globe to undergo rigorous K-pop training: daily vocal lessons, heels classes, outfit fittings, creative and marketing meetings and more. Twenty were chosen to compete on a YouTube survival show, The Debut: Dream Academy, where fans voted for their favorites to debut. The competitors embarked on three music video missions, and the lowest-scoring performers were eliminated each week.
In the end, the six with the highest combined votes from fans and record executives were chosen: Sophia Laforteza, Lara Raj, Yoonchae Jeong, Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel and Manon Bannerman. The group is composed of six different global cultures; they hail from Korea, the Philippines, Hawaii, Switzerland and America. Their EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), introduced several breakout hits, including “Touch,” which has amassed over 209 million Spotify streams and 75 million music video views. The group also released the exclusive single “Flame,” which serves as the theme song for Netflix series Jentry Chau vs the Underworld.
But what about the fallen stars? Fans flooded KATSEYE’s comment section on social media following the debut; some approved while others were outraged by the final choice. We traced down some of the most popular Pop Star Academy contestants to see what they’re up to now.
The Slovak fan-favorite kickstarted a solo pop career following her time on the series. She has released several songs, including “SUPERSCAR,” which has over 1.2 million YouTube views. Jergova remains best friends with fellow contestant Emily Kelavos, who starred in the visualizer for her song “HOMEWRECKED.” She also remains in touch with KATSEYE members Lara and Megan, who attended her 21st birthday party in November.
The dance powerhouse may not have made it past the top ten, but she’s still training. Kelavos regularly takes dance classes at Millennium Dance Complex in Los Angeles and posts professional videos of herself performing the combinations. She surprised KATSEYE in their one-year reunion video last month and provided a life update for fans: “[I’m] training, taking class, hanging out with the girls, and you know, living life.” Kelavos and KATSEYE’s Megan dressed up together as Maya and Anna from PEN15 this past Halloween.
The Korean-Japanese songstress posts regular song covers on social media. She performs locally in her hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, and remains close friends with several Pop Star Academy contestants. Tanaka attended Jergová’s birthday party in November.
The aspiring artist from Sweden shocked fans when she voluntarily left the competition during the survival show. Now, she occasionally posts dance trends on TikTok. In September, she shared an Instagram carousel with throwback videos from her time as a trainee. She keeps in touch with several contestants, including Kelavos, Tanaka, and best friend Ezrela Abraham, who all commented on the post.
The twenty-one-year-old from Australia made it to the top ten before getting sent home. She currently shares videos of herself dancing to trending sounds on her TikTok and Instagram story. Abraham regularly shows her support for her former castmates: she did the KATSEYE “Touch” dance on TikTok last August and shared the song on her Instagram story, captioning it, “I love this song sooooo much.”
Fans were disappointed that this vocal dynamo didn’t debut, but she continues to share her talents online. She shares both vocal covers and dance combinations on social media—including some behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage from Pop Star Academy.
The eighteen-year-old from Thailand posts mostly aesthetic photos focusing on her style. In December, she shared a visual film she edited to JENNIE’s “Mantra,” and Jergová, Tanaka and Abraham all commented to show support. She also occasionally reposts KATSEYE’s Instagram reels on her story to celebrate her friends.
Fans were shocked when producers made the decision to send Lee home due to her desire for a solo music career. Lee has not released any original music of her own, but she went on to compete in another K-pop survival show, Girls on Fire. She finished in first place, solidifying her spot in the group. The winning girls earned a cash prize, an album release, a national concert tour and a global showcase.
The Belarus native had a large TikTok presence going into Pop Star Academy, and she continues to produce viral content for her 2.8 million followers. Fedartsova released two original songs last year, “BETTER” and “INFLUEN$eR,” and still shares footage on Instagram from her time as a Hybe trainee.
