Pop Star Academy: KATSEYEis the latest captivating docuseries onNetflixthat premiered on July 31, 2025, taking viewers behind the formation of a global girl group band. The series chronicled the journey of two collaborative companies' efforts - HYBE and Geffen Records, in forming a K-pop girl group, KATSEYE. HYBE is the recording label behind BTS, South Korea’s most famous boy band, whereas Geffen is the team behind some great names, including Camila Cabello.Pop Star Academy: KATSEYEis not a typical reality competition likeAmerican IdolorThe Voice.
Instead, it’s far from that. The show documentedthe real-life journeys of aspiring performing artistsfrom all over the world. The cast members participated in an almost two-year K-pop training program. Out of the 120,000 submissions, only 20 girls from different countries, including Korea, Japan, the USA, Switzerland, Slovakia, and more, made the cut to compete onThe Debut: Dream Academy, a survival show where fans voted for their favorite performer. Keep reading to learn Star Academy: KATSEYE.
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Pop Star Academy Season 1 News
Netflixdropped thePop Star Academy: KATSEYEtrailer on August 5, with the season officially debuting on July 23, 2025. The show documented the process beforeThe Dream Academyphase began while introducing a couple of new faces. It gave an emotional look at the series,including the grueling training and development processthe girls participated in, and some high-drama conflicts.
Since its premiere,Pop Star Academy: KATSEYEhas received a lot of backlash. Producers of similar content should take note - how they treat contestants will say a lot about them.
The audience is furious that the show’s producers lied to the contestants and, at one point, pitted the young women against each other. ThePop Star Academyseason 1 participants had no clue they would be part of a survival show andthoughtthey were just trainees. Initially, the process was goal-oriented, with the contestants' development ensuring they were well-rounded and motivated performers.
Later, the coach’s work seems to have been dismantled in the name of entertainment, with the only person sticking with the girls to the end being the project manager, Missy. Therefore,just likeAmerican Idol, where contestants exposed the series' harsh auditioning process,Pop Star Academy: KATSEYEexposedhow cruel and money-driven the music industry is.
The show’s tutors were the real villains. They showed utter disdain and often tore down the females over issues like facial expressions and the wrong hand positions.
Pop Star Academy Season 1 Cast
There were 120,000 submissions, but only 20 girls joinedPop Star Academyseason 1 as cast members. The serieswas like the Olympics of reality shows, with contestants representing various countries. That included American contestants Emily Kalavas, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, Karlee, Brooklyn Van Zandt, and Abby Saltzman. Sophia Laforteza, born in New York but raised in the Philippines, was also part of the squad. There were two Brazilian representatives, Naisha Dos Santos and Samara Siqueira, while Celeste is from South America.
Additionally,Pop Star Academyhad participants from Asia and Australia, including South Korea’s Yoonchae Jeong and Lee Nayoung, Terada Mei, Hinari Irie, and UA (birth name Shimada Ua)from Japan, Ezrela Abraham from Australia, and Marquise from Thailand. The final groupcame from Europe. That included Iliya Ria from Belarus, Lexie Levin from Sweden, Manon Bannermanfrom Switzerland and Adela Jergova from Slovakia.
Pop Star Academy Season 1 Filming Timeline & Location
Nadia Hallgren directedPop Star Academy: KATSEYE,shooting eight episodes over the course of 18 months.Known for Michelle Obama’s documentaryBecoming, Nadia put together all the moments of those hopeful young girls looking forward to becoming a global sensation. The filming took place mainly in Los Angeles, where the girls underwent training and development. However, thePop Star Academy: KATSEYEcontestants also traveled to Korea to experience K-pop firsthand.
Pop Star Academy: KATSEYEseason 1 is available for streaming on Netflix.
