Dream Academy Finalists Talk Favorite Memories, Meeting LE SERRAFIM & More | Billboard News
The top 10 contestants from HYBE and Geffen’s ‘The Debut: Dream Academy’ sat down to talk to Billboard News’ Tetris Kelly about their favorite memories that they’ve shared together, getting to meet LE SERRAFIM, their biggest inspirations and more. The top 10 contestants hail from all over the world, including Daniela (USA), Lara (USA), Megan (USA), Sophia (Philippines), Manon (Switzerland), Emily (USA), Ezrela (Australia), Samara (Brazil), Marquise (Thailand) and Yoonchae (South Korea). The finale airs on November 17th.
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00:00 It's Tetris with Billboard News hanging out with my friends from the Dream Academy.
00:04 Hi ladies!
00:05 I mean, what a journey it's been and now we're here at the Top 10.
00:10 So now that we're here, what would you say has been the hardest part of the journey?
00:14 I think the hardest part so far has been saying goodbye to the other girls.
00:20 I was obviously very sad.
00:22 Yeah, I'm still so happy to be here with all of these beautiful nine girls.
00:27 And speaking of being here with all the other girls, you guys have created a sisterhood.
00:30 I mean, you guys live together.
00:32 So tell me what it was like to share that bond.
00:35 I feel like our bond is truly unbreakable.
00:38 I think it's a bond like no other.
00:39 I think having girls from all over the world is such a special and unique experience.
00:44 And I think to be able to share these moments of moments that we'll cherish for the rest
00:48 of our lives together has, you know, created this bond with one another that's truly unbreakable.
00:54 And it's such a blessing to be able to experience it with such amazing girls.
00:59 Well now I want to know about some of these moments because I know there's things that
01:02 are happening that are behind the scenes.
01:05 So tell me, like, what's a funny memory that you guys think you'll hold on to?
01:09 I think my favorite memory is when almost kind of like the start of when we first all
01:13 met each other is when I got my license and I drove them all around and we were rapping
01:17 in the car and we were just like, we were like screaming the rap lyrics and it was just
01:23 so much fun and it really built us all really close.
01:26 Now we have to talk about this finale.
01:29 Guys, I know you got to be a little bit nervous going into it, but also excited.
01:34 So you guys are going to be performing original music.
01:36 How's that feel?
01:37 I think being able to perform original songs is like the biggest honor and like the most
01:43 exciting thing ever because we've been doing covers.
01:48 Now we get this chance to like show people what we can create.
01:52 And it's like the first kind of like presentation of like what this group is going to be and
01:58 what the music is going to be to the world.
02:00 So it's so exciting and it's nerve wracking too, but I feel like we've all prepared so
02:05 much.
02:06 We worked so hard.
02:07 Like, I'm so proud of all of us and I think it's going to be amazing.
02:11 Like I feel like fans are going to love it.
02:12 And you're talking about presenting to fans.
02:14 There will be fans at the finale.
02:16 So how does it feel to finally see some faces in front of you guys when you're performing?
02:21 I feel like the difference between performing in front of a camera and in front of a live
02:25 audience is so different.
02:27 And it's just this whole new adrenaline.
02:29 And I feel like the audience really gives you so much energy.
02:32 And especially because we get to perform in front of people who have been watching this
02:36 journey with us and who have been supporting us and showering us with so much love.
02:40 I feel like it's going to be even bigger than we can ever imagine.
02:44 And it's going to be so exciting to finally see the faces of people that we've been receiving
02:49 love from.
02:50 I'm going to ask, when it's all said and done, the finale is over.
02:54 What is the bond going to be then for the girls that are here and the girls that aren't
02:57 here?
02:58 Are we life friends?
02:59 I definitely think especially already experiencing people that we have parted from in the program.
03:06 I personally have always been scared of parting from people because I felt like I couldn't
03:11 be with them.
03:12 Like I couldn't hold on to them.
03:14 But this program, even with some of the other contestants, we've created this unbreakable
03:20 bond.
03:21 I know I'll never leave them again.
03:23 And so it's crazy because even though it feels like Dream Academy is ending, it's this whole
03:28 new chapter of lifelong friends for years and years.
03:33 And that just makes me so happy.
03:34 Well, you just made me so happy.
03:36 I'm like, oh my God, we're going to have the best time on Friday, guys.
03:40 I can't wait.
03:41 I've been watching, obviously, the show and every performance is like top tier.
03:45 I feel like you guys kept topping each other.
03:47 But what's your favorite?
03:48 Like, I want to hear some girls' favorite song they've done so far.
03:50 Well, thank you.
03:52 I think Mission 3, "Buttons with the Pussycat Dolls."
03:57 I mean, come on.
03:58 That was iconic.
03:59 It was so fun.
04:01 We all had a great time performing that song.
04:07 For me, it was also Mission 3, "Pussycat Dolls."
04:10 I loved performing that song.
04:11 It was my favorite, I'd say, choreography out of a lot of choreographies.
04:16 And I really enjoyed doing it with these two lovely girls.
04:20 And who else was in the Pussycat Dolls?
04:22 They're gone.
04:23 And I'm so sorry, but we'll miss them a lot.
04:27 But I love you guys, and I really enjoyed performing Mission 3 with them.
04:31 I think one of my favorite missions was Mission 2, which was the Le Seraphem covers.
04:38 I think it was really, really fun because it was not only just covering the songs, but
04:43 it was also we got to experience so much.
04:45 We went to Korea, and we got to experience the culture there.
04:49 The food was amazing.
04:51 And then we got to actually meet Le Seraphem, which was super, super, super cool.
04:55 And it was really weird and shocking because we'd been studying them for so long to master
05:00 their choreography.
05:02 And then we finally saw them in person, and we were like, "Oh my god, this is crazy."
05:06 And they knew our names, which was really, really sweet and cool.
05:10 And meeting them was just like, "I want to be just like you one day."
05:13 So I think that mission I really hold close to my heart because it was just such an experience.
05:18 Well, for me, once I said that it was Mission 1.
05:21 But after doing Mission 3, that's my favorite.
05:23 I mean, Spicy Girls is so iconic.
05:26 And I'm with the Spicy Girls here.
05:27 She's the baby spicy.
05:28 I'm the, you know.
05:29 So yeah, it was just so much fun.
05:33 The rehearsals were so, so fun.
05:35 And we were always just like, we're all so bubbly and cute, so we can't hide that.
05:41 So I think like, 1ofU was meant for us.
05:43 I can't even imagine the amount of talent it takes to do all this singing and dancing.
05:47 So what would you say is one of the most difficult parts when it comes to choreography or recording
05:52 in the singing?
05:53 I feel like there's such a big difference between just recording a song and performing
05:57 it while dancing and singing at the same time.
05:59 I think it requires a whole new level of athleticism in itself.
06:04 Being able to just, you know, hold the note as well while you're dancing while also providing
06:08 the strong movement, but also like giving a performance and showing your artistry through
06:12 that as well.
06:13 It's a whole other level of art form meets athleticism.
06:17 There's so many layers to it.
06:19 And I feel like it's such, it's so empowering to do both at the same time.
06:23 And you know, it makes you feel like a superhero in a way to be able to do both.
06:28 Like it's just, it's a whole other level and it's so exciting to be able to, you know,
06:34 provide all these elements into one, into just one performance.
06:37 It's so cool.
06:38 Emily covered it really well.
06:41 Singing is like, you need to find your breath parts, like the breath control is so important.
06:45 And you're dancing and it's like your details, your facial expressions.
06:48 And it's, it's almost like, that's what I feel like when I'm doing it.
06:55 But it's so worth it.
06:57 And like seeing the outcomes of all these missions that we've done so far is so amazing.
07:02 And I'm so proud of us for like taking on the challenge and being like, Hey, we got
07:06 this, like we're going to do it.
07:08 And that's what we did.
07:09 And you were talking when both of you were talking, I was thinking about some of my favorite
07:12 artists.
07:13 Like I was like, Oh my God, like Britney Spears, Beyonce, and like all these things, people
07:16 that sing and dance at the same time.
07:17 I want to know who are some of your biggest inspirations.
07:20 I would say, and I think it's so amazing because we're literally in the same company as them.
07:25 But N-Hypen has been one of my biggest inspirations.
07:29 I love them.
07:30 I think their music is so like my style and like listening.
07:34 And when I went to, when we all went and like saw their performance in Korea, it was just
07:39 like, yep, secured.
07:41 I love these guys.
07:42 Like, they're so good.
07:43 Their performance is amazing.
07:45 And I really want to touch people like how they've touched me one day.
07:49 I've been watching BTS since I was a kid and I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
07:56 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:00 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:05 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:07 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:08 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:09 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:10 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:11 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:12 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:13 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:14 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:15 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:16 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:19 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:22 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:23 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:24 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:25 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:26 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:27 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:28 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:29 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:30 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:31 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:32 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:33 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
08:59 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:23 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:24 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:25 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:26 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:27 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:28 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.
09:29 And I've always been like, wow, they're so cool.