Filipino vying for spot in HYBE, Geffen Records’ new global girl group

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 29) — A Filipino artist is among the 20 contestants vying for a spot in the first-ever global girl group to be managed by Korean entertainment agency HYBE Labels and American record label Geffen Records.

Twenty-year-old Sophia Laforteza is part of the talent survival show “The Debut: Dream Academy,” the companies revealed Tuesday.

She will compete against other talented young women from South Korea, Slovakia, Japan, USA, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and Brazil.

The flags of the home countries of the contestants were on full display during the press launch on Tuesday.

“The Debut: Dream Academy” will launch on YouTube on Sept. 1, according to a report from Billboard.

Fans will play a crucial role in determining who will be part of the girl group through fan voting on Weverse and TikTok.

After…