HYBE x Geffen Records are joining forces again to create a brand new global girl group featuring three former contestants from The Debut: Dream Academy, the fierce competition series that launched KATSEYE — and auditions are open for the fourth member. Fans eagerly devoured the news over the past week as familiar faces Emily Kelavos, Samara Siqueira, and Lexie Levin were confirmed to the unnamed group.
The search for the final member is taking place in Japan via a process that will be documented on the forthcoming elimination series WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE, created with and airing exclusively on Japan’s ABEMA streaming service in early 2026.
Applications are being accepted through Monday, September 22. Additional submission information can be found HERE.
Emily (age 19), who hails from Dallas, Texas, was the first to be revealed on August 25. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s Samara (19), who announced next on August 26, followed by Lexie (21), of Stockholm, Sweden, on August 27. As with the previous competition, surprise guests are expected to appear on WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE.
WORLD SCOUT: THE FINAL PIECE is a large-scale scouting project led by HYBE America. To prepare for a global debut in 2026, HYBE’s top scouting team will travel to Japan to conduct auditions nationwide. The project aims to select only one artist in the country who will become the final member of HYBE x Geffen Records’ upcoming global girl group.
The new initiative follows HYBE x Geffen Records’ successful prior collaboration. In 2021, the continent-crossing music industry titans released an open call for applicants around the world with the aim of creating a group that “transcend[s] national, cultural, and artistic boundaries.” Twenty contestants were chosen from over 120,000 submissions. They then underwent a year of Korean idol-style training before competing on the Dream Academy show. The full journey was captured by the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.
With members from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the U.S. — not to mention an array of cultural backgrounds, experiences, and personalities — KATSEYE released their second EP in June, BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The set also launched the single “Gnarly,” which they performed at the 2025 Kids’ Choice Awards and, earlier this month, Lollapalooza.
Follow along as the next game-changing, globe-spanning girl group takes shape.