10 Things You Need To Know About Dream Academy’s Sophia Laforteza

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She's about to be the it-girl.

Here are some fast facts about Sophia Laforteza, up-and-coming superstar and the only Filipino competitor on The Debut: Dream Academy!

Related: Meet the Only Filipina Competing for A Spot in HYBE X Geffen’s New Global Girl Group

In case you didn’t know, Sophia Elizabeth G. Laforteza is competing to become part of the newest global girl group formed by K-Pop industry leader HYBE’s collaboration with American record label Geffen Records! Using her talent in singing and performance, the 20-year-old Filipino artist will participate in K-pop survival reality show The Debut: Dream Academy.

The show’s first episode aired on September 1 along with the competitors’ introduction videos. While we’ll definitely learn more about Sophia during her The Debut: Dream Academy journey, for now here are some fast facts about the up-and-coming it-girl.

She’s the only Filipina to make it to the final 20 of Dream Academy.

Out of hundreds of thousands of applicants all over the world, Sophia Laforteza is the only Filipino performer who made it to the top 20 finalists competing for a spot in the new girl group. With her style, talent, and pride in her Filipino roots, Sophia is blazing a trail for the new generation by taking the chance to be a world-renowned artist under one of the biggest K-Pop companies in the world.

Talent is in her blood.

As the daughter of actress and performer Carla Guevara Laforteza and chef and former performance artist Godfrey Laforteza, Sophia’s very genetic makeup is filled with talent and ambition. Her parents have also been constantly rooting for her on social media since the Dream Academy lineup was announced.

She’s an ARMY—just like her dad!

In an Instagram post, Sophia showed off her purple blood as she posed with her father after watching supergroup BTS’ Permission to Dance in Seoul livestream. Dressed to the nines, with an ARMY lightstick in hand, we can plainly see her love for the boys, and we can only guess how excited or nervous she was to audition for the company that houses her idols.

The Debut: Dream Academy isn’t her first time in the spotlight.

At the young age of 5, Sophia made a guest appearance with her family in the Philippine talk show She Said, She Said where she talked about how she wanted to be a pediatrician and a performer. She also showed off her pipes by dueting with her mother!

She’s been singing since she was 3, and she’s been dancing for around the same time.

@sophialaforteza #duet with @clintonkane ib: @ysawitha_y ♬ original sound – clintonkane

Sophia’s been showing her talent on social media for years, and let us tell you—this girl can sing. We’ll let her TikToks speak for itself. Also, at five years old, she was already taking a variety of dance lessons at Julie Borromeo’s dance studio! She mentioned in She Said, She Said that she loved dancing and wanted to be an artist just like her mother.

Her confidence took a hit after an ankle injury—but she bounced back stronger than ever.

In her intro video for The Debut: Dream Academy, Sophia revealed she had to sit out some of her work due to an ankle injury and that it really affected her confidence. “I need you to give your everything,” she told herself. Once recovered, Sophia bounced back tenfold and performed well in one of her “strongest months in the program.”

Being nurturing and practicing self-love are integral to her character.

Sophia believes being nurturing is a special characteristic of Filipinos, and that it’s a big part of who she is, as well. After her ankle injury, she pushed herself to do her best and told herself that she deserves to be where she is. Self-love, no matter how “cheesy,” as she said in her introduction video, helped her “a lot” and allowed her to continue pursuing her dreams.

She graduated in 2021 with high honors and adorned with medals.

Sophia is a graduate of the Humanities and Social Sciences strand from Multiple Intelligence International School. She won 10 awards and 7 medals, proving that the young trainee is not just a superstar in the talent industry, but also in school! Bonus: she was also accelerated in school at a young age.

She has a killer fashion sense.

One look through Sophia’s Instagram and you’ll see how trendy and stylish the 20-year-old is. From pink pants to sequined dresses, her clothing pieces are always styled to perfection. She exudes an effortless, genuine charm through her fashion, and we’re this close to spamming her with questions as to where she gets her collection of boots.

She’s going to be performing Paramore’s Still Into You with fellow competitors Lara, Celeste, Samara, and Nayoung.

@dreamacademyhq Are you ready for Mission 1? ✨Your first chance to watch and vote for your Dream Academy fav is coming Sep 6. Watch the announcement now on YouTube! #DREAMACADEMYHQ #HYBEGEFFEN #HYBE #GEFFEN ♬ original sound – Dream Academy HQ

The girls’ first mission on The Debut: Dream Academy was revealed on September 1. Split into four teams—two dance and two vocal teams—the competitors will perform their assigned songs to secure their spot in the next stage of the show. Sophia’s team, Vocal Team B, will be performing a special arrangement of Paramore’s Still Into You.

All of the performances will premiere on September 6, 11 PM Philippine time on YouTube. After the missions, two girls will be eliminated, so be sure to stay in-the-know about voting by joining the Dream Academy Weverse community and checking on their socials!

Stay tuned on the Dream Academy website, socials, and HYBE LABELS+ on YouTube to be updated with the show and Sophia’s journey! Voting also begins September 6th on Weverse and YouTube.

Continue Reading: All the Major Announcements From HYBE’s Community Event Briefing

5 Ways SOMI Is Giving It Girl Energy In Her New Comeback

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She's finally out of that basement.

Everything about the talented SOMI’s long-awaited comeback solidifies her place on the it-girl roster.

Related: The Round-Up: New Tracks of the Week That Deserve A Play

South Korean-Canadian K-pop idol Jeon Somi, or simply Somi, finally released a new album after two years! The singer released her new EP Game Plan on August 7 with the title track Fast Forward that’s right at home at the clubs with its British house pop sound.

And in case you didn’t know, Somi’s been an it girl since she won Produce 101 and became a member of the now-disbanded project girl group I.O.I. Since going solo, she’s steadily found both her sound and success and shown to the world that she deserves it girl status. Her most recent comeback, filled with good music, fun collaborations, and heaps of fun, is further proof. Here are just some moments during her promotions that radiated it girl energy.

VOCALS FOR DAYS

@somi_official_

IM READY 나 신나냐 혹시…

♬ 오리지널 사운드 – JEON SOMI

We all know how talented of a singer, dancer, and performer Somi is. How do you think she got first place in Produce 101? Her comebacks always feature strong vocals and anthemic choruses that will get you belting out the lyrics, too. Even when she’s rolling around in an office chair and singing for fun, her vocals ring melodious and clear as day.

SHE’S A TIKTOK QUEEN

@somi_official_ #JEONSOMI x #THEBOYZ #FastForwardChallenge #전소미 #FastForward #GAMEPLAN #JEONSOMI_GAMEPLAN_20230807 #더보이즈 #JUYEON #주연 #ERIC #에릭 #THEBLACKLABEL #더블랙레이블 @THE BOYZ ♬ Fast Forward – 전소미

If you’ve scrolled through TikTok recently, you might have come across one of Somi’s TikTok videos where she’s dancing Fast Forward with her fellow K-pop idols and co-workers in the industry. From her backup dancers to TAEYANG, aespa’s Giselle to THE BOYZ, every single one of Somi’s quick collabs are a treat to watch. The choreography, the way Somi has it down to a T, and the presence of other stars made for endless, enjoyable scrolling.

STELLAR STYLING

@somi_official_ #JEONSOMI feat. #DANCER #FastForwardChallenge #전소미 #FastForward #GAMEPLAN #JEONSOMI_GAMEPLAN_20230807 #더블랙레이블 #THEBLACKLABEL #YGX #와이지엑스 #어때 #eoddae #1MILLION #원밀리언 #커밍아웃크루 #ComingOutCrew #BabyZoo #베이비주 #이조 #Ejo #루트 #ROOT #제이미 #JAYME #킹키 #KINKY #콴즈 #QUANZ #NewMusic #PopMusic ♬ Fast Forward – 전소미

Somi’s been a style queen since forever, and the outfits, hair, and accessories for this comeback have all been nothing short of excellent. Trendy, edgy, and with a hint of girlish fun, her styling is always cohesive and well-thought-out, right down to the makeup and nail art.

SHE’S THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

Clips from Somi’s album release party got the internet joking about how K-Pop idols don’t know how to party, but clearly, she does. Somi’s always been fun and cheerful, charming and funny, and it makes sense that she would bring people together for a night of fun and celebration that got stans abuzz.

SHE LAUNCHED HER OWN TALK SHOW

Somi’s using all that charm and humor as she takes on a new role as the host of new online talk show Yes or Hot on YouTube channel TEO. In the very first episode, “Hot Girl Jeon Somi” talks to her friend, soloist, ad one of the OG baddies HyunA and they take turns asking each other spicy questions and talking about everything from the industry to their dating lives. Somi’s own version of viral YouTube series Hot Ones, the show is promising in its concept and hilarious to watch. We can’t wait to see the rest of her guest stars.

Continue Reading: How THEBLACKLABEL’s Bryan Chase is Helping Take K-Hip-Hop Global