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

Andrea Brillantes, Kyle Echarri, And Xyriel Manabat Solve A Mystery In New Series “Senior High”

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Something's not right in Northford High.

Nothing is what it seems in Northford High. Check out what to expect in the upcoming teen drama Senior High!

Trigger Warning: The following article and subject matter include mentions of bullying, abuse, and suicide.

Related: 6 Times Blythe Was That Independent Baddie

When the first teaser trailer for upcoming teleserye Senior High dropped earlier this year, the response was interesting, to say the least. But that first look wasn’t all that the show was going to be as the series, produced by ABS-CBN and Dreamscape Entertainment, dropped its first trailer over the weekend, and it’s filled with teen drama, industry big-names, and a whole heaping of intrigue.

In the dog-eat-dog world of high school, tensions and emotions run high. But who could have thought anyone would be embroiled in a death of a student under mysterious circumstances? Lead star Andrea Brillantes as Sky embarks on a mission to find out the truth about her twin sister’s apparent suicide, but it seems like secrecy and power run through the halls of Northford High, and that won’t be an easy task.

Interested yet? If the trailer set to SB19’s Bazinga didn’t convince you to check it out, below are more reasons to stay tuned to this new show!

ANDREA BRILLANTES SLAYS, AS PER USUAL

Andrea Brillantes plays two roles in the series: twins Sky and Luna, who go to school at the prestigious Northford High, where cliques and hierarchies run rampant, and a tragic event will change the students’ lives. Luna has big dreams, but is unfortunately being taken advantage of by the clique of popular rich kids led by Z (Daniella Stranner). Brave and headstrong Sky is new to the school and will do anything to find out what really happened to her sister.

The young actress committed herself to the role. In a blogger conference for the series, Andrea shared that she did extensive research to fully characterize Sky and Luna. Being very specific with characterizing each role, from their humor to the way they walked, allowed her to portray them distinctly. She is able to do so much with each twin, and we can’t wait to see her show-stopping performance.

VETERAN ACTORS WITH THE NEW GENERATION

Acting alongside Andrea Brillantes is a stellar Gen Z cast comprised of Kyle Echarri, Xyriel Manabat, Juan Karlos Labajo, Elijah Canlas, Zaijan Jaranilla, Daniela Stranner, Miggy Jimenez, Tommy Alejandrino, and Gela Atayde in her first acting role where she also co-stars alongside her mother, Sylvia Sanchez. Dubbed the “future of Philippine entertainment,” the young cast is set to portray a wide variety of characters alongside “the industry’s finest”—a set of established veteran actors: Angel Aquino, Baron Geisler, Mon Confiado and so many more.

Senior High boasts a star-studded ensemble with the acting chops needed for such a project. Seeing Andrea go toe-to-toe with Angel Aquino in the trailer with bursts of emotion was a great moment that immediately established each of their perspectives and their relationship. Angel herself also praised the young actors. “Alam kong magagaling sila,” she says in the conference.

CLASSIC HIGH SCHOOL SHENANIGANS—WITH A TWIST

The first teaser for the series showed a bunch of kids partying and doing things they probably shouldn’t be doing in a Euphoria-esque haze, but it kept many things about the narrative hidden until the full trailer.

Sure, the series delves into the usual—partying, romances, and secrets—as well as prevalent problems like fitting in at a new school, the popular rich kids taking advantage of the smart kid, parental pushback against dreams and aspirations, and so much more. The twist about Luna and her death, as well as Sky’s desperation to get to the bottom of things, adds a whole new dimension to the series.

THRILLING DRAMA—AND SERIOUS ISSUES

Luna’s apparent suicide doesn’t appease Sky nor Sylvia Sanchez’s character, the security guard who saw something go down before the incident. And with all the rumors about the popular clique mistreating Luna, something is definitely up. Andrea also revealed that each character in the series has their own storyline, so it will be interesting to find out what really goes on in the lives of the young students of Northford High.

With Luna’s mysterious death, the series shows that it’s not just your run-of-the-mill teen drama. Similar to the likes of Elite, Riverdale (Season 1, at least), and One of Us is Lying, Senior High will delve into a mystery and possible murder where the characters work together to get to the bottom of things, facing danger and action along the way.

With such intense subject matter, it’s important to deal with serious issues sensitively. Fortunately, Andrea and Elijah Canlas shared that such relevant and important topics like bullying, suicide, and abuse will be talked about and dealt with in proper ways.

As Filipino entertainment diversifies the stories they tell and the way they tell it, it’s exciting to bear witness to all the new that comes next. Senior High will air on the Kapamilya Channel this August 28.

Continue Reading: 11 Filipino Movies And TV Shows That Should Be On Your 2023 Must-Watch List