Original subtitles

[woman 1] Two minutes! Come on, everybody!

-Ladies, right this way. -Wait, who's first?

-Just go. -Can someone check my in-ears.

-I can hear you right now. -Oh my gosh.

-Hello. -Oh my goodness. I'm freaking out.

-I'm so proud of you. -[crowd cheering]

[announcer] Now, your votes have been tallied.

-We're gonna spend our lives together. -Love you guys!

I love you guys so much!

-I'm so nervous. -Let's go.

[announcer] Can you guys make some noise for KATSEYE!

[audience cheering, applauding]

[announcer] Wow!

[energetic music playing]

Two, three, four, five, six, seven. Sha-ka-ka.

We're not moving on until every single one of you gets this step.

[girl 1] I had the dream to be in a girl group when I was 12

'cause that's when I first discovered K-pop.

[music continues]

You're the first-ever class of HYBE America Training and Development.

♪ Queen, dance, rhythm of nobody else... ♪

-You're a natural. That's what that is. -Oh, thank you.

[music continues]

[woman 2] We had this vision to take the "K" out of K-pop

and make it global.

[music continues]

Two of the biggest music powerhouses are coming together.

[music continues]

The people that created BTS

are training our girls with the K-pop methodology.

[girl 2] I'm just a girl from Slovakia. It's the opportunity of a lifetime.

[crowd cheering, applauding]

[man 1] We're not just in a training program.

Keep going this time. Yeah?

We're in this to become a sensational, iconic, global girl group.

One more time. One more time.

[woman 3] We are looking to put six girls in the group.

[music continues]

[in Korean] If you were to let one of them go, who would it be?

[music intensifies]

[girl 3] Everyone is a threat.

[girl 4] Always in the back of our minds, we remember it is a competition.

[woman 4] No, there's... Somebody's wrong.

I don't believe in putting people against each other to form a group.

[woman 3] They're starting to question, "Do I even wanna be here?"

We're losing them.

[dramatic music plays]

Have a cry. I'll cry with you. But if anybody can do it, it's you.

[man 2] Let's go. You got this.

["Dancing On My Own" by Robyn playing]

Bitch, go off.

[people applauding]

[song continues]

♪ Yeah, I know it's stupid ♪

[chuckling]

[in helium voice] ♪ I only want to die alive ♪

♪ Never by the hands of a broken heart ♪

♪ Oh ♪

["Dancing On My Own" plays]

[girl 5] There's a very fine line between competitiveness and sisterhood.

[girls screaming]

[girl 5] Yes, work as a team,

but don't forget, like, this is still about yourself.

[all cheering]

♪ I keep dancing on my own... ♪

[girl 4] If I make the girl group, that's when my life starts.

[all cheering]

[song ends]

♪ La, la-la, la ♪

♪ Love me once It's time to roll the dice ♪

[man 1] It's been cool to see all of the talent coming through.

-[man 2] How many submissions did we get? -[man 1] We had over 140,000 submissions.

-One hundred and sixteen have advanced. -[woman] Okay.

-Let's jump into it. -[man 2] Let's go.

♪ Beaches, I need sunsets ♪

♪ I want all that ♪

♪ Big crib... ♪

[Keymo] Emily is a dancer.

She did send over a video of her singing.

♪ I put you first and you ignored it ♪

♪ Set fire to my forest... ♪

[Charlie] Her voice isn't awful.

Like, there's room to grow in it, especially if she's that good a dancer.

["Spring, Summer" by Lebra Jolie playing]

♪ You ain't cut like me You can go argue with your mama ♪

♪ If he tryna cuff... ♪

-That's an easy yes. -Damn. Yeah.

Girl dropped it. Come on.

♪ Told me to drop my ego No, I would never drop my ego ♪

♪ It's just a little ego It's just a little bit of ego ♪

♪ I know my pocket's little... ♪

-I think... -[Charlie] She's sick.

She's a great dancer.

-I actually believe her. -Her charisma is through the roof too.

She's very respected in the dance world. Like with all the choreographers.

[woman] I think we've seen the super feminine.

We haven't seen masculine, powerful females.

-Yeah. We need to get her. -Yeah. I think I love her.

[Keymo] I think I love you.

[fast-paced upbeat music playing]

[Missy] Okay, Burbank girl.

-[Missy] It's okay. I like her. -[woman] Yeah. Same.

Cool. What's next?

["Sweat" by LIVt playing]

-[woman] I really like her look. -Yeah.

[man] But she's not necessarily technically great at dancing.

No. No, no, no. She just has that, uh, what is it?

-You'd wanna watch her on stage. -[Keymo] Yeah.

-I'm in. -[all chuckling]

[upbeat music plays]

[Missy] I know our casting manager, Michelle,

she's looking everywhere for the right candidates.

[Michelle] The most misunderstood thing about casting is that it's easy.

When I tell people that I'm casting for talent,

they'll say, like, "Oh, have you been to Instagram?"

I'm like, "Yeah." [giggles]

Every single day.

I'm looking for personality, skill-set.

Are they hungry for this?

What we're really looking for is potential.

'Cause that's what the training and development program's for.

After they audition, I take them to Missy and she'll give me notes.

If this is something that is coachable, and if so, how long will it take?

Or is this something that isn't workable with the timeline that we have?

-We don't have any time. [chuckles] -[Keymo] Yeah.

A year is gonna fly by,

but we have a little bit of time to develop them.

And even that will be difficult.

-[Keymo] Mm-hmm. -You know?

Building from the ground up is so much pressure

because the potential on this project is so extreme.

You have HYBE and Geffen,

two ginormous labels in the music industry

coming together to create the next global girl group.

These girls are on their own journey but doing it together.

They have control of their own fate

depending on how hard they work and how bad they want it.

I don't think there's been a project that's been done like this before.

Taking the K-pop method of developing and training,

but doing it in pop music.

And it's real collaboration and partnership with a label from Korea.

[in Korean] The Producer of the Year Award.

[Missy in English] Bang is the chairman of HYBE.

He has a vast amount of experience putting groups together.

He helped BTS grow from the ground up

and then into one of the biggest bands of all time.

[audience cheering]

[in Korean] I'm sure you've experienced this situation,

where you're instantly drawn into a person who's on stage.

That's star power,

but it's hard to notice it in trainees.

Despite that,

the few successful producers in this industry, like myself,

can identify it.

All you need is just one scene, and you'll think,

"Oh."

"I could make something with this person."

[dramatic music plays]

[Missy in English] This process isn't easy,

and it's really high stakes

and very stressful, but I like to say that there's a reason

why someone says, "one in a million."

[music fades]

-Hi! -[Keymo] What's up, man?

[Naisha] How are you?

[Keymo] Long time no see.

-Hi there, how are you? -[Keymo] Hi, Adéla.

-It's been a month, hasn't it? -[Keymo] It's been a while.

I want to thank you for finding the time to, uh, to talk with me. Um...

We enjoyed the chance to get to know you through this audition.

After careful, careful review with the team,

we want to congratulate you

on being selected to be part of our training and development program.

What?

Wait, are you for real?

-Are you for real, though? -[Keymo] Mm-hmm.

Oh my!

-Whoa! What? Really? -[Ezrela] Really?

You're serious?

You're not joking! [squealing]

That's awesome! Oh my God. [laughs]

Oh my God!

My whole family is waiting there. Wait.

[in Slovak] I've been chosen!

[family cheering, screaming]

My uncle... You're seen in the mirror.

-[Keymo chuckles] -Okay. Okay. He's freaking out.

Oh my God!

Oh my God, thank you so much. I'm so happy.

-[party popper pops] -[woman cheering]

I'm just so happy. Thank you.

-[Keymo] Let's get it going, right? -Yes. I'm so hyped. I'm so hyped.

Thank you so much.

Wow.

[Keymo] We'll figure out relocation for yourself

to come to Los Angeles.

-Okay. Okay. Bye! -[Keymo] All right, bye-bye.

[Iliya] It's gonna be fabulous.

We're gonna have classes since eight till eight.

-[Iliya's mom] Oh, wow. Twelve hours. -You know? It's gonna be...

Then Sid told me, "Don't worry, it's not gonna be like a whole day."

"You're gonna have breaks." And I'm like, "Okay, breaks."

And then she was like, "30 minutes to have lunch."

[all laughing]

I'm like, "Okay."

♪ And really, I would rather be At home all by myself ♪

♪ Not in this room with people Who don't even... ♪

[Iliya] My family and I, we're refugees from Belarus,

but currently, I live in Spain.

♪ On my pillow, on my table ♪

♪ Mm, life goes on like this again ♪

TikTok is like my little family empire

that I grow every single day.

♪ Shawty gon' get that paper Shawty tongue rip like razor... ♪

I try to post daily to continue to grow my audience.

And now I have almost three million followers.

If you work like every single day with no weekends at all... [giggles]

...um, you can make it work,

and, uh, you can pay for, like, this little apartment that we have

where, like, I pay for food every single day.

It is a blessing to be able to support my family, like, in the tough times.

And I really, really want them to have everything...

everything that I want to give them.

[pensive music playing]

[in Russian] It's your life. This is an adventure.

And life is always an adventure.

Either you get experiences from life,

or you don't get any, right?

[in English] Okay. Okay, don't cry.

I'm not. [sobs]

[crying]

This door to get recognized

and get this single thread of gold chance.

[energetic music playing]

We're heading to LA. We're on our way.

Whoo!

When the trainees come to Los Angeles, if they're 18 and older,

they'll live in a house together, and if they're a minor,

they're gonna live with a guardian or parent in the city.

[music continues]

Grab it! Ah!

[straining]

[Ezrela] Guys!

-I like it! -[Daniela] I know.

[girls chattering]

-[Naisha] Yo! -[Lexie] This is nice!

Wait. Wait, wait. We have eggs?

[Ezrela] Yes! Eggs!

Oh my God!

-[Sophia] Hummus? -[Naisha] We're blessed.

-[Iliya] Tiny water bottles. -[Karlee] Tiny water bottles.

[Lexie] Who are the top bunk people? I'm with lower bunk.

-I'm top bunk. -I'm low bunk.

[Brooklyn] Raise your hand if you're a top-bunk person.

Wanna do rock, paper, scissors?

Okay, is it out of three or just one?

It's just rock, paper, scissors, boom!

-No, just one. -[Emily] Girl!

Rock, paper, scissors, boom!

-[Brooklyn] Ready? -Okay.

[Brooklyn] On scissors, boom. Okay, on boom.

[both] Rock, paper, scissors, boom!

[screaming]

[excited chatter]

[Ezrela] When I was going downstairs, I was like, this is too good to be true.

Like the way we're living, is like, it's way too good to be true.

[upbeat music playing]

[Iliya] And the fact that it's Hollywood, oh my God.

And the fact that I'm gonna be a trainee, this is crazy.

[indistinct chatter and laughter]

To me, I just want, like, the butterflies to fly.

I don't know how to explain it other than that.

The people that we've selected, they have a lot of potential.

They have a lot of star quality.

But obviously, we have a lot of work to do.

In Korea, training and development are what we call T&D.

It's like a sports training camp.

There's a rigorous schedule so they can improve their skills quickly.

A lot of major K-pop groups

come out of a similar training and development program.

Our girls will be training all day,

go back home,

eat, sleep, and then do it all over again.

We're bringing in the best dance teachers,

vocal teachers,

performance teachers

that can see the potential in even a low skill set.

In Korea, they train for years and years.

Compared to that, we are limited and shorter.

So, it's not gonna be easy.

[Missy] At the end of each month, a team of evaluators

will come in and watch them perform,

and evaluate them on their dancing ability, vocal ability,

visual performance, star quality, and attitudes in class.

Based on their scores,

we all weigh in and collectively decide if we will eliminate anyone.

The goal of this program is to develop their skills

to the point that it's gonna make them superstars.

[music continues]

[music fades]

[Lexie] Hi, good morning.

First day of school!

I don't care!

[girls chattering]

Five, six, seven, eight.

-Whoo! -[Megan] My turn!

[all applauding]

Oh my God!

[all cheering, applauding]

I'm just excited to be in this journey with you.

And finally be in the same room. It's...

It's crazy. It's crazy.

Um, first thing first, like, priority.

Your body and mental health.

It's so important. Okay?

That's why we have each other. So, talk to each other.

[applauding]

Yes!

All right.

["Waterfall" by Disclosure x Raye playing]

♪ In a crowded room, you're my decision... ♪

What is that?

♪ Oh, we been blurring the lines ♪

♪ ...take it ♪

♪ Won't you please ♪

♪ Pour your loving over me ♪

♪ All your loving over me ♪

♪ Like a waterfall, baby... ♪

[Sohey] We're training them to be unison

but at the same time, being unique, being special in their own way.

[Nikky] Every person here has their thing.

There's trainees who are much stronger in vocal.

There's trainees that are more model-visual.

You have beginner-beginner,

can't even really remember choreography,

and then you have close to pro-level dancers.

[techno music playing]

[Megan] Emily is an amazing dancer.

She's the top dancer here.

She just has so much control over her body.

Daniela snapped.

The day she walked in, I was like, "Yep, that's it."

[Missy] Adéla brings a level of professionalism

that we don't have in anyone else.

I did ballet professionally from, like, the age of three. So.

[Missy] Megan has a lot of potential.

She isn't there yet,

but everyone should keep their eyes on Megan.

For vocals, 100%, I'd go to Iliya.

♪ By now, right now... ♪

Iliya has natural, raw, God-given ability.

♪ Wake up and want to hear so... ♪

Sophia is a natural talent. Very clean, very polished.

♪ If you're feeling like you need A little bit of company ♪

♪ You met me at the perfect time ♪

Karlee can make you feel it. It's one thing to hit the note.

It's another to be effective.

[Missy] Star quality is confidence. It's charisma.

It's that "it" factor.

There is this draw about Lexie.

She has what people kill for,

which is identity.

[Missy] Marquise has this star quality that makes the other girls giddy.

Abby, she is of lower skill set, but she could care less.

And she does have a certain star quality about her that is so undeniable.

Um... [chuckles]

I think we also have some underdogs.

[Sohey] Brooklyn, dancing-wise, she needs more practice,

but she's eager to learn.

[vocalizing]

With Ezrela, it's her own self-doubt that she gets caught up in.

And if she will get out of her own way,

I truly believe she's a competitor.

One of the people that I really love watching is Naisha,

especially when we do freestyling.

[Nikky] Naisha's so talented. I love her vibe.

The struggle and the disconnect is the technique,

and those muscles are not there yet.

[groovy music playing]

[Sylvia] We're asking a lot of these girls,

but when you have a one in front of your age,

this is the time to stretch yourself all the way.

[hard upbeat music plays]

What rhythm did you mess up?

The spin?

Before that, yes, yes, yes.

-The spin and then the... -What rhythm did you do?

[panting] I did it too fast. I went...

And what's the correct rhythm?

Exactly.

[Abby] So, this is my view that I wake up to every morning in Hollywood.

[chuckling] It's a lot different from Colorado,

but there's good people watching.

Like, I see a lot of different things.

Like, yesterday, I saw someone breaking up with their girlfriend down there.

And I saw a trash fire happen over there.

And it's just, you know, these L.A. streets.

There's a lot... a lot to watch.

I'm used to, like, the small-town life.

[soft music plays]

But I love doing things that scare me a little bit,

so I competed for Miss Teen USA Colorado.

Abby Saltzman, 15, Miss Vail Teen USA.

I remember I would tell kids, like,

they'd be like, "What do you want to be when you're older?"

And I'd be like, "A K-pop idol for HYBE."

And they'd be like... "That's impossible."

I was on this group chat, and it was like, "HYBE is making a girl group."

And I was like, no way. Like, no way.

And then I literally started training from that day.

Twenty-year-old Abby, I'd just like to tell you.

Everything will be okay. You will be a K-pop star!

I started teaching myself dance from YouTube videos.

But I had no clue, really, what I was doing. Like...

I'm a bit of the underdog here.

Like, I expected all the girls to be really talented,

but I thought there would be more girls like me

that had, like, a lot of potential

but hadn't been, like, formally trained in something.

I'm kind of, like, in awe of everyone.

Like, I'm like, everyone is so talented and so good at what they do.

I'm like, I want to be like that. [chuckles]

[Nikky] Details, details, details.

Like it is so, so, so important that individuality

is second and details are first.

So, my goal for the choreography I'm gonna do for you this month

is details and being exactly the same as each other, like little robots.

I'm going to get you so clean

that even your fingernails are gonna have a place to go. Okay? So.

Six, seven, eight.

Yes. Five, six, seven, eight. Ca, ca! Shoo!

All the way.

Watch your legs in the passé.

Everyone needs to tighten their core,

especially from, like, literally your ovaries.

People just expect women to be able to dance in heels.

They'll be like, you know, "I could just throw heels on and do a routine."

It's... It's not like that. Like, good luck.

You're constantly forward on your toes, so you're just straining your Achilles.

It's a lot to ask of your body.

[dramatic music playing]

When I was 19 years old, I started working for Britney Spears.

I had industry experience, but not on that level.

Like, Britney Spears, she's an icon.

I learned a lot about the industry through her.

And being on that level, you've gotta be better than you were yesterday.

Like, you have to.

[upbeat music playing]

That's good.

All those things are kind of like what I'm trying to teach them

while in three-inch heels

and some of them have never even worn heels before in their lives.

So I'm pretty sure you have a dart board with my face

and you're throwing darts probably at night.

Hey, girl, it's Nikky.

So, I just want to talk to you about...

I just wanna be completely transparent with you guys.

That you guys...

-[Emily] Suck. -Suck.

[all laughing]

[exclaiming]

Wow! Lexrela duo!

-Lexrela! -Ahh!

[indistinct chattering]

I'm so sore. My leg hurts.

[laughs]

The sun does the trick.

She's getting that melanin.

Oh yeah.

You can never lack sun.

[laughing] Yeah.

Gorgeous.

Naisha, we're going in now. Have fun!

[soft techno music playing]

[Naisha] I find a lot of power in water,

because water can turn into so many things,

but it will never stop being what it actually is.

I think I've always been very good at adapting, um, myself

at a very fast pace,

because I lived in so many countries.

I was born in London,

raised in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and Balearic Islands.

I speak five languages. English, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Catalan.

Both of my parents are Brazilian,

and dancing and singing and rapping is what I like to do the most.

[upbeat music plays]

I started dancing basically in the street with some other, like, freestylers.

So I haven't really had the opportunity to be, like, this studio dancer.

My biggest sacrifice for being in the program

was for sure leaving my apartment back in London.

All those things that I had to build as a young adult

and then just come to a whole new different place and start a new life.

Yeah, that's like a big sacrifice

because if this doesn't happen for me, like, what am I going back to, you know?

[music fades]

[Gabe] So, first thing we're gonna do.

One at a time.

Because you're sitting in this seat, you're first.

-♪ Did a full 180 ♪ -[piano playing]

♪ Crazy ♪

♪ Thinking 'bout the way I was ♪

♪ Did the heartbreak... ♪

[Gabe] ♪ Did a 180... ♪

One, two, yup? Three.

Let... Let the chords guide your notes.

-[Naisha] Okay. -So...

[Naisha] I need to, like, train, like, I'm the worst in the room.

Knowing how to play the game, in a way,

and knowing how to, like, mode.

♪ Don't start caring about me now... ♪

Stop for a second. So, with the phrasing, your rhythms are good.

-Well, each note... -[plays note on piano]

-Yes. Okay. -...is a breadcrumb for the next note.

Because sometimes what happens is when you lock in, you sing in there.

But sometimes when you don't, you don't... You leave the key.

Yes.

[Gabe] Folks work hard.

Like, singing's a very vulnerable thing.

And I don't know if somebody's going home.

I honestly don't know. I don't know if somebody's staying.

So what I've been trying to prep them for

is make it the hardest decision this executive ever has to make.

Yo, you speak Portuguese?

[in Portuguese] Now you'll be hearing me speak Brazilian Portuguese!

-Brazil? -[Naisha] Yeah.

Okay. Everybody, when I ask you where you're from, rep that.

There's a whole rhythmic...

[thumping on chest]

[beatboxing]

That's a whole different quality we get to tap into. All right, cool.

Have a seat. That was good. We'll be back. That was really good.

Adéla.

♪ If you don't want to see me Dancing with somebody... ♪

[Gabe] Good.

[playing piano]

♪ And if you want to believe That anything could stop me... ♪

[Gabe] Stop. Good. That's good.

-So, have a seat. That was good, good. -[Adéla] Thank you.

I really don't think there's anyone that I don't find a big threat.

[indistinct mumbling]

I think everyone is a threat.

[indistinct chattering]

[Missy] Today, we're doing a baseline assessment

of the girls' skill level after the first few weeks of training.

Are we ready?

We are.

Yeah, we're ready.

Today's the day.

["Don't Start Me Now" playing]

♪ I'm not where you left me at all ♪

♪ So, if you don't want to see me Dancing with somebody ♪

♪ Don't show up ♪

♪ Don't come out ♪

♪ Don't start caring about me now ♪

♪ Walk away ♪

♪ You know how ♪

♪ Don't start caring about me now ♪

♪ So, if you don't wanna see me Dancing with somebody ♪

♪ If you wanna believe That anything can stop me ♪

[in Korean] Are you aware that you're singing out of tune?

[tense music plays]

[Missy in English] Son is a world-renowned choreographer.

[scatting]

[Missy] He was the performance director for BTS,

and he's coming over to Los Angeles to be the creative executive for this project.

Based on Son's feedback from today,

we'll know what we need to work on to really refocus them

and make sure they're ready for their first end-of-month evaluation.

[Son in Korean] In Korea, I was a performance director,

but on this project,

my role as an executive creator encompasses more responsibilities.

So I feel a lot of pressure, but

I think I can do well.

It's really about meeting the standards today.

Since this is also a stage, forget their history or their progress,

this is the time for accurate feedback.

Even if they were good in practice,

if they don't do well today, we need to tell them that.

We need that clear standard.

[man in English] Yeah.

[Son in Korean] Since you're trying to juggle too much,

you're missing out on the basics.

Regardless of the singing, try to tone down on overall expressions.

Because it's a bit overkill and unnatural.

You only focus on your upper body.

You're losing sight of your lower body.

Use your entire body, not just your limbs.

You need to be swift, smooth, and light in your limb movements.

I was honestly disappointed. I had high hopes.

You lack basic skills.

[tense music continues]

So today,

we didn't go too harsh on you.

This session was more about the objective assessment on each of you.

Practice singing more.

Talk to your teachers and practice a lot. I'll see you next month.

[Megan in English] I definitely feel like I could have done better.

I feel like the nerves kicked in.

Coming from hip hop and just like, being part of the culture

and the way we show off is different from the way they want us to show off.

It's like you think you're doing enough, but you need to like, no.

It's like you need to do even more.

[Missy] I just wanna talk to you before you guys leave.

You should be really proud of yourselves, no matter what got said today.

And that said, it takes time to build a mental strength

to endure the industry that you're gonna go into.

This is... It's just hard. It's hard to work in this industry.

Um...

But I think if this is truly, truly, truly what you want,

if this is just stepping stones.

And that's what we're trying to just work on,

a different skill set than just singing and dancing.

This is the building of your backbone in this industry.

So, yeah.

Take the notes, internalize it. We come back tomorrow, we get better.

[pensive music playing]

[Missy] I was a competitive dancer, so I can definitely understand the girls.

There's only six spots available in the group,

so I feel a really big weight trying to have that delicate balance

of being able to see the greater vision,

the greater goal, the business side,

but also having these really young artists going after their dreams.

What the trainees don't know

is that training and development will lead to a competitive survival show

where there will be fan voting and eliminations.

Right now, we're not telling the girls about the survival show.

There's going to be different stages

that lead to us even getting to the survival show

or even them being selected to be in the survival show.

So it's really important they focus at the task at hand,

and right now, that's improving their basic fundamental skills.

Five, six, seven, eight.

One.

["Djadja" by Aya Nakamura playing]

Ha!

Oney and a two and a three and a four!

Yes!

[music stops]

My lady,

you're... you're a performer. I love this.

You're such a performer. She's like, "Even if I don't have the steps,

even if like I'm going to mess up,

I'm going to give you a performance and everything."

Keep that. That's good.

-But switch sometimes. -Okay.

[Kany] You're giving me diva, Beyoncé girls and everything.

-Now sometimes, chill. -Chill.

[Kany] Just chill. Like, sometimes just do shoulder, a head.

-Just do nothing. -[Kany] Just that. It's enough.

Okay, so, you guys, let's go over "Woman" just a little bit.

I had zero training in dancing.

And when we arrived here,

I was blown away by the schedule

and how much we have to work and sweat all day long every single day.

[upbeat music plays]

I would rather have someone who's lower skill set,

shows up here every day, like early,

wants to be here, is putting in extra time after...

Just because that drive, okay, we can work with that.

Drop.

Whoa, what is that?

It's like...

That's cool.

And jump out.

-Money. -This is my favorite part.

♪ Mummy don't know Daddy's getting hot ♪

["Unholy" by Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras playing]

♪ ...doing something unholy ♪

♪ Mmm, daddy, daddy, if you want it ♪

♪ Drop the add'y ♪

♪ Give me love, give me Fendi My Balenciaga daddy ♪

♪ You gon' need to bag it up 'Cause I'm spending on Rodeo... ♪

[cheering]

Come on.

♪ And he, he get me Prada... ♪

It glows!

♪ He always call me 'Cause I never cause no drama... ♪

Could we have the stuffed cinnamon sugar churros please?

♪ And when you need it, baby Just jump under the covers ...♪

Could I get the kids pretzel dog and fries?

Yes.

[Adéla] We haven't known each other that long,

but like when you're going through something so different, like this,

it makes you so close to the people you're with

and we're with each other 24/7.

We can just relate to each other.

[Daniela] Before the program, I didn't have a lot of girl friends,

but I'm actually learning how to open myself up to these girls.

["Unholy" ends]

I'm gonna be honest, I...

I'm not a big fan of K-pop

or I was not a big fan of K-pop before I came here. I didn't really know.

[upbeat music plays]

[Daniela] I'm honestly a rap stan. Like, all I do is listen to rap.

I started dancing when I was like, literally two years old.

Hi, you guys. So, who is the boss here?

-Me. -You're the boss?

[judges and audience laughing]

[woman] A one.

Three. Five.

Side. One.

[Daniela] My mom, she was born in Havana, Cuba,

and my dad is from Venezuela.

Both came to America when they were younger

and they're both ballroom dancers and they raised me to be a dancer.

[Daniela's mom] I started training Dani when she was about three years old,

and I taught her the bachata, basic step in cha-cha-cha.

And she followed very, very well.

[Daniela] I was on So You Think You Can Dance,

made the top ten for the kids season.

I've had more experience as a soloist,

but I'm still a team player.

Like that's literally the goal, to be a part of this girl group.

[Missy] I see parts of myself in Daniela.

She is a Latin American. I'm a Latin American.

She has been dancing since she was little. I've been dancing since I was little.

So, it's kind of like I understand,

you know, the weight of how this could change Daniela's life.

♪ Shine bright like a diamond ♪

[piano music plays]

♪ I saw the light inside So shine bright ♪

♪ Tonight... ♪

[Gabe] Abby, she has a very unique voice.

Bring the mic close.

[Gabe] She works at it, and that is her superpower.

♪ ...like diamonds in the sky ♪

Remember about that last note...

♪ Beautiful like diamonds in the sky ♪

♪ Sky ♪

-Not too long, just a little. That's cool. -♪ Sky ♪

If there's a timing issue, there's a pitch issue,

that's just something we work out in sessions.

Your pitch has gotten a lot better.

You're tracking in the right direction. You should feel good about that.

You deserve to be here. Your folks worked hard to get you here.

Let's do this, for yourself and for your folks.

-And for your teacher who believes in you. -Yes.

[Naisha] I wanna learn how to line my lips so bad.

[woman] Me too.

[laughing] I just don't be knowing...

I don't even think it works for me.

[woman] It'll be cute. You should get some brown.

I think the braids really helped me get into character,

and the fact that I got to just, like, embrace it

has been very fun for me, and very new.

So, our eval is going to be in a week

and it's something I've been waiting for ever since we started training.

I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Always thinking, like, "Am I really like good enough?

Am I doing good enough?"

It's just like frustrating moments where I'm like, "Well, I think this is good,

but apparently it's not good enough."

Like, how can I... What can I do now, you know?

I've been rebuilding my life,

my whole entire life, for the longest time.

So it just, like, it just makes it hard.

But I think the way I go on about my art, hopefully it will take me places.

Oh, man. At this point, I just want to settle down

and just like do what I'm good at and continue to train, you know?

And it's just like very frustrating. Like, sometimes, like you don't know.

You really might be sent home at any time.

[indistinct chattering]

I don't know about you guys, but I woke up thinking about the evaluations actually.

While I was sleeping,

I had like butterflies in my stomach because I was so, like, nervous.

Even if it's like a lot of people we haven't seen yet and stuff, like,

we have practiced for like a month.

All the teachers are gonna, like, be watching and stuff. [gasps]

Like, it's scary.

Here, I feel like it's the growth that matters.

Because this is just like, we're learning every, every day

to become some, like a better version of ourselves.

And I can really see, like, do you see that?

I can really see that the muscles are coming, the muscles are growing.

I'm so proud of us for putting ourselves out there.

-To keep going, to really keep going. -Yeah.

[upbeat music plays]

[Naisha] It's eval day, and it's time to go.

You better eat it up, because you never know when it's gonna be the last eval.

The thing that causes most anxiety

is when you just feel like you want to be perfect.

Like, I don't know what's gonna be the feedback.

It's really nerve-wracking too.

[Sophia] In my head, I do a lot of self-talk.

"You know this dance. You know the song."

"You don't have to stress about it anymore because you've practiced enough."

[music continues]

[indistinct chattering]

["Don't Call Me Up" by Mabel playing]

♪ When I'm tryna have a good time ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm good now you ain't mine Na, na, na, na... ♪

[Missy] The girls are scored at evaluations

and then they're ranked from the highest scoring to the lowest scoring trainee.

We really are looking at the girls

and comparing them to current relevant artists,

so the highest scores need to be able to stand up against the dancers,

the vocalists, the star quality of artists we have right now.

♪ Don't call me up I'm going out tonight ♪

♪ Feeling good Now you're outta my life... ♪

[Missy] Chairman Bang watches every end-of-month video

and he gives feedback on what we need to work on to get better at.

["Unholy" by Sam Smith feat. Kim Petras playing]

♪ Give me love, give me Fendi... ♪

[Bang in Korean] With any project,

I don't meet the trainees in person before they debut.

I meet them afterwards.

Most people become fans

when they're watching content such as music videos or shows.

Which is why I think that I should also watch the trainees through the screens.

Conveying the accurate on-screen experience is my priority.

♪ And when you want it, baby I know I got you covered ♪

♪ And when you need it, baby Just jump under the covers ♪

♪ Mummy don't know daddy's getting hot ♪

♪ At the body shop Doin' somethin' unholy... ♪

[Sohey] These grooves are still foreign to your body.

We need to just keep practicing the drills.

It is getting better, so I'll give you that.

It felt like you're in the air. Floating. Stay grounded is the next goal for you.

♪ Mummy don't know daddy's getting hot ♪

♪ At the body shop Doin' somethin' unholy... ♪

[Son in Korean] I see that you're always improving little by little,

I know you're really trying to do something energetically,

but the energy isn't touching me.

[Sohey in English] I like your journey. Like, it's, you're getting there.

Not quite there yet, but I think you're on your way to like figuring it out.

And I felt that today. I felt the spark.

I liked it.

-I like your hair. Thank you. Good job. -[chuckles]

[piano music playing]

[Missy] The second part of the evaluation process is heels.

The technique of being able to dance in an elevated shoe

is just very difficult,

so only our top dancers are allowed to perform in heels.

["Cool for the Summer" by Demi Lovato playing]

♪ Take me down into your paradise ♪

♪ Don't be scared 'Cause I'm your body type ♪

♪ Just something that we wanna try ♪

♪ 'Cause you and I We're cool for the summer... ♪

[people applauding]

[Nikky] That was great.

All of these tricks are so difficult,

and you do it with so much ease,

and you make it look like anybody can do that.

I think we're to a point

where all the little nuances of the in-between details

is what's gonna just make your dancing even more mesmerizing.

["Cool for the Summer" playing]

♪ Take me down ♪

♪ Take me down into your paradise ♪

♪ We're cool for the summer ♪

[people applauding]

[Nikky clears throat]

In the very beginning, the hits were there,

but it looks really elementary and basic.

When you practice by yourself, like, how do you practice?

Like, what do you do?

I don't like to... do it full out too many times, um,

because I feel like I'll get tired more easily.

[Nikky] This is only one minute.

Like a show is like 90 minutes, and it's starting maybe at 10:00 p.m.

You're so talented already, we tell you this all the time,

but you can be so much better.

-Don't be afraid of working hard. -[Sohey] Yeah.

[all applauding]

♪ I swear I'm happy The more that I'm feeling alone... ♪

♪ I want you to make me feel Like I'm the only girl in the world... ♪

♪ Now if we're talking body ♪

♪ You got a perfect one So put it on me ♪

♪ Swear it won't take you long ♪

♪ If you love me right ♪

♪ We fuck for life On and on and on ♪

[music fades]

[man] There's just like a little too much reservedness in what you're singing about.

I would just, like, really let go and become the character.

Like, I know... I'm sure what you do in your own music,

the style doesn't always line up with these songs,

but just put yourself in a character of the song.

[people applauding]

["Havana" by Camila Cabelo playing]

♪ Havana, ooh na-na ♪

♪ Half of my heart is in Havana ♪

♪ There's somethin' 'bout his manners ♪

♪ Havana, ooh-na ♪

♪ He said there's a lot of girls I can do with ♪

♪ I knew him forever in a minute ♪

♪ There's somethin' 'bout his manners ♪

♪ Havana, ooh na-na ♪

[music fades]

Thank you.

[people applauding]

[Bart] I thought you had some nice moments.

Just watch your pronunciation on some of the "ooh na-nas."

It's just a little distracting.

[Sylvia] It's so nice to hear you.

I could tell you were nervous and you just fought through.

That is the win, okay?

Um, for all of you.

Everybody who gets up here and feels like, "What the fuck?"

Excuse my language. And you keep going, that's the win.

Keep going.

[indistinct chattering]

[indistinct chattering]

[Abby] You're done?

[Megan] And what about dancing?

[upbeat music playing]

[Missy] A lot of our girls,

they're having a lot of anxiety and nerves performing,

and so we need to work on how they can learn

to control their emotions, control their stress.

[Son in Korean] The biggest anxiety must come from feeling unprepared.

They'll lose confidence, and they'll get more nervous.

[Missy in English] Moving on to Daniela.

She just needs to work on breaking some old habits.

She came in, again, as a dancer, but she's not a horrible singer,

so we definitely stressed to her this month

that she needs to focus on vocal.

If it's nerves, we work on controlling those

so that they don't overtake her hard work that she put in all month.

And I think her attitude is really good to call out

because she is scoring really high and then on the lower end for attitude.

For Iliya, I'm concerned about her musical theater

type of movement while she's singing.

[woman] She has her own individual creativity

that I would love for her to tap into.

[Charlie] I definitely felt like Sophia had improved a lot.

[Missy] She's a very hard worker.

She's a natural-born leader, 100%.

Naisha has a great intention. I think she takes this very seriously,

but it's translating through movement in a way that's aggressive.

Multiple teachers have told her, tone it down, and sometimes I feel like

she's so focused on showing all her colors at one time

that she's not okay with just drawing a square.

Abby, right now, she struggles with finding rhythm

and being able to count to the music.

[woman] She does not have basic training.

Most of what she has learned of dance is self-taught,

but she comes to the studio half an hour before classes.

She comes on weekends. She really wants to improve.

And she... Yeah.

-[Missy] She does. -She does.

[Missy] She is a very sweet girl, but again,

given our timeline, we're really concerned.

[Son in Korean] Actually, it's not impossible,

but it's going to take time.

[Missy in English] I think one of the biggest risks

is us investing so much into this project

and then people feeling like it was just something that money put together.

Personally, I feel like the stakes for HYBE-Geffen are make or break.

I either think it's the success of this label

or it's the end of the label, in my opinion.

[soft music playing]

[woman] Hi, Abby.

Okay, Abby.

I really, really, really want you to know that your work ethic

is 100% unmatched,

and I hope that you don't lose it,

but for this specific project, our timeline and where your skills are at,

we just don't think you can get there in time,

and I think it would be unfair to keep you here, us knowing that.

I think it takes away from other opportunities

that you could possibly be achieving.

You've always had the most positive energy about you since you started.

I think you found your way into the hearts of all of the girls

and all of the teachers.

You did nothing wrong, and I do believe in you.

And I just think that this chapter is closed.

[crying] Yeah. I know.

This is really hard for me, because it's like, this has been my dream.

[Missy] I know. And I don't think you should give up on your dream.

I know it's gonna hurt, but you have to know that there will be something else

and something else better for you in particular, in time.

Yeah.

-Does that make sense? Okay. -Yeah.

-But thank you for this opportunity. -Oh, no, thank you for coming.

This has been like the happiest part of my life.

I'm really sad it's coming to an end.

[Missy] Yeah.

But it'll be okay.

[somber music playing]

[Karlee] No!

[Missy] I love you.

[Abby crying]

-[Megan] No, don't cry! -[Karlee] Don't cry!

[Daniela] Oh, Abby!

Abby...

[Abby] Thank you, guys.

[crying]

[Adéla] Abby.

[crying continues]

[Gabe] Hey, everybody, can I talk to Abby for a second?

[Abby] Yes.

[music continues]

Hi. [crying]

[crying continues]

I know. It's okay.

Okay. All right. Now.

You have grown tremendous leaps and bounds.

One day, if I have a daughter, I hope she tries as hard as you do.

-Thank you. That means a lot to me. -You changed my life.

You changed mine because when I joined the program, I had a really hard time,

and your positivity, like, motivated me to keep going.

Like, it really...

In the program, it really inspired me, and I'm really thankful for that.

Lord knows I've had... I've had my share of ups and downs,

but I know in my heart, this is where I belong.

And once you figure that out,

there's nothing or no one that can stop you.

It's not "no." It's "not right now."

You're hard work personified.

This sucks, I know, but...

-It's okay. -It's going to be okay.

-Everything works out. -Yeah.

-All right? -Thank you.

-All right, mama. Slam. -Slam. [laughs]

-Take care. -Bye.

Fuck.

[laughing]

[Sophia] Sorry.

[indistinct chattering]

Everyone here can dance, everyone here can sing,

it's just some people are not what they're looking for.

There's so many different factors. It's just like,

if you get eliminated, it doesn't mean you suck.

The reason why we're here is because we're like puzzle pieces,

it just depends, if we all fit together, which is the group.

So they can eliminate anytime.

They could suddenly be like, "Actually this piece doesn't fit."

And then they're like... It doesn't mean the piece sucks.

[Marquise] Yeah.

[upbeat music plays]

[Iliya] It's okay.

[Missy] After this elimination, we now have 13 girls.

But we need 20 to get ready for the survival show.

So, casting continues.

[Michelle] When I first saw her,

I, like, instantly knew.

This girl is already a star.

And I went to her Instagram and I DM'd her.

She's gonna be a great contender for the program.

[girl] I have a gut feeling I'm gonna be in the group.

["I Want It" by KALLITECHNIS playing]

♪ Everybody asks me how I do it ♪

♪ They say I look good ♪

♪ I say I feel good ♪

♪ They say they wanna know my secret ♪

♪ I tell them it's big boss mentality ♪

♪ And it goes something like ♪

♪ I want it, I buy it ♪

♪ I flaunt it, you want it ♪

♪ I want it, I buy it ♪

♪ I flaunt it, you want it ♪

♪ I want it, I buy it ♪

♪ I flaunt it, you want it ♪

♪ I want it, I buy it ♪

♪ I flaunt it, you want it ♪

♪ On my flyest lately ♪

♪ Higher than the fashion maybe ♪

♪ I'm the model in your daydream ♪

♪ Baby, I'm so hot they hate me ♪

♪ Eyes on my strut See me for coming the spot ♪

♪ Got the Campbell typa walk Chin like Kate Moss ♪

♪ Catwalking like purr Gotcha gawking at my purse ♪

♪ Saw you add it to your cart But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ Eyes on my strut See me for coming the spot ♪

♪ Got the Campbell typa walk Chin like Kate Moss ♪

♪ Catwalking like purr Gotcha gawking at my purse ♪

♪ Saw you add it to your cart But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ I want it, I buy it ♪

♪ I flaunt it, you want it ♪

♪ I want it, I buy it ♪

♪ I flaunt it, you want it ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

♪ But you know I wore it first ♪

[song ends]