Filipina Gen Z-er Sophia Laforteza believes in being her own cheerleader as embarks on a mission to conquer the K-pop world and prove she has what it takes to be an idol.
Sophia is the only Filipina in “The Debut: Dream Academy,” an audition-style series where participants vie for a coveted spot in a new girl group set to debut under the banner of Geffen Records and HYBE, the label that brought us the legendary K-pop supergroup, BTS.
But the road to stardom hasn’t been without challenges for this 20-year-old dream chaser. Sophia recently suffered an ankle injury that took a toll on her confidence.
But she made a bold choice: to become her own hype girl.
“I told myself, ‘I need you to give your everything’, and the month after that ended up being one of my strongest months in the program,” Laforteza said in a video uploaded by HYBE.
“And I pushed myself. I said, ‘You know that you deserve to be here.’ That self-love is so important, even though it’s so cheesy, but it really did help me,” she added.
The Filipina shared singing had been her dream since she was 3. “I love to sing. I love to dance. Singing is definitely my first love. It’s the one thing that gives me comfort,” she said.
Aside from showing off her best chops in the show, Laforteza is also out to showcase her Filipino roots.
“I think one thing about my people, they’re very nurturing and I think that’s a big part of who I am,” she said.
Her journey to “The Debut: Dream Academy” wasn’t an easy one. HYBE x Geffen combed through thousands of applications before selecting her and 19 other girls.
According to Teen Vogue, the girls had trained for a year in Los Angeles, adopting the famed “K-pop methodology” to help them give their best on the show.
The series premiered on September 1 on YouTube and Japanese streaming channel Abema, and the final lineup and name for the girl group will be decided through fan votes.
With just around two months left before the grand finale on November 17, Sophia expressed her immense gratitude for all the love, support, experiences, and support she’s received.
“I can’t wait to go on this journey with you all 
Maraming salamat, po 
,” she told her supporters on Instagram.
