Several former members of the reality competition series The Debut: Dream Academy, which famously gave us KATSEYE, are coming together to form a new girl group, officially named SAINT SATINE, and they have finally found their fourth member. (Until now, fans have been referring to the group as Prelude, more on that below.)
In case you need a quick refresher, The Debut: Dream Academy is a competition series created in partnership between Geffen Records and HYBE with the mission of finding members for a top global girl group, which became KATSEYE. Each week fans voted for their favorites, and the whole process was recorded in a documentary-style format on Netflix's Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.
In 2025, it was announced that the same team behind Dream Academy and KATSEYE was looking to create another global girl group, with a new series called World Scout: The Final Piece, which would aim to find the perfect final member of a foursome.
Before the journey even got started, three former Dream Academy contestants were officially named as members of the group in a short film titled Prelude: The Final Piece, and now the pieces of that puzzle are all coming together. Ahead, learn more about SAINT SATINE, the forthcoming girl group from HYBE x Geffen.
What is the name of HYBE x Geffen's new girl group?
As mentioned earlier, the group's official name is SAINT SATINE. HYBE x Geffen announced the name on May 12, alongside a website and a slew of official social media accounts for the group, including their own fan platform on Weverse. Fans can sign up for updates using a valid email address. The official meaning of the name reportedly borrows "Saint" to signify musicality and charisma and "Satine" for a soft, elegant, sophisticated image.
In addition to the name and social channels, we got the first group picture including all four members and their first live performance together. As part of the finale of World Scout: The Final Piece, the quartet performed and released the song “Party b4 the Party,” which you can watch below. A second R&B song titled "We Ride," featuring the program's second finalist, Ayana, has also been released on streaming platforms.
Who are the first members of SAINT SATINE?
The initial lineup for HYBE x Geffen's new girl group included three former competitors from The Debut: Dream Academy: Emily Kelavos, Lexie Levin, and Samara Siqueira. Both Emily and Samara made it to the Top 10.
Twenty-year-old Emily, who grew up in Texas and is known for her dance skills, was eliminated in the finale and went on to dance alongside XG at Coachella 2025. She also starred in the music video and choreographed “Homewrecked” by Adéla Jergová, another fellow Dream Academy contestant.
Lexie, from Stockholm, Sweden, who turns 22 in August, actually left Dream Academy of her own accord, spending seven weeks on the show before bowing out. “It’s hard leaving something that means so much to you, but sometimes it’s actually what’s best for you,” Levin wrote on Instagram at the time. “Life is an adventure with lots of changes. Sometimes it’s scary, but as long as you’re listening to your heart, life will lead you to happiness. Dream Academy will always have a special place in my heart, but now it’s meant for me to start a new chapter in my life. And I am now entering it as a stronger and better version of myself.”
Samara, who turns 21 in September and hails from Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, landed in seventh place on Dream Academy. Before the show, she appeared in music videos for “Good Days” by The Bootcampers and “Come Together” by Now United & Bootcampers.
When they were unveiled as members in 2025, HYBE and Geffen released a short “prelude” video featuring Emily, Samara, and Lexie, which you can watch below.
In May, the group announced via a vlog-style YouTube video that they had moved in together, following a similar K-pop-inspired strategy that KATSEYE implemented in their early days. The trio also attended Coachella 2026 together.
Who is the last member of SAINT SATINE?
After much anticipation, the fourth member of SAINT SATINE was announced, during the finale of World Scout: The Final Piece, to be Tobi Sakura. Sakura, who is freshly 16, emerged as the winner of the competition, hence the final member of the group. Sakura hails from the coastal city of Toyama in Japan. She is a fan of LE SSERAFIM and makeup. After she was announced as the final member, she made her own Instagram account.
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Sakura's selection has not been without controversy. Many are filling her comment section with messages of support, but others are baffled by the decision, especially given her age difference compared with the rest of the group. (Sakura joined the program when she was 15.)
“Having a member that is noticeably younger and does not speak the same language as the other group members, which is also the language of the market they are going for, just seems cruel to her,” a person said on Reddit. “Not hating on Sakura, but she wasn’t ready. She can be great, in a few years, yes! But the girls deserved someone who was ready NOW,” someone else commented on Instagram.
When did World Scout: The Final Piece take place?
The series took place in Japan from late February until May 12 and was streamed through ABEMA.
The mission of World Scout: The Final Piece was to find the fourth and final member of the new group. Applications were open through September 22, 2025, calling for women and nonbinary people age 15 to 24 with “training,” and slated to be held from October 2025 to December 2025, part of that in Los Angeles. The first rounds of selections took place in Tokyo.
Participating MCs (a.k.a. guest hosts) who appeared in World Scout: The Final Piece included singer Rino Sashihara (a former member of idol groups HKT48, AKB48, and STU48), as well as LE SSERAFIM members Sakura and Kazuha, and ILLIT members Moka and Iroha, all Japanese idols currently working under HYBE.
World Scout: The Final Piece was an elimination series. There were more than 14,000 applicants, but the public got to properly meet only 19 girls, all hailing from Japan, during the actual competition. The program invited four finalists to Los Angeles for a month of training with HYBE x Geffen Records, but only two made it to the finale: 19-year-old Kuwahara Ayana and 16-year-old Tobi Sakura.
When does SAINT SATINE debut?
Though a specific date has yet to be announced, we know the group will prepare for a global debut in 2026, as confirmed by HYBE x Geffen on multiple occasions.
What has KATSEYE said about the new group?
The band's official X account reshared the “prelude” video with these kind words: "We are so proud of our girls. This is just the beginning of something amazing." KATSEYE members Lara and Megan were also present at the World Scout: The Final Piece finale to show support.
