The Debut: Dream Academy performances have officially kicked off, with vocal group Team A stepping up to the plate to deliver a stunning cover of Billie Eilish‘s angsty “Happier Than Ever” and Robyn‘s classic pop hit, “Dancing On My Own.”
Contestants Karlee, Lexie, Iliya, Brooklyn and Manon all took turns trading lines from the two songs, each getting their moment to shine while singing Eilish’s scathing verses and Robyn’s lovelorn chorus. For the performance’s final minute, the quintet combine the two tracks into a seamless mash-up.
“I’m in the corner watching you kiss her/ That s—s embarrassing/ I’m right over here why can’t you see me/ You were my everything,” the girls sang for the big finish. “I’m giving it my all, I’m not the girl you’re taking home/ I’ll keep dancing on my own/ Just f–king leave me alone/ I’ll keep dancing on my own.
Meanwhile, Dream Academy also shared a videos from Team B, in which the group sang a slowed down version of Paramore’s “Still Into You,” and the Team A and B dance groups, who to BLACKPINK’s “Pink Venom” and NewJeans’ “OMG” respectively.
The competition formally began on Sept. 1, when HYBE dropped the first official episode of the series to their YouTube channel. In the premiere, chairman Bang Si-Hyuk and Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO John Janick spoke about what it takes to create a successful girl group, and explained the show’s concept to the 20 contestants; the girls will perform in a series of preliminary showcases between two vocal and two dance teams to “level up your skills as a global girl group.” The first stage of the competition will see two groups get eliminated.
In the following episodes of Dream Academy, the remaining contestants will head to Korea to compete before another round of eliminations, with the live finale taking place on Nov. 17.
Watch Team A’s mash up cover of “Happier Than Ever” and “Dancing On My Own” above.
