Pop Star Academy's Adéla is going solo—and she's spilling the tea on stan feuds & unethical competition

Earlier this summer, streaming giant Netflix casually released Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE and sent international pop stans from all over the world into a frenzy.

The eight-part docuseries chronicled dozens of teenage girls traveling to LA to begin a training and development program produced by K-Pop record label HYBE to form their first "global girl group." This is how we meet Adéla, a girl from Slovakia whose big dreams outgrew her small town and country. And the dream was just within reach until the production revealed, after over a year of training, that the Top 20 girls would actually be competing against each other for just 6 spots.

Thus began Dream Academy, a global show that concluded last fall and produced the girl group KATSEYE. Though Dream Academy waded into some unethical waters, Pop Star Academy shows the highs and the lows of the participating contestants and what it takes to put together a group that can capture the entire world's attention.

But don't count out the eliminated girls! Though they were cut, they were chosen because of their talent, and Adéla is a testament the star power that radiates from each contestant. It's been less than a month since the documentary premiered and she's dropped her debut single, becoming the first act from the show to go solo.

Out caught up with Adéla the day before her new song "Homewrecked" was released on all streaming platforms. The 20-year-old candidly discussed her life after the two shows, finding her voice as a artist, what fan-fueled feuds say about the state of the music industry, and where she plans on going from here. (Hint: she wants to release an EP!)

Out: You're releasing your debut song tomorrow. How does it feel?

Adéla: I feel so f--king excited. Ever since the show came out, I've been getting so much attention, and when the show ended and during the last couple of months of the show, I knew that that wasn't the place for me. And I just felt like I needed to find my own path and my own artistry. And that's what I've done ever since the Dream Academy social media part of the show ended. I've been here and I've been working with producers and writers and trying to find a sound that feels like me and that I really can hone in on.

I feel like when you're training for something like a girl group, it's a lot of adapting to each other, feeling each other out, also trying to give a certain fantasy and vision that's put on you because it has to be. After I came out of that, I was like, 'Wait, what the f--k? Who am I?'

But this song, I wrote it with me and [Liam Benayon] and produced it with Dylan Harrison and Riley Aki, and it just feels exactly like me. The story is super personal and I'm so excited. It's so campy and weird and dramatic and way too much. And honestly, that's a lot of what I've always been told. Even down to my face. They used to tell me, you have a Jim Carrey face. And I was like, wait, work? Yeah, I do. But now I get to do that, and it feels really fun, and the people haven't responding to it really well, and I just really appreciate it. So I was super excited. This is the first one, and it's only going to get better and bigger.

Clips on TikTok ahead of the song's release received praise from Grimes and James Charles, how did that feel?

That's crazy. We were freaking the f--k out because James Charles, I used to watch him when I was little. I literally learned English from watching his videos. It was a full circle moment to be like, oh my God, you're commenting on my video. What a gag. That's crazy. And then Grimes, I was like, what the f--k are you doing here? Never leave though. Please never leave. But that was insane. I was like, wait, what an icon. The fact that she said that, that's good. I was like, this bitch, she just knows what's up. It felt so fire. Me and my writer, we were talking about it, and I was like, this song, I wrote it in June and I've been listening to it for the longest time and to know, obviously it shouldn't be about what other people think about what you make and it's like, I knew that it was fire, but to see somebody who's so artistically gifted as Grimes to comment on that was just. I was like, okay, this is probably fire. If Grimes likes it, I'm not being delusional about this.

And you're definitely doing something right.

It's not just me and my mom bumping this. I think it'll be fine.

You worked with some of your Pop Star Academy costars on the music video for "Homewrecked." What was that experience like?

The whole music video is coming out next week. Me and the Dream Academy girls are so close. Each one of us we're so tied to each other just because of doing this crazy thing that nobody could know about for so long. And also just on a personal level, we just ride for each other. Obviously me and Emily, she's my sister, and we talk every single f--king day. I'm at her place, she's at mine. We basically live together, and it's obviously when I was doing the song and I was like, wait, I need there to be a video in choreo. She's the most insane dancer I know. That was the first thing that went into my mind. I was like, Emily, would you want to do a choreo with me and work with me on this? She was so down. We just ride for each other forever, and I truly want nothing but the best for her to succeed and vice versa. So that was just really, it just felt so natural. We've been doing this, you know what I mean? She was so passionate about it. We did the choreo together and I was like, I want this to be highlighted. We did a couple of versions, and then we got our friends to be involved, Peyton and Zoe, who are Emily's roommates. And then it just so happened that Narjesse, who was also on the show, she was in LA at the time, and so I was like, wait, do you want to be in it?

I just was just really lucky that all of my friends are so f--king talented. I'm like, this is insane that I love you guys and I get to work with you guys. It's so fun. So it was just so fulfilling and just felt like a homemade thing, but in the sense of we're so close and we love each other so much.

Can you tell me about the lyrics of "Homewrecked." Is it about your experience on the show? A man?

I kind of like people not really knowing. If you put whatever meaning you want to it, I leave it up to you. Just know that it is rooted in real experience, and whether you take it literally or you go the more abstract route, I kind of enjoy seeing everybody's take on it.

When I wrote it though, in my head, it was about infidelity and it was about dealing with the worst feelings that you have of somebody close hurting you in such a way. And it's basically about killing the mistress that they cheated on somebody with. So it's about killing the person that they hurt you with. And it's not in the sense of let's put all the blame on the girl, but it's about, I want to hurt you so bad that this person that makes you happy, I want to kill them because you hurt me. Which didn't that happen in real life? And if it did, I wouldn't be telling you.

So this isn't a confession?

It didn't happen. But that's, I think, the beauty of what I feel like is my artistry. I want to make things that are so relatable and rooted in a real subject for me, make them times a thousand. It's so kind of over the top and way too much. And that's what excites me about art. I think. I don't do not want to be demure. That is not what I want to be at all. So yeah, I think that is kind of what I would say about the meaning of it.

Is the song part of a larger album?

Yes, absolutely. The plan is to release a song a month and then it all culminating into an EP. Each song is a new chapter in the story. This first one is an introduction for the character of Adéla. I think of it as a character, super over the top. It's not realistic at all, however, it's all rooted in real things, but just amplified. And so this is the first chapter. Clearly I'm unhinged, I kill this, and then we'll see where she's going to go next. I guess we'll see next month, but there's a definite storyline that I want to take you through on this EP journey that I'm going to announce. But yeah, that's all I can say right now.

Who are your biggest musical influences? Who do you grew up listening to?

I am the biggest Beyoncé stan there is. I'm the biggest BeyHive you've ever f--king met. I've watched Homecoming, no joke, 17 times. I've watched it so much. And I made everybody in my closest circle watch it too. And I actually dragged Emily and Megan to the Renaissance world tour and to the movies too. I was like, if we want to do this. Let's f--king learn from the best. Yes, the tickets are expensive as f--k. We're going. We have a shoot tomorrow. I don't care. We're going.

Lady Gaga is a huge inspiration. I think seeing her artistry and seeing how absolutely unhinged she's been in her career. But how it's so intentional though, to me, that's so interesting and beautiful. And seeing all the different parts of her. You have the Fame monster, and they have Joanne, and then it's like, now we're in her jazz era with Tony Bennett. What an artist. And I think that's a huge inspiration. I obviously love Chappell Roan. I think she's so amazing. I think she's doing something that hasn't been done before, and it's just so fresh and amazing to see vocally. I grew up listening to Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston. And Mariah and Ariana. I was the biggest Ariana Grande stan. The pop girl is Britney. I really grew up just immersed in pop through and through, and I used to get ridiculed a lot growing up. People love to make fun of pop. It's like, girl, pop stands for popular, and it's popular for a reason. Oh, also Troye Sivan and Charlie xcx.

What did it feel like for you to watch Pop Star Academy? What has life been like after the documentary?

You know what? It's insane. I'm not going to lie to you. It feels crazy for sure.

I got recognized by this old man, and he was like, 'I watched your show. What you went through was f--king crazy.' I was like, what the f--k? I was at Whole Foods. I just don't even think I understand how many people have an opinion and have watched our lives and what happened to us and have a point of view on that. I don't even think it has settled in yet.

But definitely I have to say in the last nine months, the thing with me personally is that I started processing everything that was happening on the show, even pre-elimination and before it completely ending for us. So I've been at a peace and understanding with it within myself for a really long time. I completely know the truth, and I know that all the girls, we love each other and that there's so much love and so much stuff that the general public didn't get to see. I'm at complete peace with how the public is reacting, because I know that that has nothing to do with us, and it has everything to do with just their choice of how they perceive these things that are presented to them. But I have to say though, I feel like I'm almost a third party observing it for some reason. I just feel so removed from it. The chapter's been wrapped up and understood and super healthily processed. And I just have to say, I think it's interesting looking at the public's reaction of people really still want to pin women against each other.

Listen, you have more than 20 girls, from all over the world, different backgrounds, different whatever, training together. If you think that there's going to be no conflicts, no professional conflict at all, that is insane to think. We are humans. Why are we making it seem like women are just so simple minded that once there's an issue, oh, they hate each other. There's so much more nuance to being a human. All of those things have been resolved and have been handled with so much love and care personally in between us, all of the girls.

But I didn't understand. I was like, wow, I really thought that we moved past this and that people would obviously know that it's not about, 'Oh, she's the mean girl.' And no. It was a moment in time and there were things that were issues, which is human and is normal, and then they were resolved. Let's not make women look like they can't have issues and resolve them maturely. So hurtful. It's crazy that we're still here.

And I can't even imagine what it actually feels like when you're a huge celebrity. We have some attention on us, but I'm like, wow, this is really what female artists and females in the industry have to go through and get pinned against each other all the time? What the f--k? It's never that deep. I promise you. It's never that deep. We are all good. Everybody loves each other. We've all talked about it together, and we were just like, girl, I don't know what the f--k is going on out there. Let's just mind our business. It's dry.

It's such an interesting Catch 22 because pitting women against each other is quite literally baked into the premise of the show with the survival aspect, which makes it so captivating? But then the fans then take it and run away with it when the show was recorded 10 months ago. But fans can imagine that y'all are still in it because we're watching it for the first time now. People move on, grow, solve their problems.

Seriously, we've all texted and checked up on each other. And when I say all, I mean all, even the people that you don't think I texted.

It's just so interesting. I guess, if anything, it taught me about how society still works. If anything, it was a little social experiment and I was like, oh yeah, we're still here. This is still a thing that people do.

As someone who quite literally studies this industry and what it does to pop stars, just keep uplifting each other up because people will try and try to tear y'all down. This is all just entertainment and fake for them.

And everybody has been. KATSEYE members, non-KATSEYE members, everybody. We've all been very just drilling it in, like, are you okay? Are you good? I'm seeing what's being said. It's so actually loving, and it's actually what was so surprising about, honestly, the whole experience is the entire time, the whole class of the girls, or the cast of the show, it was just such an example of what people paint out girls to be. You would think that it would be so catty and mean, but there was none of that. Seriously none. Our project managers, they would say, 'F--k, we were so scared. But honestly, we got so lucky with all of you.' There was so much maturity and love with everything. The way that we handled each other. Everybody was so aware that it's such a tough thing to go through. We're all in such a weird position, and nobody intentionally tried to hurt anybody. And if there were issues, we talked them out, whether they showed it on camera or not, there's so many conversations honestly, that we also chose to have off camera. We we're real people, and you're seeing real things, but some things you don't want to show. You know what I mean? So it was definitely interesting. But I think for me and for all of us, where it was very authentic and it showed us actually going through what we were going through, and we're all just glad that we have each other and that we know what happened and that we're all good. Everybody wishes everybody the best. Seriously. That's how we feel.

I personally felt like how the production hid that it was a survival show from y'all was unethical. How did you feel in the moment about that? Watching it?

I have to say that was a surprise. I mean, you saw it on the show. It was a surprise to a lot of us. I think some of us felt really good about it, and some of us didn't. Personally, I know that if I knew that it was a survival show...

The biggest selling point of doing this program was the fact that I felt it was truly something where my nationality didn't have to matter. I'm not going to act like I'm a fucking minority. I'm a white girl, girl. I am conventionally attractive. I do not have it hard. Okay. But one thing about being on a show like this that is fan voted is that it does come a lot of the times to the nationality. I knew that I would not have the support that some girls from these really, amazing, big, supportive places would have. There is nothing wrong with that. That is not their fault. And there was never any animosity towards those girls because why would there be? That's f--king fire that you have that. But for me, if I knew that this was the case, I don't think I would've put my life into this. Slovakia has 5 million people in it. Not a lot of people know K-pop. There's 5 million people, but how many people are young? You know what I mean? And watching this! I knew that I really had not a huge...

Built in fanbase based on your nationality?

Yes, exactly. So to me personally, I was like, this is disappointing. But also I have to say, it wasn't completely earth-shattering because even months before that, I just felt like I wasn't completely right for the project anyway, so I wasn't completely heartbroken, but I think that was the last nail in the coffin of like, okay, I do not think that this will happen for me. That's why I said months before anything happened, I started to really shift my focus and was like, 'Okay, well, what is going to be my life after this?' There's going to be a life after this. You know what I mean?

Looking back on the academy and the show, what was your favorite moment?

I think honestly, all of it. I look back at the good and the bad as so enriching, and I feel like it made me so much more whole as a person and understand who I am, way better, what I want and what I need as an artist to be fulfilled. I think all of it was truly, it was an academy. It was school. It was literally college for pop stars. It made me understand by doing things that I like this and then being put into things that didn't like, that all helps you to figure it out way sooner and have a huge space to figure it out, because not a lot of people do. I mean, we were literally put into training to be entertainers. So many people just have to do it themselves. It's definitely a privilege that I got to be a part of it, and it made my self-confidence as a performer and as an entertainer so much more. Now I really know what excites me and what I want and what I don't want. And it just made me focus way better and make it completely clear. So I think honestly, all of it, the f--king bulls--t, the amazing parts, everything worked out and made me understand what I want, which is what I'm focusing on.

Just going to that academy is something that so many people dream of. Years from now you're going to look back and be like, you did a K-pop training academy.

Absolutely. That's insane. Yeah. And somebody the other day commented, 'Oh my God, first soloist from a global K-pop trade.' For real? Oh my gosh. I'm like, wait, you're right. Wait, f--k. You're right. It's f--king fire. Either way, we were a part of this. And that's why it feels kind of funny when people are like, 'Oh, well, you're a flop and you're a flop.' I don't think so. Honestly, we got to be a part of this really insane thing for two years. So many people applied for it. I sent the submission from Slovakia, a video of me singing and doing an extra ass note at the end of the Tory Kelly song. And then I did that s--t for two years. That's crazy. I was really, really happy with how everything went. I'm really happy with the documentary. I'm really happy for, and really, really grateful for the whole entire experience. And even now, the fact that I'm putting out a song and it's getting any attention at all, I attribute it to the fact that I did have way more eyes on me than if I stayed in Slovakia. The good and the bad, it all works, and it's not black and white. It's so nuanced, and I really appreciate all of it.

Has anyone else in the group considered just starting another group?

You know what? Nobody has reached out to me, so if they want to make one, I guess I'm not in it. Just kidding. Just kidding. But I don't think so, I don't think we have. I mean, we're all over the place. The girlies are everywhere so it'd be kind of hard, but as far as I know we have it, maybe it's in the works, but I'm pretty set on being solo, so I'm not sure. Maybe I'm not the person to ask.

I'm just dreaming of Samara and Ezrela still being in a group.

They're so talented.

Everyone is. There could literally be four groups, and I would watch all of them.

People sometimes ask me, 'Are you happy with the lineup?' Girl, if anybody made it, I would've been happy with the lineup. Truly, truly, there's so much talent and so much star power and star quality. It could have been anybody, and it would've been amazing. And it would've been, I would've been like, yeah, totally. I see it.

Last question. Is there anything you'd like to say to fans of the show, fans of the group, or your fans?

Well, I think I just want to say thank you for attention. Thank you for even taking the time off of your day to perceive us and hear our stories. As far as my art goes, thank you for starting this journey with me. I think it's going to be so exciting. I'm so creatively inspired and have so much to say about my personal feelings about everything that I've gone through, whether you've seen me go through it or not. And I think art is my platform, and I'm just really grateful if you decide to listen or watch or even pay attention for a second, I'm really grateful. So that's that. And I think my overall message as an artist is just like, it's corny as fuck, but it's like, don't give a fuck and just be you. I say this all the time, but I was like, I'd rather be polarizing than be an NPC.

That's funny!

It's like, okay, I definitely am not going to be liked by everyone, but I do not need to be. I feel like that's what I want to inspire people to be. That was a big part of what I also preached on the show to the girls and I saw it made a change. That's my overall message. There are certain things that are authentically you and true, and you do not let go of them no matter what anybody else thinks.