Can Dreams Come True?

Busy streets building up energy, the stars like glitter scattered on a black canvas. Darkness had settled in—but the day was far from over. For that night, right in the heart of New York City, the biggest celebration of music commenced.

A few hours had passed since the program began, but it isn't until moments later when the spotlight will shine upon Dallia, Yuri, Hae-won, and Verée, which together form the K-pop girl group SPECLE. All of them are getting ready backstage, all hyped up for their performance.

A few sentences later, Tony Richmond, a world famous comedian and also this year's International Golden Music Awards (IGMAs) host, announced their turn to create noise. The whole theater went dark. The girls went to formation and the leader, Dallia, was center. The lights shoot beams of color synchronized with the flow of music. Just seconds in counting until she sings the first line, Dallia had a realization, a complete flashback.

Ten years ago, she was just a twelve-year-old girl in the Philippines with a passion for singing and dance. She'd accompany her father every weekend to his band's gigs and concerts. One time, her dad asked her to sing at a local music fest. She gave her best and people stopped to see where the voice was coming from. At the end of her song, a crowd had already formed around her, all witnesses of her talent.

Among those people, a YSJ Entertainment agent came up to her and asked her to audition at their agency and potentially get accepted and debut. There were a lot of things holding her back, and so for the next four years, she enhanced her talents and taught herself Korean by watching K-dramas. At sixteen, she auditioned for YSJE in the Philippines and among 5,000 talented and hopeful individuals; she was the only candidate to pass and one of two recruited from Southeast Asia.

The other one was Yuri, a bubbly girl from Thailand and was a literal human dance machine. Hae-won hasn't been to anywhere before except Korea. She is the "maknae" of the group and has the best rapping skills. Verée has a whole other story. She is half Japanese and half Korean and is the lead singer of the group and by far has the most stunning visuals. Dallia later got the role of main vocalist and leader of the group. They met each other at the YSJE headquarters in Seoul, South Korea and got along with each other very well. Their friendship developed over time and shared lots of memorable, both happy and sad, moments together.

"Look how far we've gone." Dallia said, overwhelmed with their success. Each of the girls put one hand in her shoulder. She looked back at them and their faces expressed euphoria.

The cheer of the crowd gets louder as the beat starts to rise. At three, two, one, show time—SPECLE blew up the stage with a powerful entrance. They performed their lead single "Say What?" which was nominated for IGMA Song of the Year. The masterpiece was from their second studio album, "Twilight: Beyond Infinity", which was also nominated for an IGMA (Album of the Year).

The audience were enjoying themselves. Their performance was downright amazing. Some STANS, SPECLE's fandom, vibe along and cheer for their girls. The song was originally written in Korean, but an English version was also made and it became an instant hit, climbing up to the number one spot of almost all music streaming platforms.

The last set of lyrics was delivered Verée. A loud applause from the people in the theater, they bow down to the audience before returning offstage. They change into sparkling outfits and went back to their seats before the cameras go back live.

The announcement of winners began and the first to be announced was Song of The Year. Tony Richmond presented the award and the five nominees that have a chance of winning it. Four world-renowned artists vs. a newcomer girl group from Asia, what chance do they have? Alas, the great reveal. Tony opened the card and read it out loud, "And the Song of the Year goes to....... Say What? by SPECLE!"

Tears of joy roll down their eyes as the people in the auditorium cheer their names. They climb up to the stage and gave short speeches. It happened fast. Soon they realized they had already returned to their seats with an IGMA in hand. The trophy was unique. It was a golden vinyl cd with the words "Song of the Year" engraved in it. It was placed in a black frame with a glass cover.

The second one to be announced was Album of the Year. Elite singer-songwriter Eddie Stuart presented the award and the five contenders. Finally, someone had to break the ice. "The Album of the Year is...... (The girls hold hands and close their eyes) Twilight: Beyond Infinity by SPECLE!"

Historical achievements those were. Winning Song of the Year was already big but this was bigger. SPECLE was the first girl group from Asia to win Song of the Year and Album of the Year. Twilight: Beyond Infinity was also the first multi-lingual album to win that award. The girls were in complete ecstasy. As they were climbing up the stage, Dallia remembered distant memories.

She recalled the times when people tried to take her down, saying she wasn't enough. That she wasn't beautiful enough. That she will not debut. That a Filipino girl doesn't have what it takes to be an international star. That she will fail. That she will never succeed.

And so she accepted the trophy and proceeded to make a statement.

"One time, while we were still trainees in Korea, our second father, YSJE's CEO, Eom Kwang asked us why do you want to be a star?, my answer was because it was always my dream since I was a little girl, but I know in my heart that it wasn't the only reason, so I said I want to become someone who will break down all stereotypes. The one who will tell people that no matter what people say to you, that you're just wasting your time or you don't look a certain way, as long as you work hard to achieve your goals, you can reach them. A very wise answer for a 17-year-old don't you think? Throughout my career, I encountered many people who said the same things, but today, winning this award will set a reminder. To all the girls whose ambitions are to become artists, I say that your dreams are not completely crushed. If we, who once dreamed of becoming stars, can become one and even win this award then there is no reason why you cannot."

She steps back from the microphone and gives the golden disc to Hae-won while Verée gives her word of thanks.

"We really have gone far, haven't we?" Yuri told Dallia.

"We did," Dallia replied. Her eyes wondered through the audience, she was looking for someone. And there, waving at her was the first one to ever truly believe in her talent, her father. He rolled out a piece of paper and it read Daddy is proud of you! A smile appeared at Dallia's face then said, "I wish it could last forever."