KATSEYE, debuting in 2024 with six members from all over the world, has become the first global K-pop girl group to go viral.
K-pop, short for Korean pop, has become a sensation — not only in Korea but internationally, as well. Groups such as BTS, ENHYPEN, and many more gained thousands of fans, all under the company HYBE. With the major success from this label, HYBE collaborated with American company Geffen Records in 2021 to create the global pop girl group — KATSEYE.
The way KATSEYE was created was unconventional compared to other groups. HYBE allowed the public to pick who they wanted to be a part of the group, hosting a survival-reality show called Dream Academy, where fans watched performances of the girls and picked their favorites. The contestants were trained extensively in singing, dancing, performance, and teamwork skills. They were judged harshly and critiqued heavily, several of them being eliminated along the way.
In the end, the six members were finally chosen: Lara, Sophia, Yoonchae, Manon, Megan, and Daniela. Their goal of including girls from all over the world was successful, having members of the group from India, Cuba, Ghana, the Philippines, China, and Korea.
Netflix created a docuseries based on this show called Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, released in August 2024. This documented the journey of the trainees from their first meeting to the final members being chosen. It gave an inside look into the survival show and a behind the scenes on how K-pop idols are chosen.
KATSEYE debuted shortly before the series was released with their first single, “Debut.” The song had mixed reactions, some people enjoying it and some feeling “underwhelmed.” Fans gave criticisms on the formations of the group, noticing that some members would be hidden in the back while others were given more attention.
About a month after their debut, their second single, “Touch” was released which changed everything for KATSEYE. It got extremely popular on TikTok and ranked within the top 50 on Billboard’s Global 200. People from all over the world posted videos of them dancing to the song and the group’s popularity increased.
In August 2024, KATSEYE came out with their first EP, “SIS (Soft Is Strong).” It debuted on the Billboard 200 chart and gained thousands of sales on just the first day. Their songs promoted empowerment and self-love which appealed to their growing fan base. Their supporters started becoming known as “Eyekons” and more people became aware of them.
KATSEYE did not release any more songs after their EP for the rest of 2024. They performed at several festivals engaged with their fans, but they did not have any new music for months. In April 2025, nearly a year after their debut, KATSEYE announced their new single, “Gnarly,” which was long awaited by the “Eyekons.” Expectations were high for this song, and many were left disappointed after release.
Fans had grown accustomed to their “cute” and “soft girl” aesthetic after “Touch” had become popular. However, “Gnarly” was the complete opposite, featuring more explicit and unconventional lyrics that many did not enjoy initially. One fan stated that the song is “literal garbage.” Others grew to enjoy it after listening several times.
Although there was initial distaste, “Gnarly’s” popularity grew after the attention switched from the lyrics to the performance of the song. Many fans became enamored by the dancing and stage presence of the KATSEYE members and the perception of the song started to switch to be more positive. The dance is now all over TikTok, even making it to influencer, Charli D’amelio, who posted several times dancing to the song.
“Gnarly” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 and is now a top song on Spotify. Despite all the backlash, this song became one of KATSEYE’s biggest successes.
KATSEYE’s new album, “Beautiful Chaos” is set to be released on June 27, shifting their sound in a more hyper-pop direction rather than the softer music they were making before. This new era is only the beginning for them and with their increase in popularity, “Eyekons” suspect that they won’t be going away anytime soon.
