KATSEYE: The Next Big Girlgroup? by Kyra Kong

KATSEYE: The Next Big Girlgroup? by Kyra Kong Music has always been many people’s source of comfort, resonating with lyrics and artists who truly capture emotions into beautiful harmonies. From the 1990s: Spice Girls, TLC, and Destiny’s Child to the 2010s: Fifth Harmony and Little Mix, to now: KATSEYE, BLACKPINK, and NewJeans. The media is pointing towards the direction of girl groups regaining popularity once again. Recently, girl group KATSEYE has been gaining popularity for their diversity, consisting of six members from the Philippines, the United States, South Korea, and Switzerland, all with different ethnic backgrounds. All members were put into a survival show using the K-POP methodology that became a Netflix documentary, “Pop Star Academy,” giving viewers a glimpse into their extreme training. Essentially, they audition against over 100,000 applicants and must dedicate their entire day to rehearsals, dancing, singing, facial expressions, and media training. With 20 other girls competing for six spots in the group, it was not easy. Adding the survival show aspect to it put intense pressure on the girls, having to receive fan votes and approval from judges in order to move to the next round. If these requirements are not met, the trainee gets eliminated, meaning their chances of getting into the group go back to square one. Luckily, for those six girls - Manon Bannerman, Sophia Laforteza, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Rajagopalan, Megan Skiendiel, and Yoonchae Jeung - they were selected as the final members and debuted on June 28, 2024, with their song “Debut.” The goal of the group is to inspire younger generations with different cultural and national backgrounds that they can accomplish their dreams, providing representation that they lacked growing up, changing others' perspective on being a global girl group. KATSEYE soon followed up with their EP, SIS (Soft is Strong), two months after their debut. The following year, they came out with another EP, Beautiful Chaos, revealing the more raw side of their personalities. During that time, they collaborated with Gap for their “Better in Denim” campaign that exploded. With over 8 billion media expressions, it’s safe to say their careers changed overnight. Many young girls had positive reactions, feeling represented regardless of their background. Ultimately, this response helped KATSEYE achieve their dreams of becoming role models they wished they had growing up. Of course, achieving global stardom brings a unique set of challenges and responsibilities, particularly regarding how these artists influence youth identity. For many young fans, witnessing members like Lara, Manon, or Megan on a global stage provides a powerful sense of belonging that was historically missing in Western mainstream media. This representation allows young people to see their ethnic and cultural identities being celebrated. However, with this deep connection, it makes fans highly protective of their role models, viewing the entertainment industry as how society values diverse voices. When challenges arise, like members taking a hiatus for health reasons, it highlights the importance of balancing cultural representation with personal well-being and mental health. Whether KATSEYE can sustain their rapid rise to fame depends heavily on how their management navigates current fandom tensions and ensures the well-being of its members. However, their initial success proves that global music is desperately needed for cross-cultural representation. Blending the K-pop methodology with an international lineup, KATSEYE has rewritten the blueprint for modern girl groups. If they can overcome their current “beautiful chaos”, they won’t just be a temporary trend, they will be the definitive voice of new, interconnected generation of pop music. Citation Chitrakorn, Kati. “Katseye Is the Blueprint for a Modern Girl Group. Humberto Leon Is the Mastermind behind Their Image.” CNN, 14 Nov. 2025, www.cnn.com/2025/11/14/style/katseye-creative-director-humberto-leon. Sanghvi, Yati. “How KATSEYE Is Sharing Asian American Culture with the World.” JoySauce, 9 Apr. 2025, joysauce.com/how-katseye-is-sharing-asian-american-culture-with-the-world/.