by Makenna Babcock ‘28

Katseye is one of the newest additions to the modern pop world, consisting of six members from around the globe. The group was put together by the K-pop company HYBE in a collaboration with Geffen Records. HYBE has produced groundbreaking groups like BTS, Le Sserafim, and Enhypen and is exploring new territory with Katseye, consisting of girls from many different cultural backgrounds who are based in LA. The group features Lara Raj from India, Sofia Laforteza from the Philippines, Megan Skiendiel who is Chinese-American, Yoonchae Jeung from South Korea, Daniela

Avanzini who is Cuban-Venezuelan, and finally Manon Bannerman from Switzerland.
Katseye was developed from the survival show, Dream Academy, where the final six girls were selected through judge and fan voting results. Overall, about 120,000 people auditioned for the program, 20 candidates were selected, and six were in the final lineup. With record-breaking hits from their debut EP, “Soft is Strong,” with light pop songs such as “Touch” and “Debut,” Katseye has captivated audiences across the globe. This summer, the band released their new EP “Beautiful Chaos” which launched the group in a whole new direction with their new genre and feel showcased in their single “Gnarly.”

As the group grows and gains more attention, companies are jumping at the chance to gain representation and form partnerships. For example, Katseye has recently released a collaboration with GAP, where the band advertised the denim style through something they’re thoroughly good at: song and dance. The collaboration soon became viral and almost seen as a kickback against the infamous Sydney Sweeney American Eagle advertisement. Katseye is being noticed across the world and brands such as Taki’s, Monster High, Glossier, Jollibee, and Lush have joined in, promoting their products and the group themselves.

Social media and the internet has gone a long way in promoting Katseye and showcasing the group’s talents. The group’s growing popularity is because in large part they are able to be recognized due to their large online presence and following on socials such as Instagram and Tiktok. Their team is consistently posting on socials throughout the week, keeping up with trends, and promoting new music and collaborations to promote the group and enhance their popularity.

Following their recent Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and their MTV Video Music Awards performances, Katseye seems to only be going up, so what’s next for them? The group has performed at huge shows such as Lollapalooza-Chicago, and even set a record for the most people at a daytime performance with about 85,000 attendees. While performing at several huge festivals across the world, Katseye will begin their “Beautiful Chaos” tour this November, taking place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as feature shows throughout Asia.