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The Korea Times

By Pyo Kyung-min
Katseye, a multinational girl group under the powerhouse Korean music label Hybe, are beginning their journey to create music that transcends the boundaries of K-pop, with the goal of captivating a broader global audience.
Formed through the TV audition programme The Debut: Dream Academy, which attracted over 120,000 applicants from all over the world, Katseye is the first joint project between K-pop giant Hybe and Geffen Records from the United States.
The group stands out as Hybe’s first US-based girl group, designed from the outset to target a global audience, and formed through the rigorous training process typical of K-pop.


Making the first official visit to Korea since their debut, the group shared their experiences and aspirations this week.
“We’ve been eager for this moment and we can’t wait to show everyone our performances and conduct interviews. We’re just so excited,” said Lara, an American Tamil Indian member of the group.
Although Katseye follows K-pop’s traditional management approach, its global ambitions are evident in its diverse line-up. The group features Daniela, Lara and Megan from the US, Manon from Switzerland, Sophia from the Philippines and Yoonchae as the sole Korean member.
This diverse composition has raised some questions about the group’s identity, with some wondering whether Katseye, who draw their inspiration from global pop icons like The Pussycat Dolls and Spice Girls, as well as K-pop stars such as Le Sserafim, should be considered pop singers or K-pop idols.

However, Katseye explained that they envision themselves carving out a unique space that bridges these distinct genres.
“I think one of our strengths is that we are a global girl group representing many different countries, so we’re all very diverse and we all bring something very unique to the table. I think that is something that isn’t really out there yet,” said Manon, the Dutch member of the group. “And we’re all very excited to be able to inspire young girls who look like us all over the globe.”
Elaborating on the differences between K-pop groups and Western pop artists, Sophia, a member from the Philippines, said: “We’ve had an amazing experience training under K-pop’s methodology. We have synchronised choreographies and we’re able to work with each other in harmony as a team.”
The multinational backgrounds of the members also presented challenges, particularly in adapting to the demanding life of K-pop trainees.
“I feel like the number one thing that I really learned was discipline and how hard you have to work to achieve what you want,” Lara reflected. “I think that we really learned time management and we practised extra hours, relentlessly working to achieve what we wanted.”


Katseye dropped their first single in June, and quickly followed up with a second single, “Touch”; they recently released their first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong). The album features five tracks: “Debut”, the double title tracks “Touch” and “My Way”, as well as “I’m Pretty” and “Tonight I Might”.
The album debuted at 119 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and remained on the chart for two consecutive weeks.
“I think it’s so surreal entering the charts. It’s literally our dream. It’s amazing because we just started, and we have only one album, and we have a song on the chart. It’s truly amazing, and we have worked so hard to get to this moment,” said Daniela.

Katseye begin a two-week Asian promotional tour, including stops in Korea and Japan, on September 12. Yoonchae shared her excitement about the tour, saying: “I’m happy that we can do this Asian promo tour, especially coming to Korea and finally being able to participate in music shows and promotions that I’ve always dreamed of.”
The tour will also take Katseye to the Philippines, home of group member Sophia.
“I’m so happy to go back to my hometown as a K-pop idol,” she said, adding that fans can look forward to Korean, Japanese and Filipino versions of their song “Touch”.
Read the original story at The Korea Times


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Members of US-based group Katseye, formed via reality show The Debut: Dream Academy, reflect on their tough training and debut EP charting


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