Groups in the music industry offer a whole new world of performances and unique discographies. For decades they used to dominate the industry, however, for the past few years, this doesn’t seem to be the case. The Beatles dominated the ’60s, and later came all the classic rock bands in the ’70s and ’80s, such as AC/DC and Guns N’ Roses. Later on in the ’90s, 2000s, and 2010s, pop groups like Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Fifth harmony, and especially One Direction had everyone hooked. However, after One Direction’s sudden disbandment, music groups slowly faded away. Today, they are not nearly as common or popular as they used to be. However, the new music group Katseye, which debuted in June with their single “Debut,” is gaining massive buzz and instant popularity around the world. Will the downfall of global music groups be reversed?
On June 28, 2024, Katseye officially debuted. The group was formed through a survival show program, where viewers watched each contestant showcase their talents. At the end of the show, people worldwide voted for their favorites. The group ended up with six members: Sophia, Manon, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae. They are from diverse backgrounds, ranging from Korean to African to Indian.
Ever since the idea of a new global music group based in Los Angeles was leaked, people have swarmed the internet with their opinions. Some believe they will be yet another music group that fails in a year or two, while others think they have the potential to become something huge. Whether the feedback is negative or positive, the group is undeniably catching everyone’s attention online. What’s special about this group specifically is that they are under two different labels, one being the famous HYBE.
HYBE is a company in South Korea that has some of the most successful K-pop groups, such as BTS, SEVENTEEN, and NewJeans. The company partnered with Geffen Records to create what is now Katseye. The girl group makes English music and is not categorized as K-pop, though they still plan to incorporate some K-pop aspects, including photo cards and fancalls. These are some of the reasons K-pop albums and merchandise sell more than American ones.
Another reason everyone is intrigued by Katseye is their newly released Netflix documentary. The documentary, titled Pop Star Academy: Katseye, was released globally on August 21 with six episodes. The show featured behind-the-scenes footage of the survival show and gave insight into each contestant’s thoughts. It sparked controversy because some participants bad-mouthed others, including those who eventually debuted together. However, the group recently released a statement on TikTok, claiming that everyone is getting along well and clearing up misunderstandings. Despite this, the public’s opinion about certain participants has shifted.
The most infamous incident was when members Lara and Sophia called Manon lazy for missing practice when, in reality, she was sick. They received hateful comments, and people defended Manon, though the hate seems to have died down after the clarification.
On July 26, Katseye released their second single, “Touch.” Along with its trending dance, the song has garnered more than 32 million streams on Spotify alone, according to Spotify.com. The song is considered catchy and cute by many listeners and has caught the attention of many venues.
The song has been playing in public spaces such as stores, radios, and even water parks. Sophomore Alejandro Gutierrez said, “I was visiting Rapids Water Park in West Palm Beach when a Katseye song started playing over the loudspeakers. My friend recognized the song, and I was surprised. I didn’t expect that kind of song to be playing in a water park so randomly.” Many others have posted online about hearing one of the group’s songs in public. TikTok user @maewire posted a video of an H&M store in the U.K. with the caption, “Touch by Katseye playing in my local H&M!”
The potential phenomenon, Katseye, is sparking fascination as groups like them once dominated the industry for decades. However, that suddenly changed when many groups fell apart, and no new ones could replicate their success. With their instant success and growing popularity, will Katseye be able to reverse this trend and prove the critics wrong, or will they fall into the same trap as previous groups?