K-pop group or not, Katseye says diversity is its greatest strength

Is girl group Katseye — made up of only one Korean member and using no Korean in their lyrics — a K-pop group? Debate will always continue, but the performers believe in the power of the genre nonetheless. 

“We think people connect with K-pop because there’s so much passion behind it,” Megan said in an email interview with the JoongAng Ilbo.

The members believe that K-pop has formed a “special community” that brings people together across languages and backgrounds in the global music landscape.

“The performances are incredible, the music is diverse, and the artists really give everything they have," member Megan said. "We continue to see how K-pop brings people together regardless of language or background. It really is a special community."

Katseye is a multinational girl group that debuted in 2024 under HYBE and Geffen Records, a joint venture with Universal Music Group.

The group bases its origins in K-pop, but Yoonchae is its only Korean member. Others are Sophia from the Philippines, Manon from Switzerland, Lara from the United States with Indian heritage, Daniela from the United States with Venezuelan heritage and Megan from the United States whose mother is of Singaporean Chinese descent and her father of Swedish heritage.

“We think that diversity is a huge part of what makes our group special,” Daniela said. “Our greatest strength is that we all bring something different to the group. Since we come from different backgrounds, everyone adds their own personality, style and perspective, and that makes Katseye feel really unique.”

“I have always dreamed of representing my culture on a big platform,” Lara said. “I want to bring my Indian culture to the world and inspire other Indian people to also feel beautiful in their skin. My culture is my power.”

Katseye has steadily climbed Billboard's major charts.

Its second EP, “Beautiful Chaos” (2025), which features “Gnarly” and “Gabriela,” has remained on the Billboard 200 for 52 consecutive weeks as of July 4 last year. The feat marks the first time in 21 years that a girl group album has achieved the milestone since the Pussycat Dolls' debut album “PCD” (2005).

At this year's American Music Awards, Katseye won three trophies: New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist and Best Music Video.

“We feel good about these wins,” Lara said. “It feels like all the hard work paid off. But it was also motivation to work even harder and keep going!”

The group's success stems from the combination of its musical style, polished performances and the distinct appeal of each member. Its live vocals, in particular, have generated strong word-of-mouth in the industry. The group has received multiple invitations from major international festivals: Lollapalooza in South America, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and Governors Ball in the United States.

Sophia singled out the group’s performance of “Golden” (2025) with EJAE, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami — voices behind the fictional girl group HUNTR/X from “KPop Demon Hunters” (2025) — at Coachella in April as one of her favorite memories.

“It’s beautiful to have women like them who have gone through similar paths [and are] representing their culture and working extremely hard to be where they are.”

From the outset, Katseye was considered a group with potential, backed by two major agencies in the Korean and U.S. music industries.

Geffen Records, a U.S. label under Universal Music Group, is home to artists including Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, Elton John, Coldplay and Olivia Rodrigo, while HYBE is known for developing the K-pop training system that produced BTS.

Katseye’s members were selected through HYBE's global audition project “The Debut: Dream Academy” (2023). Twenty finalists were chosen from more than 120,000 applicants, and after about a year of training, the finallineup was confirmed.

The members made no secret of their relentless drive.

“I bought my Mustang when I was younger with [dance competition prize] money I had saved up, and it was a really proud moment for me — and I still drive her to this day,” Daniela said. “It meant a lot because it was something I worked hard for on my own. I’ve always been a really determined person, and I think that comes from always wanting to push myself and do my best.”

Yoonchae made an adventurous move at the age of 16 — a choice that landed her as a member of a girl group with global potential.

“I had opportunities to debut with other girl groups, but I couldn't pass up the chance to be part of a group with global reach,” Yoonchae said. “My parents worried about me moving abroad and living on my own, but they knew how badly I wanted it, so they didn't stand in my way.”

Katseye will release its third EP, “WILD,” on Aug. 14.

The group will also launch its first North American and European tour in September. Tickets for all 27 dates of “The Wild” world tour, named after the upcoming EP, sold out within 48 hours.

“Reaching No. 1 on the Billboard charts, headlining Coachella and winning a Grammy are all dreams we hope to achieve,” Yoonchae said. “But the dream we've held onto the longest is taking Katseye on a world tour. We also hope to perform in each member's hometown one day and make even more memories together.”

“BTS has inspired us a lot because they’ve shown how music can connect people all over the world,” Daniela said. “We really admire how authentic they are in their music, performances, and relationship with their fans. As a global group ourselves, […] that’s something we definitely carry with us.”

BY CHOI MIN-JI [[email protected]]