After competing in the survival-type show Dream Academy, HYBE x Geffen Records has officially debuted a new global girl group. The show aired from September 1st through November 17th, 2023. There were 20 girls in the beginning, but only six girls were given the chance to be a part of the group Katseye. These six members were decided through evaluations and weekly voting based on different performances. The main appeal was that these girls were all from different parts of the world, and although HYBE is known for being a K-Pop company, this wasn’t going to be a Korean pop girl group.
The final lineup for Katseye included Sophia, first place, and from the Philippines. Lara, second place, is from the U.S. and is Tamilian-Indian. Daniela, third place, is from the U.S. and is Cuban/Venezuelan. Yoonchae, fourth place, and from South Korea. Megan, fifth place, and is American/Chinese. Lastly, Manon who ranked sixth, is from Switzerland, and is Ghanaian/Swiss-Italian.
The group released their first single ‘Debut’ on June 28th. The single is a pretty generic pop song containing lyrics about self-confidence. While it is catchy, the main killing point is the group’s dance abilities. The dance has high kicks, sharp movements, and lots of different grouping positions. The second single ‘Touch’ was released in July as the title track off of their upcoming album. Like their first single,‘Touch’ is a pop song but features more dynamic instrumentals and addictive lyrics. Unlike ‘Debut’, ‘Touch’ saw huge popularity and became a trending song on social media platforms.
SIS (Soft is Strong) was released on August 16th and includes five songs in total. The first b-side, titled ‘Tonight I Might’, is an upbeat pop ballad about having the fun that you missed out on earlier in life. The chorus repeats “Tonight I might” and includes a catchy instrumental. ‘I’m pretty’ is the second b-side and shares a similar vibe to the previous song. The lyrics include a clever play on words, saying: “I’m pretty / I’m pretty / pretty sure I’m still healing.” Highlighting the fact that they aren’t saying they are pretty but emphasizing that their emotions are also an important part of who they are. The last b-side is titled ‘My way’ and is also known for being Katseye’s favorite song off of the album. “At least I can say-ay-ay-ay / That I did it my way-ay-ay-ay” is the chorus to this song. The message is powerful, asserting that even if you mess up you should be proud of the fact that you tried. Overall, Katseye’s debut album SIS (Soft is Strong) was a phenomenal start for these girls and the tracks that they created leave no doubt that if they continue down this path, they will go far as a group. I would recommend listening to SIS if you are a pop music enjoyer or want to know what K-pop music sounds like!
