Katseye to release first EP despite lukewarm response

HYBE is known for having some of the biggest K-pop groups, such as BTS, New Jeans, and ILLIT, under its wing and is also in charge of 'Katseye', one of the industry's newest girl groups.

The Korea Times reports that HYBE’s latest girl group project, ‘Katseye’, made its debut on June 28. The decision to debut ‘Katseye’ is interesting given the company’s current controversy with New Jeans and ILLIT, where the latter two groups are involved in a lawsuit and rivalry, Korea JoongAng Daily reports.

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Katseye is slated to be HYBE’s first international K-pop girl group, with members ranging from all around the globe. Its international casting is a premise for HYBE’s mission to “transcend national, cultural, and artistic boundaries”, reports NME.

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The members of Katseye are Manon Bannerman, Sophia Laforteza, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel, and Yoonchae Jeong.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

According to the Korea Times, the members' backgrounds include a blend of cultures, from the Philippines, the United States, South Korea, and Switzerland.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

Additionally, the members come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Sophia is Filipina, and Yoonchae is Korean, according to NME. Manon has Swiss and Ghanaian ancestry; Lara has Indian ancestry; Megan has Singaporean and Chinese ancestry; and Daniela, although born in the US, is of Venezuelan and Cuban ancestry.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

According to NME, Katseye's members are also among the first non-Korean musicians managed by HYBE. As a result, the group's non-Korean members have the unique opportunity to be the first to represent their people and culture in not only HYBE but also in the K-pop world, where non-Korean stars are rare.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

NME also adds that the group name ‘Katseye’ is a nod to the cat’s eye gemstone, which Megan feels is representative of the group’s femininity.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

All members of Katseye were chosen from the reality competition show ‘Dream Academy’, reports Variety. The show was aired on YouTube and Abena and was an international collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

Aside from the group's debut in June, The Korea Times says that Katseye is also garnering attention with a Netflix documentary about the group's experience at 'Dream Academy'. The documentary is currently in production and will be released in 2024.

Image: KATSEYE / Facebook

Allkpop reports that Katseye is due to release their first EP, 'SIS (Soft Is Strong)' on August 16. Since their debut, the group has already released two songs, 'Debut', and 'Touch'.

Despite coming from one of South Korea's top agencies, HYBE, the Korea Herald reports that the reception for Katseye thus far has been uncharacteristically lukewarm and underwhelming in both the US, and South Korea. Some have attributed their poor reception to their group makeup, which is predominantly non-Korean.

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