A new global pop phenomenon is rising, and audiences everywhere are growing obsessed. KATSEYE, a girl group composed of 6 members has made a splash in the music industry, reflecting diversity, versatility, and genuine passion.
We have seen successful girl groups before, such as Fifth Harmony, the Spice Girls, or even Destiny’s Child. However, Katseye is unique in that it features young girls of a variety of backgrounds and cultural identities. The 6 members include: Daniela (Cuban/Venezuelan-American), Lara Raj (Indian), Manon (Ghanaian-Italian), Megan (Chinese-american), Sophia (Filipina), and Yoonchae (South Korean). As a young girl of color, it is refreshing to see representations of different ethnicities in popular culture, especially in today’s American society where diversity is often under threat.
Though Katseye debuted in 2023, the group has gained a surge in attention and praise within the past year. Notably, their performance at Lollapalooza, a music festival in Chicago which ran from July 31st to August 3rd, attracted thousands of returning and new fans, or as they call them, “Eye-kons.” Their debut performance in the festival set the record of the largest crowd for a daytime set in history, a huge accomplishment for the girls.
Furthermore, GAP released their new advertisement campaign, entitled “Better in Denim” in mid August, partnering with KATSEYE. The ad, choreographed by Robbie Blue to hit 2000s song Milkshake by Kelis, gained immediate attention, and has reached nearly 200 million views across various social media platforms. Personally, this is how I learned of the group, pushing me to explore their discography and journey. The ad could not have come at a more relevant time. Just weeks prior, American Eagle launched their own campaign, partnering with actress Sydney Sweeney, known for her starring role in Euphoria. Ultimately, this partnership faced a lot of criticism, as the central image of the ad stated that Sydney Sweeney has great “jeans.” Some inquire this was a play on words, insinuating that because the actress reflects Western beauty standards of being a white, blonde, with blue eyes, she therefore has desirable or great “genes.” People online, including myself, felt that this campaign implements an outdated standard to young women, excluding girls of color and leaving them underrepresented. So, when KATSEYE, a group of girls of diverse ethnicities, appearances, personalities, and fashion styles appeared on people’s feed, it restored a sense of cultural pride and piqued a lot of interest, including myself. Not only was I captivated by the hypnotizing, unique choreography, but how each members’ individuality was honored through varied outfits and makeup looks, each pertaining to their personal preferences.
Joey Cox ‘26, a young woman passionate about feminism who hopes to pursue advertising in college gives her initial opinions on the ad. She states, “I’ve always thought that they were good performers, but their dancing here specifically was extremely impressive. In contrast to the Sydney Sweeney ad, I felt that this puts our society in the right direction to what brands should be promoting such as diversity, women empowerment, and to be honest, genuine talent. The ad was released at a really good time to remind people what advertising is supposed to do, uplift their consumers instead of degrading certain women.”
When first listening to their music, I immediately turned to their most popular music videos: Gnarly and Gabriela. I admire how every member has their own dance break and vocal solo, accentuating the group’s value of inclusion and tie to each other. There is often a narrative and stereotype that large female friend groups all feel secret animosity towards each other, so it is really refreshing to see a genuine love, connection, and a non competitive atmosphere between the girls.
I deeply encourage other young girls, especially of color, to check out the work of KATSEYE. To me, the group symbolizes cultural confluence and unity, girl power, and the destabilization of false misconceptions of women. I will continue to follow KATSEYE’s platform and content, congratulate them on all their successes, and will wait in eager anticipation of what they will do next.