The Internet Girls: KATSEYE’s Rise and Global Success
By Cole Swallow
KATSEYE’s members. Illustration by Pax Watson.
One major phenomenon making waves recently is the global girl group sensation KATSEYE. The group is made up of six members: Sophia, Megan, Manon, Yoonchae, Daniela, and Lara, who are of many different ethnicities and backgrounds. The group has amassed over two billion total streams and over 30 million monthly listeners worldwide on Spotify. Meanwhile, hits “Gnarly” and “Gabriela” have both charted on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #82 and #22, respectively. Their EP “BEAUTIFUL CHAOS” also had major success, peaking at #4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The group was formed by Geffen Records and major K-pop label HYBE on the competition show “The Debut: Dream Academy,” which had over 120,000 auditionees. Their debut song, fittingly titled “Debut,” was released on June 28, 2024, and now has over 60 million views on YouTube and over 200 million streams on Spotify.
Pax Watson, a senior at Gallatin High School, is a big KATSEYE fan. “Overall, I think I enjoy their brand as a whole…As far as everything coming together goes, with music videos, dances, et cetera…just super high production value on everything that they make. And I really appreciate seeing all of that and the creative effort put into it.” She believes that KATSEYE’s success was due to a wide appeal for their music. “KATSEYE is kind of a stepping stone between Western pop and K-pop…which essentially means that they’re bridging the gap globally between a lot of us,” Pax said. KATSEYE broke down the barrier between two niches, combining them to ultimately become popular worldwide. It is important to note that KATSEYE is not a K-pop group, but a global group, due to the array of nationalities and cultures present in the group.
Their viral hit “Gnarly” was released on April 30, 2025. The song consists of a harsh yet simple industrial beat, rapping from all of the members, and an infectious chorus. The song’s thesis is straightforward: everything’s gnarly. It plays off the double meaning of the word ‘gnarly,’ which can mean either very good or unpleasant. The track has accumulated over 500 million streams on Spotify, making it the group’s second most streamed song.
KATSEYE’s most streamed song, “Gabriela,” was released on June 20, 2025. The track plays with a Latin pop sound and an accompanying telenovela-themed music video. The track navigates through heartbreak as a woman named Gabriela steals the narrator’s lover, with lyrics such as, “‘Cause, ooh / You could have anyone else you wanted to / I’m beggin’ you.” The song also features a Spanish verse from member Daniela, who is of Venezuelan and Cuban descent. A remix featuring rapper-singer Young Miko was released on August 8, 2025.
“Internet Girl” is KATSEYE’s latest single, released on January 2, 2026. It has received an enormous amount of criticism from fans and non-fans alike, from the songwriting to a sample containing a high-pitched childlike voice, it seems “Internet Girl” can’t catch a break. Pax agrees with a lot of this criticism, but only to a certain extent. “I think that the direction that they’re going right now is not good, and I also think that’s not their fault,” Pax remarks. KATSEYE doesn’t currently write their own music and has songwriters who help write their songs. “The reality is we have to separate them from their music and their company because they’re receiving a lot of backlash for things that they’re not responsible for,” Pax adds.
While the direction they’re going in may not be to everyone’s taste, their success is undeniable. At the 2025 Video Music Awards (VMAs), KATSEYE was able to bring home an award for Push Performance of the Year, and was nominated for Best Group. The group was also named 2025 TikTok Global Artist of the Year for their songs’ massive virality. They are also nominated at the 2026 Grammys for two awards: Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Gabriela.” It is safe to say that KATSEYE has a lot in store for 2026.
