KATSEYE: the multicultural girl group still built on K-pop training

KATSEYE is a six-member girl group based in Los Angeles and formed through a partnership between HYBE and Geffen Records. The group debuted on June 28, 2024, with the single “Debut.” Fans call themselves EYEKONS.

The lineup is deliberately multinational. Sophia Laforteza, the leader, is Filipino American. Manon Bannerman was raised in Switzerland and is of Ghanaian and Italian heritage. Daniela Avanzini is Cuban Venezuelan American. Lara Raj is Indian and Sri Lankan American. Megan Skiendiel is Chinese Singaporean American, from Honolulu. Yoonchae Jeung, the maknae, is from Seoul and is the only Korean-born member.

The group name comes from the cat’s-eye gemstone, which shows different colors depending on the viewing angle. Members have said the same idea applies to their backgrounds. Our read for diaspora audiences is simpler: this is what K-pop looks like when the cast already mirrors the global fandom.

Formation and training

HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk had publicly described wanting an international group trained with K-pop methodology. Dream Academy, the 2023 survival program with Geffen, put that plan on screen. More than 120,000 people applied. Twenty contestants trained and competed across YouTube, Weverse, and other platforms. The final six were announced in November 2023. Netflix later released Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, a documentary series about the training year.

Members describe the process in familiar idol terms: daily evaluations, synchronized choreography, and learning to perform as a unit. Sophia has said that training is what sets them apart from many Western pop acts. Lara has said the group is global and does not simply call itself K-pop, while still describing the process as heavily inspired by it. Daniela has talked about blending Western pop and K-pop into something international.

That distinction matters for readers who get stuck on the label. The songs are mostly English. The development system, survival-show origin, Weverse community, and Korean music-show promotions still follow the K-pop playbook.

Members and careers before debut

Several members already had entertainment experience. Sophia grew up around Filipino musical theater and appeared on Family Feud Philippines. Daniela competed in dancesport and appeared on America’s Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation. Lara acted and sang early, including work connected to Michelle Obama’s Global Girls Alliance. Megan trained in dance from a young age. Manon built a following through fashion and lifestyle posts on TikTok and Instagram before modeling in Switzerland. Yoonchae trained in Korea as a K-pop trainee before Dream Academy.

Inside the group, those paths sit next to each other. Manon has said Sophia helped introduce some members to K-pop culture before debut. Megan has called their diversity a core strength. Sophia has described the six of them picking up one another’s slang and habits until the house starts to feel shared.

Releases and chart run

After “Debut,” KATSEYE released the EP SIS (Soft Is Strong) in 2024. Beautiful Chaos followed in 2025 and reached the Billboard 200 top five. Songs such as “Touch,” “Gnarly,” and “Pinky Up” helped the group travel through TikTok, festival stages, and U.S. awards-season visibility.

Wild, released in August 2026, became their first Billboard 200 No. 1. The EP earned about 170,000 equivalent album units in its first week, including about 145,000 pure album sales. Our chart Scene Report covers the unit math. Lara’s Rising piece looks at her first writing credit inside that same release cycle.

During the Wild promotions, Manon and Sophia were both on announced hiatuses. The remaining members continued as a smaller unit. No departures have been confirmed in major press.

Brand work has been part of the rise too. A Gap campaign put the group at the center of a wider conversation about casting and representation after another denim ad drew backlash. For many viewers, that was the first time they saw the lineup as a statement, not only a chart act.

Why the multicultural and K-pop mix matters

KATSEYE is often filed as a “global girl group,” which is accurate and incomplete. The members do not all come from Korea. The company that designed the training system does. That is why they can sound like American pop on first listen and still show up in the same promotion lanes as Seoul idols: Music Bank stages, Weverse updates, and physical-album weeks that rely on organized fandom.

Our HITC Scene Report looked at what it means when this group headlines an 88rising festival in Los Angeles. On a People page, the shorter point is practical. If you are trying to understand how K-pop travels in 2026, KATSEYE is one of the clearest examples of the method moving faster than the passport.

What to listen to next

For a first pass, start with “Touch” and “Pinky Up,” then Wild for the current chart era. Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on Netflix is the clearest overview of how they were formed.

Watch whether future releases keep Yoonchae’s Seoul thread visible, how the live lineup settles after hiatuses, and whether HYBE’s next global projects keep this kind of multinational casting. Our take: the multicultural lineup is why people look twice. The K-pop training is why the machine keeps working.