Geffen Records and HYBE, the K-Pop entertainment company that launched BTS, have concluded their search for the final six members of the new global girl group, KATSEYE. The journey to selecting the members began on September 1, with 120,000 participants vying for a spot in the top 20. The new international group, created using the K-pop training and development system, participated in an audition program called The Debut: Dream Academy, which was streamed on YouTube and the Japanese streaming channel Abema.
The KATSEYE finalists were announced at a live event in Los Angeles, and the group includes members from around the world. The final lineup is as follows: Daniela Avanzini, Lara Rajagopalan, and Megan Skiendiel from America; Yoonchae Jeong from South Korea; Sophia Laforteza from the Philippines; and Manon Bannerman from Switzerland. Their selection was determined by a combination of early votes, real-time votes during the live finale, and evaluators’ scores.
KATSEYE is set to release their debut album in 2024. The group debuted three songs at the live finale – “Dirty Water,” “Girls Don’t Like,” and “All The Same” – all of which are now available on YouTube. Bang Si-Hyuk, chairman of HYBE, expressed pride in the results of the collaboration, stating, “We are very proud of the results and of all the contestants who joined us in this project. We wish KATSEYE much success as we are sure they will inspire fans across the globe.”
The development of the group will be chronicled in an upcoming Netflix documentary series, set to air in 2024. Emmy-nominated filmmaker Nadia Hallgren, known for her work on the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming and Civil: Ben Crump, will direct the series.
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The joint venture partnership between HYBE and Universal Music Group’s Geffen Records was announced in 2021. Acts signed to Geffen include Olivia Rodrigo and Kali Uchis, while HYBE has launched successful groups like Tomorrow X Together, Seventeen, and Enhypen, in addition to pop sensation BTS. Since their debut in 2013, BTS has achieved significant success on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, including 10 Top 10 hits and six No. 1s. They became the first Korean act to top the Hot 100 and receive a Grammy nomination, garnering five nods from the Recording Academy.
John Janick, chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M, expressed his enthusiasm for the new members of KATSEYE, saying, “It has been so inspiring to see the dedication each of these incredible artists has brought to this process. For the new members of KATSEYE, I truly believe there are no limits to what they can accomplish together.”
The collaboration between Geffen Records and HYBE has proved to be a successful one, providing a platform for emerging talent in the K-Pop industry. With the debut of KATSEYE, the world can look forward to another groundbreaking group that is set to make its mark on the global music scene.
