Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk (left) and Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO John Janick participate in a press conference for "The Debut: Dream Academy" at IGA Studios in Santa Monica, California, Aug. 29, 2023. (Hybe)
Katseye, the global girl group launched via a collaboration between Hybe and Geffen Records, has been gaining significant popularity in the US, coinciding with the release of a documentary on the group's formation on Netflix.
After the eight-part documentary series "Pop Star Academy: Katseye" was released on Aug. 21 on Netflix, there has been a surge in buzz surrounding Katseye in the US, according to Hybe on Wednesday.
"Pop Star Academy" highlights the process of selecting and instructing trainees, along with behind-the-scenes stories related to the auditions before Katseye's debut. This is the first time the debut process of a new K-pop group has been planned and produced as content on Netflix.
Google Trends on Wednesday showed that the trend level for Katseye in the US has recently surpassed the peak levels of major fourth generation K-pop groups like NewJeans, IVE, aespa and Le Sserafim. It showed a level similar to that of Blackpink at their Coachella performance in 2023.
Google Trends shows the relative search volume for specific keywords within a range of zero to 100 over a certain period and by region. It’s a key metric for understanding the buzz surrounding a topic. The recent score approaching 100 indicates a massive increase in interest from music fans and the general public toward Katseye, significantly influenced by the airing of the Netflix documentary.
Additionally, daily streaming figures for Katseye's new songs on Spotify are nearing 1.5 million, widely considered a benchmark for successful K-pop groups.
Promotional poster for Katseye's Netflix documentary series "Pop Star Academy: Katseye" (Hybe)
Katseye’s follower count has also seen a rapid increase across major social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X. In the past week alone, the girl group gained 172,000 new followers on TikTok and 135,000 on Instagram. They now boast nearly 1.39 million on TikTok and 900,000 followers on Instagram.
Music videos for Katseye’s new songs including “Touch,” “My Way” and “I’m Pretty” have accumulated a combined 17 million views on YouTube as of Wednesday.
In August last year, Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk said "The Debut: Dream Academy," which covered Katseye's debut process, would serve as a stepping-stone for K-pop's 30-year legacy to be fully transplanted to the US, the world's largest market for pop music, which generated revenue of $17.1 billion in 2023, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.
"For K-pop to become a true global mainstream, it needs to become 'just pop,' shedding the 'K'," Bang said.
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