Once a global sensation, the diverse group KATSEYE attracted fans all over the world. With their top-rated singles, gorgeous outfits, and down-to-earth members, almost everyone loved them. Everyone also thought they would become the next big thing. 

But that all went down the drain quickly. What once was a rising girl group has now turned into the remains of failed superstars.

RISE TO FAME 

The group consisted of members Sophia, Yoonchae, Lara, Daniela, Megan, and Manon, who all come from different backgrounds. That was what originally attracted so many people to them. Six different girls with different ethnicities working as one, representing different women and girls around the world. 

“At first, I thought it was a pretty cool concept to take a bunch of different girls and to make them a group. It’s a really cool thing, they’re so diverse. I thought they had a lot of potential; they all seem pretty good. I know they came out with some really good songs in the beginning that I really liked, like ‘Debut.’ ‘Gameboy’ was really good,” is what junior Caitlyn Peczka responded with after asking her initial thoughts of the group around a year ago.

 Their rise to fame only grew with their hit song “Gnarly,” a gritty and weird song you’ll either hate or love. And then came their collaboration with GAP, featuring in their commercial. Everyone loved and recreated its iconic dance, and being released right after Sydney Sweeny’s controversial ad with American Eagle only gave it more traction. When junior William Nogueira was asked the same question, he had his own experience, 

“I didn’t know they were a real thing, I didn’t know they were a real group, I didn’t even know who they were. I only found out about them when that jean commercial came out. It was really good though, compared to most ads.”

 The group was quickly taking over the media, being appreciated even by people who had no interest in them. It seemed like KATSEYE could do no wrong. 

MUSIC DOWNFALL

But every good thing comes to an end. During their North America tour of Beautiful Chaos, the girls surprised everyone with a new song. Quickly, “Internet Girl” became the next big thing, but unlike their previous songs, didn’t do as well. Fans were still quick to defend them, and while it wasn’t terrible, it was definitely a downgrade from their previous music. With their harmonious vocals in “Gabriella” and “Gameboy,” this new song in comparison sounded almost..off. 

And instead of listening to fans, the next thing to come of it was a song that only sounded worse. “Pinky Up” was not received well by fans at all. The lyrics and chorus were even worse, the melody felt lazy, and it had no depth to it, which unlike Gnarly didn’t work for this single. Overall, it was a disaster, and everyone was disappointed. But just on a positive note, their outfits for the music video were great.

MISSING MEMBER

But the biggest reason for their downfall happened only months later. Manon was one of the most loved members of the group, known for being the visual. In fact, she was picked personally by Dream Academy, the survival show that narrowed down 20 girls all over the world to compete in creating a group, to join and participate. It was almost guaranteed she would end up being a part of the final result. And she was. KATSEYE, with its 5 other members, finally had its group. Until recently, Manon has been on “hiatus” for health reasons. 

With one of their most beloved members gone for who knows how long, fans started to get angsty. The group continued to post content and interviews without Manon, which had people even more riled up. With comment sections filled with questions about their missing member to people saying they only ever liked the group because of her, their fanbase was falling apart. 

And it only got worse when KATSEYE played at Coachella just recently, a few people noticed and recorded one thing. While it was obvious that Manon would not be on stage with the other girls, she was seen in the crowd instead. The missing member had attended separately from the rest, and while this might not say much, it brings up a lot of questions. Is she feeling better? Was she ever sick at all? Who can say? 

But Manon has also removed the word KATSEYE in her Instagram bio, which others were quick to point out. There are rumors going around, which may or may not have been confirmed by the group, that the “hiatus” is just a cover-up, and that she’s permanently leaving the group. But what the future holds, no one knows for sure. 

“I think they maybe had a little bit of a downfall, in my opinion. ‘Gnarly’ was kind of like brat (album by Charli xcx) to me, how it had that feeling where the music wasn’t really that deep or anything, but like I wanna listen to it in a club. It was good pop; I really liked it. But since Manon left there’s like so much drama. I don’t know, I feel like they kind of aren’t just living up to what they could have been,” Caitlyn expands on when asked her recent opinion of KATSEYE.  

FEELING REPLACED 

HYBE, the production company behind KATSEYE, is one of the final reasons for their downfall. These girls who work under them were doing so well and now that they’re struggling, the company just doesn’t care. They’ve moved on with new groups like SAINT SATINE, focusing on getting them to the same level when their old group is just right there. Now that KATSEYE has fallen, they see no use in continuing without trying something new, and this lack of attention and care for their previous girls is something that only hurts them. And it seems to be all for nothing, too. Everyone still prefers KATSEYE, biased towards the original and bringing down the new groups with it. Even though they seem to be falling apart, they still have fans everywhere. 

“I think KATSEYE is still the amazing girl group that they were, and the members who are left are very talented, and they’re putting in a lot of hard work, and they don’t deserve the hate they’re getting because of their label,” passionately explains sophomore Aroush Atif when asked the same question. 

While they definitely aren’t what they used to be, there seems to be hope left for this group. It all depends on what direction they’ll take. Whether Manon comes back, their music changes, or anything else happens is yet to be determined. But with the way things are going, who knows how much longer KATSEYE can stick around.