More than two years after their formation, through the survival show Dream Academy, KATSEYE has become the global girl group they once aspired to be. With viral pre-release singles and an EP Album, an eyekonic commercial with GAP, two Grammy nominations, and a sold-out tour across North America, KATSEYE is quickly becoming a household name in pop culture. Let’s take a look at what the HYBE x GEFFEN girl group has accomplished since we last revisited them in October of 2024.
Release of 2nd EP
After their first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), topped charts and gained viral dance moments on social media, KATSEYE began the rollout for their second EP, Beautiful Chaos, in April of 2025 with the release of “Gnarly.” Receiving mixed reviews for its experimental, bold, and “campy” sound, “Gnarly” became a TikTok sensation after KATSEYE’s live performances captivated those who were skeptical of the song on the first few listens. Their second pre-release, “Gabriela,” also gave the public lots to talk about. The group drew in new audiences through an homage to Latin American culture in the music video, which played out like a Latin telenovela and featured typical drama elements, including a sultry title card, grand reveals, and plot twists. This second pre-EP release single also featured hypnotizing melodies and harmonies by the group’s vocalists, Lara and Sophia, as well as a Spanish verse sung by the group’s Latina member, Daniela.
Beautiful Chaos was released in June of 2025 after much anticipation. Living up to its name, the EP included vulnerable moments like in the song “Mean Girls,” while also contrasting the messiness of girlhood with “M.I.A.”
Sold-out tour and Festival performances
Shortly after the release of Beautiful Chaos, KATSEYE’s first tour through North America was announced, selling out within days of the announcement. The tour setlist included songs from their beginnings in Dream Academy and from newer collaborations with Monster High and VALORANT. The tour spanned 13 cities, featuring 16 total concerts across the United States and Mexico City. The live performances presented each night gave lots to talk about, from the many dance breaks to the improvised riffs during “My Way,” and even the fan interactions during the concert and afterwards behind the venues.
Most of the choreographies performed on the Beautiful Chaos Tour were previously featured in the setlists of the many festivals they attended, including Wango Tango in Los Angeles, Summer Sonic in Tokyo, and Lollapalooza in Chicago, which actually earned them the record for the highest attendance in a daytime set in the history of the festival, with 85,000 attendees.
Viral moments
Throughout 2025, KATSEYE has not only been performing live but also been on everyone’s “For You Page.” Having been dubbed a “chronically online” group, KATSEYE has also attracted many fans for their “Gen Z” sense of humor and approach to things. Each member has gone viral at least once, becoming iconic memes and pop culture references. One of the most popular ones became Lara’s “YES!” and Megan’s tradition to dance like a Phineas and Ferb character, after being compared to Candace from the show earlier in 2024.
However, the most significant and most viral moment the girl group had in 2025 was, without a doubt, their denim commercial with GAP, Better in Denim. Hitting over 400 million views in 3 days, KATSEYE was the talk of the town and had everyone dancing to Robbie Blue’s mesmerizing choreography of “Milkshake” by Kelis for months.
WHat’s to come?
KATSEYE was everywhere in 2025. They achieved a couple of their biggest goals; as Lara and Manon mentioned, it’s a dream come true to be Grammy-nominated artists, and Megan cannot believe she attended the Kids’ Choice Awards and got slimed heavily. 2025 was their year, and as it seems, 2026 will also be their year.
With the Grammys, eight festivals in their live performance line-up (including Coachella), and more music to come, KATSEYE is just getting started.