U.S. Washington Post Cats Eye Special Article "I want to be the biggest girl group in the world."" [K-EYES]

*This content was translated by AI.

Interview to commemorate the selection of 'Next Post 50 People' to form American society in 2026

"I really want to be the biggest girl group on Earth. Conquest of the world. I want to be known to the smallest town."

Global girl group KATSEYE has been selected as the "50 People to Form American Society in 2026" by the famous U.S. daily Washington Post (WP). The Washington Post detailed the group's ambitions in an article titled "Katseye wants to be the biggest girl group on the planet."

The Washington Post's annual "Post Next 50" is a project to select people who will create the future of the United States in the fields of politics, culture and technology. This year's list included CatsEye along with physicist Tamima, who studies fusion energy, and New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani.

The Washington Post introduced Cats Eye as a "group made of K-pop tradition" and explained, "After more than 100,000 auditions, 20 people were selected, and they received dance training and vocal coaching every day for a year starting in 2022. The process was revealed to millions of viewers through the Netflix series "Pop Star Academy."

The group consisted of six members: Daniela Avantini (21), Lara Raj (20), Manon Bannerman (23), Meghan Skiendiel (19), Sophia LaPorteza (23), and Yun Chae-jung (18). Cats Eye, made up of members from the Philippines, Korea, Switzerland and the United States, has recruited Indian (Lara), Filipino (Sophia), Latino (Daniella), and black (Manong) artists for the first time in Hive.

The Washington Post analyzed, "Cats Eye's racial diversity is differentiated from K-pop groups. Unlike K-pop idols who do not even have public relationships, Cats Eye members share much more of their personal lives." In fact, Meghan revealed last year that she was taking drugs to treat anxiety disorders with Bisexual Coming Out, and Lara also revealed her queer identity.

In an interview with the Washington Post, critic Kim Jae-ha said, "In K-pop, accuracy and consistency take precedence over almost everything, and Cats Eye also shows eccentricity, emotion and honesty along with a perfectly executed stage. This is why they received a tremendous response in Lollapalooza, Chicago last August."

After debuting with the single Debut in June 2024, Cats Eye released the EP "SIS (Soft Is Strong). In 2025, the second EP "Beautiful Chaos" ranked fourth on the Billboard 200 chart, and Charlie XCX released a series of singles "Gabriela" and "Gnarly" in which he composed.

"It was a strange song in pop music," Lara told the Washington Post. "I want to continue doing things that make people angry but at the same time keep them from getting out of their heads."

The group's gusts peaked in Gap ads. The Washington Post said, "The commercial, in which six members wore denim and performed ecstatic choreography to Kelis' 'Milkshake' with numerous dancers, was a real breakthrough." Sophia said, "I didn't realize how much the world needed this advertisement," adding, "There were many fans who wanted to see six young women who were proud of themselves."

Cats Eye also appeared in a Super Bowl commercial on February 8 this year. The State Farm commercial appeared alongside John Bon Jovi, Keegan Michael Key, Danny McBride and Hayley Steinfeld, bringing their faces to more than 100 million viewers.

In April, the Coachella Festival in California performs on both weekends. "Things I wanted to achieve a year ago, such as Coachella performances and Grammy attendances, are becoming a reality, which is really surreal," Manong said. At this year's Grammy Awards, Cats Eye was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance ("Gabriella").

The Washington Post also noted Cats Eye' fashion identity. Influenced by Y2K fashion, the group has participated in the Fendi baguette back and gap low-rise denim campaigns, and has also collaborated with Lush, Coach and Philippine fast food Jollibee. Creative director Humberto Leon is in charge of the group's style, inspired by the various backgrounds of the members.

After their North American tour, Cats Eye will go on a tour of Lollapalooza, South America, this spring. "We are hungry for world conquest," Manon said with a smile as he concluded the interview. "I want to be known even to the smallest town. You know, right

CatsEye is drawing attention as a successful case of localizing the K-pop methodology by passing through the "certification gate" of global stars such as entering the Billboard 200 chart, Grammy nominations, Jimmy Fallon Show, Super Bowl commercials, and Coachella performances in a year and a half after its debut.

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*This content was translated by AI.