Past 71 million views, released through a Korean label — by a group with no Korean members. KATSEYE are the clearest evidence yet that K-pop has become a method rather than a nationality.

The system, exported

KATSEYE came out of a joint venture between HYBE, the company behind BTS, and the American label Geffen Records: a global audition programme that recruited internationally, then put the finalists through the Korean trainee process — years of vocal and dance training, group living, the same production and management apparatus — and debuted them as a group. The members are from the United States, Switzerland, the Philippines, India and Korea. What is being exported here is not Korean music. It is the way Korea manufactures pop groups, which turns out to be the genuinely valuable part.

About this release

“Animal” is from the EP WILD, published 24 July 2026 through HYBE LABELS. Another KATSEYE video is posted on this board.

Watching from outside Korea

Whether a group like this counts as K-pop is an argument that will not be settled. The more useful question is what the label is actually selling — and here it is the training system itself.

→ Every KATSEYE (캣츠아이) video on Oseyo Korea

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