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Rising global group Katseye is catalyzing the comeback of girl groups. Pop media has been missing a certain essence in the past few years and this might be the answer to bridging tweenhood and teenhood. If the 90s have the Spice Girls and the 2000s have the Pussycat Dolls, who does the 2020s have?

 

The 2000s and 2010s were dominated by pop groups. After groups like Destiny’s Child and the Pussycat Dolls paved the way, others such as Fifth Harmony and Little Mix kept the excitement alive. Other than K-Pop, where have all these girl groups gone? Even boy bands that appealed to tweens have disappeared from the media. 

 

Katseye is a group created through a reality show called Dream Academy whose goal is to find the next best thing in girl groups. The major hit labels HYBE and Geffen Records, who have formed hit groups such as BTS and signed on artists like Oliva Rodrigo, combined their efforts to create the show and so far, it seems to be working. 

 

With the younger generation being invested in becoming influencers as their dream occupations, girl groups encourage them to go for more artistic pursuits. Katseye’s first mini debut album SIS (Soft is Strong) consists of five tracks with R&B and pop sounds. They explore the themes of navigating through confusing feelings that may come with growing up, but emphasize that leading with vulnerability can be your strong suit. 

 

Other than the music they produce, Katseye’s performances don’t leave room for disappointment. Through being Jingle Ball headliners and bringing back concepts like mall shows, Katseye is sparking a youthful excitement that is important for the younger generation to feel a part of. People loved Destiny’s Child because of the versatility when it came to their performances. Each member of Destiny’s Child carried their own weight and contributed to the overall performances of the group with either their vocals, dancing, or rapping. The same can be said for Katseye. With the six members being divided into three categories: main vocals, dance and rap, the girls of Katseye dominate the stage with live vocals backed by intense choreography.

 

People gravitated towards groups like the Spice Girls because of their distinct personalities. The members of Katseye interact with their fans in similar ways, but they’re also beloved because of one common thread: culture. The girls of Katseye are from vastly different walks of life all over the world. Showing their cultures with pride gives the younger generation an avenue to feel represented. Each member is also given the chance to shine in their performances, so there is sure to be someone in the group that every little girl can resonate with.

 

Recently, other fandoms have been trying to force friendships between two popular artists they like and project that connection onto them, like Olivia Rodrigo and Sabrina Carpenter. However, the fans can’t necessarily be blamed. People, especially young girls, are compelled to gravitate towards media that depicts strong bonds of friendship between women. With Katseye, this authentic sense of friendship isn’t lost and it shows through in their craft.

 

It is clear that for the sake of the younger generations, more meaningful media needs to be at the forefront of their consumption. There are new artists that are great examples of this, and Katseye is definitely one to keep an eye on. Little girls need to feel encouraged and see the possibility of reaching the same goals as girl groups like Katseye.