KATSEYE: when did they debut, where are the members from, and which company are they with?

Debut date: June 28, 2024, with the single "Debut"

KATSEYE's debut date is June 28, 2024. In a June 13, 2024 press release, Universal Music said the first single would be released at 12:00 a.m. ET on June 28, with a second single in July and the debut EP in August via HYBE x Geffen Records. The first single is titled "Debut" and, according to GRAMMY.com, was produced by OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder. The debut EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), came out on August 16, 2024. Nocut News reported that the EP spent two consecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and that the group made its first Korean music-show appearance on M Countdown on September 12, 2024. So if the question is the debut date, the answer is June 28; for the debut album's release, it is August 16.

How the group was formed: the HYBE x Geffen audition and the Netflix docuseries

• The audition show The Debut: Dream Academy. It was a competition to pick the members of the first girl group made jointly by HYBE and Geffen Records; 20 contestants were chosen from more than 120,000 applicants. GRAMMY.com says auditions were held in 15 cities worldwide. The show aired for 12 weeks from September 1, 2023 on YouTube, Weverse and Japan's Abema.^2,3,6
• The finale. A live finale in Los Angeles on November 17, 2023 (November 18 KST) chose Sophia, Lara, Yoonchae, Megan, Daniela and Manon as the debut members. According to My Daily, the 90-minute finale streamed live on HYBE LABELS' YouTube channel, Weverse and Abema, and six of the ten finalists made the group. The name KATSEYE was chosen by the contestants themselves from several candidates.^1,2,6
• The Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE. Netflix announced the series' title on June 5, 2024. It is directed by Nadia Hallgren, who made the Michelle Obama documentary Becoming, and produced by HYBE, Interscope Films and Boardwalk Pictures. Netflix said the series follows the year-long process of creating the group, including HYBE and Geffen's training and development program. According to UPI and GRAMMY.com, it premiered on Netflix on August 21, 2024.^3,5,6

Where the members are from: what has been published

Universal Music's June 13, 2024 press release lists the members' hometowns as Atlanta (Daniela), Los Angeles (Lara), Zurich (Manon), Honolulu (Megan), Manila (Sophia) and Seoul (Yoonchae), and gives their ages only as a range of 16 to 21. In their finale coverage, My Daily and the Korea JoongAng Daily described Sophia as being from the Philippines, Manon from Switzerland, Yoonchae from South Korea, and Daniela, Lara and Megan from the United States. GRAMMY.com describes Manon as raised in Switzerland with Swiss-Italian and Ghanaian heritage, Daniela as Venezuelan-Cuban, Lara as Indian and Megan as Chinese-Singaporean; Nocut News likewise calls Lara Indian American and Megan Singaporean-Chinese American. None of the official or press sources checked for this page gives individual birth years, so the table marks them as not confirmed. Unverified details about members' families or upbringing are left out.

The company: a HYBE and Geffen Records joint project

KATSEYE was planned and produced jointly by HYBE and Geffen Records, a Universal Music Group label. Its records are released under the HYBE x Geffen Records name, and the label's press release says the members were developed using K-pop artist-development methods. Nocut News calls it the first local (U.S.) girl group made by the two companies' collaboration, and Yonhap describes it as HYBE's U.S. partnership with Geffen. Notices such as a member's break or return are also posted on the fan platform Weverse jointly in HYBE's and Geffen's names. HYBE is also credited as a producer of the Netflix docuseries.

Main results since debut

• Billboard Hot 100. "Gnarly," released April 30, 2025, entered the Hot 100 at No. 92 for the group's first Hot 100 entry and later peaked at No. 82. As reported on July 8, 2026, the peaks are No. 21 for "Gabriela," No. 28 for "PINKY UP," No. 29 for "Internet Girl" and No. 38 for the collaboration "ICONIC BY MISTAKE." "PINKY UP" also reached No. 14 on the UK Official Singles Chart. As of October 9, 2026, "Animal" had spent 10 consecutive weeks on the Hot 100.^{8,12,14,15,18}
• Billboard 200. The second EP, Beautiful Chaos, released June 27, 2025, entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4 and stayed 53 consecutive weeks through the chart dated July 11, 2026, the first album by a female group in 21 years to spend a full year on the chart. The third EP, WILD, released August 14, 2026, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 170,000 equivalent album units, including 145,000 in album sales. Yonhap reported that this made KATSEYE the fourth K-pop girl group to top the chart since 2020. WILD also entered the UK Official Albums Chart at No. 2.^8,14,15,17
• Awards. At the MTV Video Music Awards at New York's UBS Arena on September 7, 2025 (U.S. Eastern time; September 8 in the Philippines), the group won MTV PUSH Performance of the Year for its performance of "Touch." At the 68th Grammy Awards it was nominated in two categories, Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for "Gabriela"; at the ceremony at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena on February 1, 2026, Best New Artist went to Olivia Dean. KATSEYE performed at the ceremony. At the American Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 25, 2026 (local time), the group won New Artist of the Year, Best Music Video ("Gnarly") and Breakthrough Pop Artist, and performed "PINKY UP."^{9,10,13,15,16}
• Streaming and touring. The Korea Herald reported on July 8, 2026 that the group had passed 32 million monthly listeners on Spotify, the most for any girl group worldwide. Sports Khan reported that the second tour, THE WILDWORLD TOUR, sold out all 31 shows in 27 cities across 10 countries within 48 hours.^14,15

How many members now: still six, two on a break

• No departure or replacement has been announced. None of the 2023–2026 official materials and reports checked for this page says a member has left KATSEYE or a new member has joined. Reuters still counted six members in August 2026. Two members are, however, on a break announced by the label, so the number performing on stage has varied.^16,18
• Manon: break announced February 20, 2026. In a joint notice posted on Weverse, HYBE and Geffen said Manon would take a temporary break from group activities and that they fully supported the decision. The notice said the other members would continue their scheduled activities and that the company looked forward to the members being together again "when the time is right." The Korea Herald referred to KATSEYE as a quintet in April 2026 and in July wrote that Manon had been taking time off since February. No report checked for this page through October 9 announces a date for her return.^11,12,14,16
• Sophia: break from August 7, 2026, return set for January 2027. In a joint Weverse notice on August 7, HYBE and Geffen said leader Sophia would be temporarily unable to take part in upcoming promotional activities. Reuters named Daniela, Lara, Megan and Yoonchae as the members carrying on without Sophia. On October 9 (KST) the label announced that Sophia will resume group activities from the first week of January 2027, but will not join the North American leg of THE WILDWORLD TOUR or the remaining promotional schedule in 2026.^16,18
• On the reasons. Both notices described the decisions as being taken for the member's personal health and well-being. This page does not go beyond what the notices state.^11,16

How to read this page

Most chart positions and sales figures are Billboard tallies relayed by the press, and are as of each article's date. Individual birth years are left out because they could not be confirmed from the label's official materials or major outlets; they will be added if confirmed. The items on members' breaks relay only what the label's notices say, and this page will be updated when new notices appear. The matter relating to the September 2026 Paris concert is covered in a separate issue page and is not discussed here. The group's full history is in the Hallyu Wiki article on KATSEYE.