Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, Yoonchae: six girls from all different countries and cultural backgrounds coming together with a shared musical dream as they become one team working together under the K-pop system of training. Just like the name KATSEYE suggests—a cat’s eye is a gemstone that radiates a variety of colors, depending on the direction from which it’s viewed—it’s the group’s differences that make them so special. We caught up with the girls for their behind-the-scenes take on their debut album, SIS (Soft Is Strong), which sent them onto the Billboard 200 right out the gate, and talked to them about the boundaries KATSEYE’s going to push in the pop music world as the first global group out of HYBE x Geffen.

SIS (Soft Is Strong)
Daniela: The main messages behind our album SIS (Soft Is Strong) are empathy, softness, and how sometimes being brave enough to show vulnerability can make you a lot stronger. I hope the people who listen to our music will embrace both their soft and strong sides just the way they are. I also want the album to not only be about the six of us individually but to show how KATSEYE is growing together as one. We can make something even greater when we bring each of our strengths together.

Lara: I used to be afraid of showing my vulnerable side and tried to look strong in front of other people. I came to see my vulnerabilities as part of who I am while working on this album, and that’s allowed me to be more open.

Sophia: I always felt like I needed to bury my emotions so I wouldn’t be a burden on other people. Opening up about your personal journey and showing an honest expression of emotions isn’t an easy thing to do. Through working on our album, I learned how to balance being strong and being vulnerable, and I feel more confident about my life now thanks to the other members.

Behind the scenes of their first recording sessions
Daniela: At first I was focused entirely on getting the technical aspect of my vocals just right, but after recording more and more, my understanding of the songs deepened and I related with the lyrics better. By the time we were all done recording, it felt like we were practically living the songs. (laughs) I also found all kinds of new ways to express my emotions through my vocals, which was a big confidence boost!

Lara: The process of recording “Debut” really stands out in my memory. I never rapped before that, so I made sure to practice a lot so I’d sound natural. I tried to sing almost like I was talking. At first I was sort of trying to play a character, acting like I’m a rapper, but it came across as inauthentic. I came to realize that the best way to do it was just to harness my own energy and convey the lyrics with total sincerity.

Sophia: I caught myself getting all caught up about my technique while recording vocals, and overthinking things. I used to chase perfection, but then people told me to just try and focus on the emotions in the song, and I found that really helpful. The idea was to be fully present in the moment, without getting too caught up in any single aspect.

Yoonchae: Being a non-native English speaker, recording the vocals was both challenging and enlightening. I had to work not only on perfecting my vocal technique but also on understanding and conveying the lyrics accurately. Balancing language learning with vocal performance was a significant challenge but was an opportunity to grow.

Pinning down the persona behind the songs
Manon: Our very first song, “Debut,” has the power to empower others, and it’s one we wanted to fully emphasize the strong side of KATSEYE. We were aiming to show someone who’s extremely confident and isn’t afraid to be their true self. “Touch,” though, is different, because it shows KATSEYE’s soft side, expressing the complicated emotions that arise from being hurt by love. I tried to imagine a girl who’s talking to her friend about being upset over love, just like in the lyrics, and sing it that way.

Lara: “My Way” has specific stories behind it from all the group members. We channeled those stories from us growing up, especially school, and put that into the delivery. When I sang the song, I was thinking back to my younger self and giving her a hug.

Perfecting performances on stage
Manon: It usually takes me a little longer than the other members to master a dance, but I’ve got five girls who can always help out. There’s a lot of tough parts in “Debut,” our debut song, but I put in extra effort and extra time taking notes on those parts and being present. The “Touch” choreo helped my expressions so much, too. I worked so much figuring out how not to look silly or exaggerated and just do enough. “Touch” really taught me to do that.

Feedback fuels further group growth
Sophia: I do perform with confidence, but sometimes I’m not sure if it’s actually good. But then my teammates reassure me and I gain confidence. We like to discuss what works for us and what doesn’t quite work for us. That way we can be more constructive and feel better during practice.

Yoonchae: The other members reviewed my scenes for me when we were shooting the “Debut” music video. They said nice things and told me I discovered a charismatic side I never knew I had before. They also tell me when we’re practicing that I should be charismatic like I was then and then I try and channel shooting that video to look more confident.

From solo performances to teamwork
Daniela: For someone who’s mostly performed solo, getting on the same page and dancing as a group was a challenging but rewarding experience. It took a while for us to really get in sync since each of us has a different dance background and style. When you’re dancing as a group, it’s important not just how you dance personally but how much you can support everyone else, so it was important for us to build trust in one another. We spend a lot of time talking about choreo even when we’re not rehearsing, and we worked on it together for a long time, so now we can read each other’s energy and predict each other’s movements.

Megan: I wanted to go beyond simply dancing in sync as a group and make sure people can sense the chemistry that’s naturally there between us. Practicing a lot’s a big part of that, but I felt like building our sisterhood by getting to know each other better was most important of all. It’s that bond between the members of KATSEYE that makes our performances that much more genuine.

The unforgettable experience of filming music videos
Manon: Shooting the “Debut” and “Touch” music videos was unbelievably fun. “Debut” felt particularly special since it was the first music video we shot as KATSEYE. We went all the way to Colombia for the shoot, and I’ve always loved exploring new places, so it felt like taking a vacation!

Daniela: I’ll never forget dangling from way up high like that in the “Debut” shoot. I still remember what it was like getting up there the first time! I didn’t know I’d be experiencing something like that. I was like, Is this for real? (laughs) I thought about my family home while we were filming in Colombia and I really missed them, but it was great getting to speak in Spanish with people on set. I even translated for people when they needed it, which was fun, too.

“Touch” x “Gee,” the KATSEYE x Girls’ Generation mashup
Yoonchae: I was so happy I was ecstatic we got to do a mashup of one of our songs with “Gee.” I’ve loved that song ever since I was a kid. And when Sooyoung shared our mashup video on Instagram, my heart instantly started pounding like crazy! I remember I was so happy that I bragged about it to my parents right away. (laughs)

Manon: Our group’s heavily influenced by K-pop and we wanted to show our respect for it.

Lara: Girls’ Generation is a legendary girl group, so obviously I knew about them ever since I was little, but once I got on The Debut: Dream Academy, I really started getting into their music. My favorite song is “The Boys.”

Sophia: I remember watching Girls’ Generation’s music videos together when we were trainees. After that, I could tell the kind of influence they’ve had on other K-pop artists. It’s amazing that we get to know the world of K-pop better through our own work.

Diversity is the core of our identity
Daniela: My Latin and Spanish-speaking background naturally comes through in my singing, and dancing, and how I express myself. The way all our different cultures mix together creates these completely new and really interesting ways of expressing ourselves. It lets lots of people from all over the world relate better to our group.

Sophia: Our diversity will always be one of the most beautiful things about KATSEYE. Spending every day together showed us how much diversity there is out there and taught us how to better understand everyone’s own way of life. It’s so cute the way we adopt each other’s cultural tendencies and even use each other’s slang. (laughs)

Megan: Our diversity is the true strength behind KATSEYE. Everything special about us, from our cultures, personal experiences, and perspectives, adds a special something to the group. I feel like it’s amazing how we’re able to accept each other’s differences and blend them together to make our group ever stronger. Being able to express myself completely as a member of the group and as an individual is a huge deal.

Yoonchae: We learn so much from each other’s differences. We tell each other about the food we eat a lot and try it, learn new languages, and find out about new music we never knew anything about.

Sisterhood in KATSEYE
Daniela: Sophia and Lara really helped me refine my singing the whole time we were working on the album—not just in the sense of my technique, but in emotional terms, too. Their help got me to overcome the difficulties I was having and got me to push the limits of my vocals.

Lara: I still think about how Megan stayed in the room with me and helped work out every little detail until I could get the dance moves for “Debut” just right. She was my strength when I felt really tired and I’m so grateful to her for that. She always looked out for me and never judged. I could tell she just wanted me to be able to grow.

Manon: I want to say thank you to Lara for always being there to help me with my vocals!

Megan: I found some parts of “Debut” hard when I was practicing singing. I was roomies with Lara at that point and we would practice late into the night. She coached me on the vocals and I helped her with choreo in return. Helping each other out like that was a good opportunity to make our friendship even stronger.

Sophia: Daniela personally gave me dance lessons when I was learning the moves for “Debut.” She would spend all night checking out the angles I was hitting and the way I did the transitions to make sure I was on the right track with my practicing, even after a full day of rehearsing. I’m so grateful to her for being so thoughtful and thorough so I could feel more confident.

Yoonchae: The other girls all threw me a surprise party for my graduation before the debut. They made buldak ramen and kimbap and put up all these amazing decorations. I was really thankful to them for all that. They’re always helping me out—not just with English, but with all kinds of things, like adjusting to life in the US.

Breaking into the Billboard 200 with SIS (Soft Is Strong)!
Lara: I don’t know how to express how I’m feeling other than to say thank you. It’s always been a dream of mine, but I didn’t expect to have this kind of success so soon into my career with KATSEYE. We’ve all worked really, really hard, and we want to keep getting better and reach even greater heights through the music we put out. Music is my biggest passion in life, and KATSEYE and music will always be a part of it.

Megan: The Billboard 200 … I had to pinch myself just to make sure it was real. I think we have the countless hours of all our hard work and dedication to thank for it. I’m really excited for what’s to come. (laughs) This is just the beginning!

A message to those joining KATSEYE for the ride
Yoonchae: I hope all our fans out there listening to KATSEYE’s music will feel more confident as they feel themselves growing, too. I also want to relay how special the relationships you have with the people you encounter in this world can be on your own personal journey. I hope the songs we sing about our journey resonate deeply with our fans.

Lara: Our music lets us push boundaries, try out new things, and spread the message that anything’s possible. I hope KATSEYE’s music lets people feel confident enough to show themselves off to the world.