This summer multicultural global girl group KATSEYE made their debut with their single “Debut.” Recently they made their first studio album SIS which stands for Soft Is Strong. The girl group was formed under the reality TV survival show The Debut: Dream Academy. Documentary Pop Stars Academy: KATSEYE follows 20 contestants competing for the six spots in the group. Their debut album Soft Is Strong deals with concepts of femininity, friendship, independence, and self-acceptance.
“Like a firework showin’ up over your town/Even if it all burns out”
“I did it my way”. This track titled “My Way” expresses concepts of self-acceptance while embracing individuality. The chorus talks about having no regrets even despite making mistakes throughout the way. Rather than conforming to societal norms, the singers express that they prefer to follow their own self agenda honoring a sense of authenticity.
“Big curls and they all stare/Yeah, I tried to fit in your box of pink Barbie dolls”
“Found I still couldn’t win them all”. Daniela a Latina member of Cuban and Venezuelan descent, sings this line in the second verse following the chorus. She grasps the difficult topic fitting in throughout adolescence as a person of color. Even after trying to mold herself to society’s standards, she is hit with the realization that she cannot please everyone. As a result, she decides to fully embrace who she is and what she stands for.
“Yeah I make myself pretty/Pretty far from feeling”
“Pretty sure I’m not done healing”. The fourth track on their debut album “I’m Pretty” handles ideas of self-image. Despite going through loss and heartbreak the singer feels compelled to beautify themselves due to outside pressure. The singer uses makeup as a facade to hide their honest feelings of pain. Even though makeup is typically thought of as to conceal bare faces it is also shown to cover raw emotions.
Despite debuting fairly recently, the global girl group KATSEYE has garnered over 10 million monthly listeners on the music streaming platform Spotify. Beyond making music, members of KATSEYE serve as representation for many people of color. Representing both their culture and young women, KATSEYE continues to venture into the music industry determined to establish themselves as household names within the pop industry.
