KATSEYE, a global girl group formed through the K-pop system, is rising fast—landing multiple spots in Google’s “Year in Search 2025” report. In just their second year, they’ve drawn massive global attention, a rare feat for a new group. Experts say their success highlights the growing global power of K-pop’s performance-driven style.
KATSEYE: Breakthrough in Google’s “Year in Search 2025” Trends
KATSEYE was formed through the 2023 reality audition program “The Debut: Dream Academy,” a joint project by K-pop giant HYBE and UMG’s Geffen Records. In this K-pop production system, hundreds of trainees went through strict training and evaluations. The final six multinational lineup debuted as KATSEYE in June 2024 with a bold single aptly titled “Debut”.
The group is based in Los Angeles. However, they are trained under a systematic K-pop idol development model, making them a test case for exporting the K-pop methodology to a global pop group. KATSEYE is widely regarded as a leading success story of HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s “multi-home, multi-genre” strategy to globalize K-pop. In just over a year, they have built a significant following, distinguishing themselves through polished performances, a diverse cultural background, and a fresh blend of musical styles.
KATSEYE’s Soaring Popularity Reflected in Google’s Year in Search 2025
Google’s Year in Search report is an annual analysis of the world’s search trends, highlighting the people and topics with the largest spikes in interest throughout the year. In the 2025 report, KATSEYE achieved several high-profile placements that reflect their surging popularity:
#2 Trending Musician (U.S.)
KATSEYE ranked second on Google’s list of top trending musicians in the United States. Notably, they stood alongside global superstars like Bad Bunny and Coldplay in this top tier. This highlights how a rookie K-pop group managed to capture attention on par with some of music’s biggest names. It’s an impressive feat for a group in their debut years to be one of America’s most-searched musical acts.
#2 in “Concert Outfits” Searches (U.S.)
KATSEYE also ranked second in Google’s U.S. trending search category for “concert outfits,” which tracks spikes in interest around performance looks and fan styling. Appearing alongside stars like Beyoncé, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga highlights the group’s growing influence on fashion-minded fans. Many people were searching for KATSEYE’s stage outfits, reflecting their strong visual identity. Analysts say KATSEYE’s performance was driven by their striking stage concepts—boosted further by their late-2025 “Beautiful Chaos” tour and a major Gap denim campaign.
Top Song Lyrics Search
KATSEYE was also included in YouTube’s “Trending Topics in the U.S.” for 2025, standing out as the only music artist on the list. The platform’s annual trends report placed them alongside broad pop culture hits—such as the Netflix K-pop animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters and the viral doll character La Bubu. Being the sole musical act among these topics shows that KATSEYE had become more than a band. They were a pop-culture keyword. Their name and content were widely discussed and shared on YouTube, indicating strong user engagement.
These achievements in Google’s year-end report show how quickly KATSEYE has entered the global pop zeitgeist. Across categories such as music and fashion, KATSEYE emerged as a breakout search keyword in 2025. It’s unusual for a newly debuted group to rank so high in Year-in-Search trends. It further highlights KATSEYE’s rapid rise and growing global impact.
Factors Behind KATSEYE’s Meteoric Rise
Industry experts point to several factors that contributed to KATSEYE’s steep rise in search trends and global popularity:
Major Festival Performances
KATSEYE built early momentum with standout performances at major music festivals. Their August 2025 debut at “Lollapalooza” in Chicago drew an estimated 85,000 people. It was reportedly the biggest crowd ever for an early-day set. The group impressed both fans and first-time listeners with energetic performances of songs like “Gabriela” and “M.I.A.” Videos of their set quickly spread online, introducing KATSEYE to many new viewers. These viral clips sparked growing curiosity and drove more people to search for the group after seeing or hearing about their festival performances.
North American Tour Engagement
After the festival season, KATSEYE launched their first North American tour, “Beautiful Chaos”. They performed across the U.S. and Canada, giving them a chance to reach local fans and media. The tour created major buzz online as fans shared videos, outfits, and moments from the shows. Google analysts noted that searches for “concert outfits” spiked during this time, with many people looking up KATSEYE’s stage fashion and themes. The tour thrilled existing fans (“Eyekons”) and drew in new ones who discovered the group through social media. Industry watchers say the experience gained on this tour strengthened their reputation for strong live performances, further increasing public interest and search activity.
Social Media & Fancam Virality
KATSEYE’s powerful stage presence helped them gain major traction on social media. In K-pop, fans often post “fancams” — close-up videos of individual members. And KATSEYE benefited greatly from this trend. Viral fancams of their standout dance and vocal moments spread across Twitter (X), TikTok, and YouTube, often earning millions of views. This global “fancam culture” pushed KATSEYE’s visibility far beyond their core fanbase.
The group also used social media strategically, posting behind-the-scenes clips, challenges, and trends that performed well with platform algorithms. By 2025, their performance clips frequently appeared on feeds, even for casual viewers, due to high engagement. This created a cycle: the more people watched and shared KATSEYE videos, the more the algorithms promoted them — prompting curious viewers to search for the group on Google. In effect, KATSEYE’s live performances became viral content that directly fueled search interest.
Distinct Fashion & Branding
Another key driver of KATSEYE’s rise is their distinctive fashion and branding, which strongly appealed to Gen Z. The group leans into a Y2K-inspired look — low-rise denim, crop tops, and early-2000s pop aesthetics — mixed with modern K-pop flair. This unique style not only sets them apart but also leads to major brand partnerships.
In 2025, they fronted Gap’s retro-themed “Better in Denim” campaign, which went viral worldwide. The ad, featuring KATSEYE dancing to Kelis’s “Milkshake,” earned over 8 billion impressions and 500 million views, becoming one of Gap’s most successful campaigns. As a result, people who didn’t even know their music began searching for “the group in the Gap ad,” boosting KATSEYE’s visibility.
Moreover, this mainstream exposure opened the door to more high-profile collaborations. The members’ trendsetting image led to partnerships ranging from Fendi handbags to a Lush cosmetics line, further expanding their reach. Consequently, KATSEYE’s impact in both music and fashion helped strengthen their global profile — a momentum reflected in their strong performance in niche search categories, such as concert outfit trends.
As a result, all the above factors created a perfect storm of visibility for KATSEYE in 2025. Their live performances built credibility, their tour and festival shows reached massive audiences, and social media buzz kept them constantly trending. Meanwhile, their fashion and branding ventures pushed them further into mainstream pop culture. Together, these elements explain why KATSEYE became one of the year’s standout keywords in both music and internet culture.
K-Pop’s Live Performance Edge and KATSEYE’s Impact
KATSEYE’s rise also shows one of K-pop’s biggest strengths: it is a performance-driven genre. As one industry insider explained, “In global pop, the song is the brand — but in K-pop, the stage is the brand.” This helps explain how groups like KATSEYE break out through their live moments. K-pop isn’t just about the music. It’s an all-around audiovisual experience built on choreography, visuals, and storytelling. KATSEYE reflects this perfectly. After years of structured training, they debuted with strong vocals, sharp choreography, and a standout stage presence that immediately impressed audiences.
Because K-pop places such importance on performance, world tours naturally become the next step once a group gains momentum. This was true for KATSEYE: less than a year after their debut, they were already touring internationally, which further boosted their popularity. Their success reinforces the idea that great stages can define an artist just as much as a hit song.
In 2025, KATSEYE proved this on a global level. Their polished, high-energy performances became their signature. They won new fans and generated massive online buzz. It’s a formula K-pop has honed domestically for years, now playing out on international platforms.
Global Recognition and What’s Next
KATSEYE’s rapid rise is now being recognized by the public and the music industry alike. They earned two major nominations for the 68th Grammy Awards — Best New Artist and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Gabriela”. It was an impressive feat for such a new K-pop act. Their momentum is also opening major doors: KATSEYE is set to perform at Coachella 2026, alongside global stars and K-pop icons. Being invited to one of the world’s biggest festivals just a year and a half after their debut shows how quickly they’ve become one of pop’s most talked-about new groups.
@tomasmier The members of Katseye react to making the Coachella 2026 lineup 🥹 #coachella2026 #katseye #katseyeworld #katseye_daniela #katseye_lara @KATSEYE ♬ original sound – tomás mier
Their journey from an audition program to trending charts, award nominations, and festival stages demonstrates how powerful the K-pop system can be on a global scale. By combining strong performances, smart promotion, and worldwide storytelling, KATSEYE has crossed cultural barriers at record speed. Their stages became viral content, their releases turned into global events, and their 2025 success — from search trends to fashion influence — highlights K-pop’s expanding international impact. Ultimately, KATSEYE’s rise proves that when a K-pop group gains momentum, the world becomes their stage, and they are now poised to push the boundaries of what a global girl group can achieve.
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