A girl group will always be timeless.
As an average Gen Z internet consumer, I am hyperaware of trends, celebrities, couples, and who said what to whom.
To some degree, it can seem surface-level to consume media about people we don’t actually know, but besides the parasocial aspects of the internet, there’s some good stuff if you look closely.
Pop music has always been the center of the music industry, of course, because it is the music that is currently popular. But with that title comes a slew of preconceived notions and stereotypes about the artist singing the song, the songwriters behind the song, and every single decision a team has made for this song.
And of course, this discourse is valid, and no one is privy to their own feelings on the internet, but I personally think that sometimes, we need to take a step back. Let pop music be fun. Let’s have fun.
But this doesn’t take away from the fact that the pop songs we hear and the shows we watch have meaning and are important, regardless of whether it is popular or not.
Recently, multinational group KATSEYE has been on everyone’s screens for many different reasons. After winning the reality competition “The Debut: Dream Academy” in 2023, the band was formed, with 6 members–Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae– beating almost over 120,000 other applicants. They rose to stardom as a multicultural girl group, originating from the Philippines, the United States, South Korea, and Switzerland.
There are, of course, many girl groups in the 2000s and 2010s that have surmounted the musical charts and fostered a deep sense of community, specifically among teenage girls, such as Little Mix, Fifth Harmony, Destiny’s Child, and Spice Girls.
But what I’ve noticed in the 2020s is that there has not been a defining girl group for Gen Z and Gen Alpha to indulge in. It seems as though my generation, Gen Z, has had to look at girl groups from years past for inspiration and connection.
If there’s one thing society and the media love to scrutinize, it’s women in any industry. In the music industry, women who aren’t constantly evolving, releasing music as soon as possible, being a role model to young children, and renouncing their opinion in global politics, are demonized yet also put on a glorious pedestal.
A woman in the music industry is expected to be a jack of all trades, while being modest, polite, sensible, and quiet. It’s impossible. As a young woman who loves pop music, I’m throwing all of those ideologies out the window.
While officially releasing music in 2024 with their single “Debut,” the group really saw a shift in their media attention with their song “Gnarly,” which came out in April 2025.
The song itself doesn’t make sense on the first listen. But then you listen to it again and again and again, and suddenly you know the choreography and embrace its fun lyrics.
The group fully came into fruition after the release of their collaboration with GAP, called “Better in Denim,” in the summer of 2025. This was a hectic time for the denim world, as there was a social media outrage when it came to actress Sydney Sweeney’s collaboration with American Eagle. But the GAP advertisement used that momentum to launch their campaign, an indirect battle of the denim.
The advertisement became addictive to watch. The girls danced to a re-recorded version of “Milkshake” by Kelis, a singer-songwriter who blew up in the early 2000s, all while wearing clothes and denim from GAP.
I am especially excited to see Lara Raj receiving much love, as a South Asian girl who never had brown girls to look up to in the pop music world. I think it’s incredibly chic, cool, and some might even say gnarly, to have Lara be an it girl. In the GAP campaign, she is seen wearing a bindi, which is a South Asian piece of jewelry that consists of a dot or mark on the forehead, and can even consist of a pendant depending on the occasion. I would have never thought, as a little Bengali girl, that I would see someone wear a bindi, something I would wear to parties and events, on the large screen.
The idea of having a girl group in an age where women are constantly being scrutinized and belittled for their hobbies, opinions, likes, and dislikes makes me feel proud to be in a generation where we’re trying to overcome those obstacles, designed by previous generations and upheld by current global trends and politics.
Regardless of whether their music is “good” or not, KATSEYE represents the future, which is filled with diverse backgrounds, representing those who could never even imagine someone that looks like them being a star, and those addictive songs you just can’t get out of your head. Every generation has them. This is ours.
In the 2020s, I’ve seen a slew of TV shows, movies, music, fashion, art, and food that have become mainstream because of their diversity, honesty, and showcasing of different cultures. It’s refreshing to see KATSEYE become mainstream, because I would have never thought a girl group that resembles me would be globally loved by various demographics. Pop can be fun and smart, and meaningful all at the same time. Just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s lame to like it.
KATSEYE is fun. Have some fun.
Cover image: https://www.grammy.com/news/everything-to-know-about-katseye-global-girl-group-k-pop
Generasian 
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