REVIEW: Global girl group Katseye performed for the first time in the UK at a intimate fan event on Tuesday night, with a very special guest there to host the show
You could describe Katseye with one single word. Y’know?
Actually, you couldn’t, so here are a few: show-stopping, talented, high energy, fun, determined, hard-working, promising and adored.
All of that was very clear as the global girl group, whose K-Pop style formation was documented on Netflix series Pop Star Academy: Katseye, at their first ever UK show in London on Tuesday (October 28).
Just over a year into their career, Katseye threw an intimate event at Exhibition White City for 800 lucky fans, who won a chance to get to know the six-piece group better and see them perform their biggest hits so far.
It wasn’t just a performance, though, with plenty to keep fans entertained before the main event got going.
There were photo ops inspired by music videos Gnarly and Gabriela, a fun challenge also taken from Gnarly, pizza, burgers, bubble tea and a giant Jollibee mascot dancing, after the group recently collabed with the fast-food chain.
But when it was time for the show, a very special guest, whose identity had been kept secret ahead of time, was brought on stage to host and interview the girls.
And who else but Spice Girls royalty Mel C knows best about what it’s like to be in a girl group?
Mel sat down with the girls – Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia and Yoonchae – to talk about their career so far, and how they’re enjoying working together.
Daniela said: “Our training process was definitely a lot for us, but I feel like that process made us become one big family, and these girls are the sisters I never had. I always rely on them for everything, we always come to each other for everything.
“We’re genuinely besties, but more than besties, we’re family. We tell each other everything, talk to each other whenever we have problems or any exciting news, or literally anything.”
The girls admitted that Sophia was the maternal figure in the group, and the best cook.
Lara said: “Sophia will bring us food to rehearsals.”
Youngest member Yoonchae, from South Korea, added that food is how they feel at home when they’re travelling. She said: “We try to order food from our hometowns. I get Korean food when we’re travelling.”
She told the crowd that they’d had Indian food for Lara earlier in the day, after she’d been left unimpressed with Nando’s.
While the girls are based in the US, they are from all over the world, and Manon is the only European member, coming from Switzerland.
“I’m so happy we’re finally here,” she said, as they kicked off the first of a handful of appearances in Europe.
Meanwhile, Sophia explained that it’s getting to play in their hometowns which brings them so much joy.
She said: “One of the most memorable performances we’ve had where the audience was so shocking to feel was at my home, the Philippines. We performed at this mall that I used to go to growing up. I remember going there thinking, ‘Ok, we’ll perform on the first floor,’ but we went there and turned the whole mall into an arena, a stadium, and I was really excited about that, cause I told the girls I was really excited for them to feel the warmth of Filipinos.
“We always feel that. Like on tour, we’re gonna be performing at Dani’s home town, just performing on stage when it’s your people you grew up with, your family, it’s such a different experience, but being here in the UK, y’all feel like family.”
The crowd was definitely alive and bringing the energy, but Megan explained that the group also have their own way of getting hyped up.
She said: “A lot of the time when we rehearse and warm up, we like to hype ourselves up just to get our energy up since we have those early morning rehearsals. Most of the time we listen to rap.”
And the girls have big dreams for their careers, with Lara saying “making a genuine impact on culture” is their main goal.
She said: “Being representation in music, changing pop music.
“A big thing about us is being very versatile, we love to switch it up on every project we put out. Even on each EP, every song is different, it’s very important to us.
“Putting our cultures into each one of our songs, like we did in Gabriela, putting our own languages, making people feel seen and being that representation we never had.”
And it’s clear their fans, known as Eyekons, are there to back them on every step of the way.
Finally, it was time for the performance, with the group performing Debut, Touch, Gabriela and Gnarly.
While their Beautiful Chaos tour is yet to include any UK dates, judging from the crowd’s reaction they’ll be planning some soon.
And having just over a year under their belts, the excitement for what the girls will bring next is higher than ever.
Watch out world, Katseye are here to be your next obsession.
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