The global girl group KATSEYE has begun its spectacular rise. After recently releasing their first mini-album, "SIS," the group has not only seen a sharp climb on various music charts but also achieved global success through the Netflix documentary "Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE."
Released on the 21st, "Pop Star Academy" is an eight-part documentary that covers the entire planning process of KATSEYE. This multinational girl group, created in collaboration between HYBE (the company behind BTS) and Geffen Records under Universal Music Group (UMG) in the U.S., has been garnering attention in the global pop market from the outset.
Particularly noteworthy is the group’s journey, where members from various countries, including South Korea, the United States, and Switzerland, underwent the K-pop training system and debuted in the U.S., the "home of pop." This has been praised as a "new blueprint for K-pop globalization," and the Netflix documentary has attracted significant attention from major international media outlets.
Time magazine analyzed that "Pop Star Academy" provides insight into the decision-making process of the world's largest pop music company, going beyond a simple introduction to KATSEYE. It also highlighted how the "trainee system," which differentiates Korean idol pop stars from Western artists, is central to the narrative, showing what kind of performance level and potential are necessary for stardom.
The Hollywood Reporter, a prominent American pop culture outlet, noted that the documentary demonstrates KATSEYE’s clear vision of their "diversity," focusing on the members' process of gaining musical inspiration and more.
Among fans, there is overwhelming empathy not only for the young members who left their families to wholeheartedly pursue their debut but also for the "adults" who supported them. Notable examples include a scene where Missy Paramo, T&D Senior Program Manager, expressed her genuine desire to have a daughter after witnessing the girls’ remarkable growth, and an episode where casting manager Michelle discovered member Manon on social media, instinctively recognizing her as a star.
These scenes have also sparked significant discussion on global social media platform X (formerly Twitter), drawing widespread attention from the K-pop fandom.
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