KATSEYE Is Gen Z’s Global Girl Group, Linking Style and Sound With Urban Outfitters
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For global girl group KATSEYE, being Gen Z isn’t just a generational label — it’s a movement. With members hailing from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United States, the six-piece collective represents a bold, boundary-pushing vision of pop that’s deeply rooted in authenticity, individuality, and global unity.
“We’re very opinionated — and very free,” the group says when asked to describe Gen Z’s energy. “We’ve been conditioned to know who we are from a young age, and that reflects in how we act, how we dress, and what we want to do with our lives.” That confidence, combined with a spirit of openness, makes this generation especially loud — in the best way. “We love that we can express our values and our style. Most of us are super accepting, which is really nice.”
KATSEYE’s latest partnership with Urban Outfitters taps into that same spirit of creative freedom. As the faces of UO’s new “UO Haul” campaign — a back-to-school-inspired activation that includes pop-up experiences, lifestyle “haul” trucks, and a high-energy live performance — they’re spotlighting what it means to be young, expressive, and unapologetically yourself.
“A big thing about KATSEYE is we love to embrace who we are uniquely — where we come from, the world that we’re in,” the group says. “So partnering with Urban Outfitters for this campaign just made sense for us. One thing we always say is that we’re really connected to our fans.”
“We honestly feel like a lot of our fans are like our best friends,” they continue. “That’s a common thing, especially since we’re all Gen Z. Everyone’s on TikTok, everyone’s on social media — it’s like we don’t even have original experiences anymore because we’re all sharing everything and so connected. So that’s why this collab just felt right for us.”
With three lifestyle-inspired trucks on site — The Pretty Haul, The Pregame Haul, and The Plush Haul —each member gravitated to the one that fit their vibe best. Megan picked a hybrid between Pregame and Plush, saying, “One side for relaxing and one side for turning up.” Lara, Manon, and Daniela aligned with the Pregame Truck’s pre-party energy, while Sophia and Yoonchae chose the cozy comforts of the Plush Haul. “I’m definitely a homebody, and I’m always in bed whenever I can be,” Sophia adds. “I love to relax, snuggle up, watch movies, all of that. So, it really feels like me.”
When it comes to defining Gen Z style, the group agrees: statement pieces are key. “Gen Z has a lot of flashiness,” they note. “A lot of statement pieces on top of basics.”
The collab also comes at a pivotal time for KATSEYE. The sextet’s debut single “Gnarly” just made its first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, and its upcoming EP, BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, marks a bold evolution from their debut SIS (Soft Is Strong). “It’s definitely very surreal,” the group shares. “We’ve been working insanely hard for almost two years now, and seeing our hard work pay off really motivates us to go harder and do more. We’re just so obsessed with our fans for making that happen for us — we’ve been smiling from ear to ear since we found out.”
The group expressed a newfound maturity as it gears up to release its second EP. “Every song has its own vibe and sounds really different from the others — it’s something we haven’t shown yet.” The members describe the project as “a whole different side of KATSEYE,” reflecting both sonic and personal growth. “We’re maturing a lot, we’re being a little more daring. Literally everything is different — the hair, the styling, the makeup, the music videos,” they explain. “It all feels super authentic to who KATSEYE is right now. We honestly can’t wait to drop it because we just want everyone to hear it.”
As a multicultural group, the six members of KATSEYE’s are redefining what it means to be a global girl group. “Representation has always been one of our biggest missions,” they explain. “We’re representing a lot of underrepresented groups, especially in music and media in general. But specifically in pop music, there aren’t a lot of girls or artists who really look like us.” By blending K-pop and Western pop through their sound and choreography, the group is carving out a unique identity: “There isn’t really a blueprint for KATSEYE—for how we sound, how we look, how we perform — so it’s something we’re building as we go. It’s a very new experience, and we’re kind of painting it alongside our icons.”
Their cultural backgrounds also shape their music and bond. “We’re all able to share this experience of truly representing where we come from — and being proud of that,” they say. Being away from home often, they find comfort and connection in each other, which strengthens their group dynamic. “We get to have moments where a little girl comes up to us and says, ‘Oh my goodness, you look like me,’ and that’s such an emotional experience for all of us. It really brings us together and ties us to the shared goal of KATSEYE and what we wanna do.” The group also plans to continue weaving its multi-cultural sounds into its music, promising that this influence will be even more present in future releases.
At the core of the UO Haul campaign is a connection to the fans, their icons, “Especially because a lot of them are around our age, Gen Z,” the group explains. “The whole thing about going back to school? We relate. It’s something that we understand. We fit the vibe.”
They emphasize that much of what they do is made for people like themselves — because they are the target market: “That’s why we feel like it’s really gonna amplify. It’s reaching the right people, and we’re showing them, ‘Hey, we’re right here with you. We’re doing this for you.’” Fans have told them that they can see themselves in at least one member of KATSEYE, and Urban Outfitters’ versatility makes the partnership a natural fit: “Our visions really, really, really are similar and they reach the same audience and same goal. We’re also big fans.”
When asked if they feel like they’re challenging traditional ideas of what a girl group looks and sounds like, the girls in KATSEYE don’t hesitate. “For sure. We’re always trying to break boundaries and reinvent ourselves,” they say. “There aren’t a lot of groups out there that are KATSEYE-coded — if any. So, that’s definitely intentional for sure.”
As KATSEYE gears up to perform live in New York City on May 20, fans can expect the same signature energy that has defined every one of its performances so far: “We’re performing outdoors in New York, which we’ve never done before. It’s not only going to be a treat for you guys, but also a new experience for us — and those moments are always so exciting.”
“Hopefully it’s not too hot,” I added. But the heat they’re bringing? That’s going to be “Gnarly.”
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