KATSEYE Enters Billboard and UK Charts Simultaneously – A Success Story in K-Pop’s Global Expansion

KATSEYE, the global girl group formed by HYBE and Geffen Records (HxG), has recently achieved dual milestones by breaking into the world’s two most prominent pop charts and being selected for major international music awards. The group’s new single “Nalli” reached position 92 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, with a strong likelihood of remaining on the chart for a second consecutive week. Meanwhile, it climbed to position 75 on the UK’s Official Singles Top 100, also securing a second week in the rankings. As Billboard and the UK Official charts are considered key indicators of global popular music, KATSEYE’s success signifies a powerful global impact as a K-Pop group. “Nalli” is also showing rapid growth on global music platforms. On Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs Global chart (covering the period from May 9 to 15), it rose 14 places from the previous week to finish in 46th place, surpassing the highest position achieved by its previous track “Touch.” The music video immediately after its release on YouTube last month ranked first in the Music category under Trending videos in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Austria, Australia, and other countries, and made it onto YouTube Trending lists in 28 different countries and regions. YouTube recently also named KATSEYE as a “Trending Artist On The Rise.” KATSEYE and NewJeans are both included on Billboard’s 2025 “21 Under 21” list. This annual list is compiled by considering factors such as album sales, streaming numbers, social media engagement, radio and TV reach, and overall influence within the industry. Despite legal disputes with ADOR, an agency under HYBE, NewJeans’ fan enthusiasm remains strong, and all of its major albums—including its debut EP “NewJeans,” “OMG,” and its second EP “Get Up”—have sold over 1 million copies each, maintaining their status as million-sellers. KATSEYE’s global success is viewed not as luck or chance but as a planned outcome based on thorough local research and adaptations of K-Pop methodologies. Debuting in the United States last June through HYBE and Geffen Records’ global audition project “The Debut: Dream Academy,” KATSEYE is regarded as an artistic effort that preserves the essence of K-Pop while expanding its boundaries and limits. By featuring a variety of genres and a multicultural, multi-ethnic lineup—traits rarely seen in K-Pop—it has gained recognition among audiences outside of K-Pop fandoms. At the same time, it demonstrates a crossover approach by incorporating core elements of K-Pop culture. This trajectory is seen as aligning with HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk’s concept of “K-then K-Pop” (K-Pop without the ‘K’). HxG’s lead creative producer, In-gyeon Hyun, described the creation process of “Nalli” by saying, “I expected reactions to be extremely polarized once the music was released, but I believed we could turn the situation around from the moment people started watching KATSEYE’s performances.” He added that the song was developed with a clear focus on conveying attitude and individuality rather than just catchy melodies or lyrics, and that various demos and directions were tried to effectively communicate the track’s identity to the members.