Katseye sweeps Billboard charts as new EP tops Billboard 200, sparks catalog revival

Katseye, the girl group formed through a joint venture between Hybe and Geffen Records — a label under Universal Music Group — has posted its best-ever performance on the US Billboard charts, sweeping multiple rankings in a single week.

According to Billboard's latest chart dated Aug. 29, released Tuesday (local time), Katseye's third EP "WILD" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 170,000 equivalent album units — the highest single-week total ever recorded by a girl group since Billboard introduced the unit-based counting system in December 2015.

The group also made a strong showing on the main singles chart. Pre-release track "Animal" climbed six spots to No. 24 on the Hot 100, while title track "Hootie Frutti" entered the chart at No. 31. Another pre-release single, "PINKY UP," landed at No. 81, and "ICONIC BY MISTAKE" — a special collaborative single with fellow Hybe Labels acts LE SSERAFIM and ILLIT — came in at No. 94, giving the group four simultaneous entries on the Hot 100 in a single week.

Beyond the main chart, B-sides "Bel Air" and "That Way" ranked 11th and 14th, respectively, on the Bubbling Under Hot 100, reflecting broad listener engagement across the album.

The new release also pulled the group's back catalog up with it. All three of Katseye's albums charted on the Billboard 200 in the same week.

The second EP "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS" jumped 29 spots to No. 92, extending its consecutive chart run to 60 weeks. The debut mini-album "SIS: Soft Is Strong," released in August 2024, also re-entered the chart, climbing 40 places to No. 156.

The combined strength of album sales and streaming pushed Katseye to No. 1 on the Artist 100 — which tracks the most influential pop acts in the United States — a gain of 27 spots from the previous week. As of Wednesday, the group's monthly Spotify listener count reached about 38.49 million, a new personal best. The music video for "Hootie Frutti" surpassed 44.55 million views shortly after its release, marking the fastest growth rate in the group's history.

The achievement signals a maturing of the K-pop industry's approach to breaking into overseas markets. Katseye is the first act to reach No. 1 by transplanting Korea's talent development and training system directly onto US soil. The group has built mainstream appeal in the West by combining candid storytelling through a Netflix documentary, an embrace of queer identity and diversity that resonates with Gen Z audiences, and a contemporary pop sound.

Katseye will kick off the world tour "THE WILDWORLD TOUR" in Dublin, Ireland, on Sept. 1, moving through major cities across Europe and North America to consolidate its global momentum.