Katseye, America and the dark side of K-pop perfection

What happens when K-pop’s gruelling formula meets the American music industry?

The global girl group Katseye has gone from a reality-show experiment to a global phenomenon. With chart-topping hits, a viral Gap campaign and a sold-out international tour, the group has become one of the biggest success stories in pop.

But as Katseye breaks through in America, it is also bringing new attention to the intense training, fierce competition and relentless scrutiny that helped fuel its rise. Has the group’s success shown that the K-pop model can work outside South Korea, or exposed the costs of trying to recreate it?

The Global Story’s Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman speak with BBC music correspondent Mark Savage about whether the discipline, pressure and perfectionism that drive K-pop’s success can translate to an American audience.

(Photo: Katseye performs in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Credit: Paul Bergan/ EPA/ Shutterstock)

Clips: Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE | Official Trailer | Netflix

Producer: Sam Chantarasak and Cat Farnsworth

Executive producer: Martine Powers

Sound engineer: Travis Evans

Senior news editor: China Collins