Edited and Transcribed by Abigail Luna and Kassandra Lopez
Kassandra: Welcome back to Certified Chismosas guys. It’s been a minute, actually it’s been a long ass minute, but we are back. I’m Kassandra.
Abby: And I’m Abigail. We’ve been a bit M.I.A.
Kassandra: (starts singing M.I.A. by KATSEYE) But yeah, that’s a little KATSEYE humour for you guys.
Abby: But honestly, we had to come back because Kassandra has not stopped talking about KATSEYE at all this semester.
Kassandra: Because it’s a literal emergency. I’m finally gonna educate Abby on KATSEYE. Like, I need more people to know the differences between the pop star Academy, Dream Academy drama, and what’s happening on the charts right now.
Abby: But I’m ready. I know the names, I’ve seen a few videos, I’ve caught up on Pinky Up, which just came out not too long ago, and I’ve seen some things on my feed. But, you know, that’s about it. I’m a blank slate for you to educate me.
Kassandra: That’s good, because we have to talk about the Netflix doc, the festival chaos and some messy social media drama that you definitely haven’t seen yet. So KATSEYE is a six member global girl group created by HYBE and Geffen Records through the 2023 reality survival show program called Dream Academy, which is also known as Popstar Academy on Netflix. So there are six girls and each girl has their own position in the group. So we have Sophia from the Philippines. She’s the leader of the group and she has the main pop girl energy. She has always been seen as a leader since the doc. There’s Lara. She’s from the U.S., but she’s an Indian-American and she’s the vocals of the group. She’s really good at singing. And then we have Daniella. She’s the dancer of the group. She’s Cuban-Venezuelan. And she’s one of the best dancers and I’ll tell you more about it when we talk about the doc. We got Manon. She’s from Switzerland and she’s known as the visual of the group. And currently she’s on a hiatus. So we’ll get into that later. But then we have Megan. She’s our all around her, and she’s Chinese-American from Hawaii, and she’s pretty cool. She’s good at everything. And then we got Yoonchae, the youngest. She’s freshly eighteen while the other girls are in their 20s now. And, yeah, she’s just another all-rounder. But yeah, let’s get into it. Do you have any questions before?
Abby: So I know that a lot of them have backgrounds in different arts. So I’m pretty sure that Sophia, she was a theater kid. Yoonchae, she’s K-pop trained. Megan is J-pop trained.
Kassandra: Yeah, um, so yeah. So, Megan, besides being Jpop trained, she was also like an actress for a little while. She came out in some Disney shows in the background as well. Daniela, she’s actually been around the reality scene for a while now since she was little. She came out on “America’s Got Talent” when she was like six years old for dancing. And she was also on “So You Think You Can Dance?” So she’s been around as well. Manon, she did a little more indie films in Europe and music videos and things like that. And Lara, as well, she’s been in the industry for a while. I think she even did a video with Michelle Obama. She did a whole, yeah, it was like about girl power and everything, so that’s it’s crazy.
Abby: Really?
Kassandra: Yeah. But yeah, let’s get into the documentary.
Abby: All right.
Kassandra: All right, so Dream Academy came out in 2023 on Netflix. It was known as Popstar Academy. So pretty much, it was the first ever girl group that was going to be Americanized that was through the K-pop method. So they were trained like K-pop idols and things like that. There was at the beginning, they were trying to recruit girls so they could train them. But what the girls didn’t know was that they were going to be a part of a survival show. They thought they were just going to get that training. So they were in the development center in LA run by a HYBE and Geffen, and it was pretty much like a high stakes boot camp. Like every month, there was an evaluation for dance, for singing, for star quality, attitude, everything. And they were ranked in front of a lot of executives and things like that. And it was just a really cutthroat atmosphere.
Abby: Did you watch Dream Academy as it was happening?
Kassandra: Yeah, I did. It was pretty intense. I would watch it on YouTube because as you know, the show came out on YouTube first. But yeah, it was pretty intense, but I was rooting for a lot of girls and we just had to keep voting and things like that.
Abby: Who was like someone that you were constantly voting for?
Kassandra: Since the beginning, I really liked Megan and Sophia. Megan, especially because, like, she gives off a goofy girl attitude. Which I totally understand, because I’m in, like, the same boat. And then Sophia, she’s always been a leader, even since then. Before she even knew she was going to be in the group. Like, she was always a leader to all the other girls and everything like that. So as many of the girls, they wanted to get at least twenty, I want to say like twenty-two girls, so then they could start the survival show. So a lot of these girls were in this boot camp for about a year and they didn’t know that they were going to be a part of a survival show. And so these girls were training and training, going through all these evaluations. And the executives were still looking for people with that star power. So they ended up seeking out this girl, Manon, and she’s from Switzerland. And they found her on TikTok and they saw her whole star quality and things like that. And so they literally DM her on Instagram and Manon really thought it was fake because she’s like “no, this can’t be real” and stuff. And then she ended up contacting them back and they wanted her so bad in the beginning that they even sent someone over to Switzerland to train her in dance before they even brought her over to train with the other girls.
Abby: I didn’t know that.
Kassandra: Yeah, because that to me was like eye opening because you can tell they wanted to work with her more one-on-one than her being with the other girls. So I think since the beginning, they wanted her. But yeah. So there was her, but then still, once Manon was in the picture, there were obviously all the other girls, really talented. They brought in Lara and she was meant to be one of the main vocalists of the group. They wanted her for her vocals. She was also really popular on TikTok with her late night producer sessions and things like that, so she’s really good at that as well. But yeah, so it was a lot of stuff and there was just a lot of drama around as well. So in the first round, they separated the singers and the dancers and they just wanted.. They had to recreate music videos. So there was just like, they did some BLACKPINK, they did different K- pop groups and through there in the first voting, they ended up eliminating two people. And it kind of sucked because these people were there for almost over a year and they just got eliminated in the first round. And some great people have come from this show like Adela, she was one of the first girls to be eliminated and she was seen as such a leader within the girls. And now she’s touring with Demi Lovato. Now she’s opening for her.
Abby: Oh, wow.
Kassandra: Yeah. So a lot of great things came from this show, but there was a lot of drama surrounding it. And to that, I just had to talk about this whole thing with Manon. Have you ever watched the show before?
Abby: I haven’t. I’ve seen clips of it. I’ve seen the video that they did with Buttons.
Kassandra: Yes.
Abby: And I think that they did Sophia wrong with that hairstyle…
Kassandra: Oh. Yep. Yep. Yeah, I can’t even get into that. So that was like one of the last challenges, as you can say, that they had to do for the finals. But for this, they really wanted, you know, it’s a documentary, but it’s also a reality show. And so they wanted to have a villain, precise. So they made Manon that villain. So she would miss rehearsals and they made this a whole narrative in the whole documentary about how she would miss rehearsals for different reasons, if she was sick, sore, things like that. And it just wasn’t fair to the other girls that had been there and working their butts off. And then because this documentary didn’t come out until after Popstar Academy on YouTube was released, so a lot of these people didn’t see the behind the scenes. So when it came to the voting, Manon was one of the highest people with votes, because in the package videos, they would present her as such a main person that could be in this group. And so the people voting didn’t know about her work ethic or anything like that as well. And so that’s what the documentary did is make her seem like she was lazy. She wasn’t committed to being a part of the group and it was just frustrating for the girls, the other girls, and especially the ones that would end up getting cut. Because they’re like, you see all these people working hard and then Manon, she’s just not there. She wasn’t present at all.
Abby: But did they force her?
Kassandra: What do you mean?
Abby: Like, to look like she didn’t care.
Kassandra: As far as I know, they did not, but it’s how they played it in the documentary. It’s just they made it seem like how she missed and stuff. There was like those sleep peeks. It’s just how they cut the videos and things like that. Because the other people, while we were watching them on YouTube, they didn’t see that. We only saw their performances, like, they’re singing and they’re dancing and everything like that and their interviews. But yeah, so they made that a whole villain thing. A lot of people, when the video came out about how they ended up asking the girls, this is where it took a real turn in the competition. They ended up asking the girls “who do you think would get eliminated in the next round?” And they told the girls they weren’t going to tell anyone this. And, you know, they’re already dealing with the fact that this turned into a survival show when they didn’t know it was going to, to the point that they told them “who do you want eliminated,” pretty much. “Who do you think is going to get eliminated already in the next round? Who would you want in your group?” Like, they pinned the girls against each other. And a lot of the girls said Manon. And so a lot of the fans from the outside didn’t understand why they did that because they didn’t know the behind the scenes. And there were just other girls that they’re like, that’s f***ed up, you know? But there were some girls that they just couldn’t deal with that fact and there was even a girl, Lexi. She ended up leaving the show because it didn’t sit right with her, how they panned each other against each other. And it just wasn’t right how they did that and it was just too much. And it ended up making her leave the show because for people to vote like who they think would leave, it just sucks because they thought they were saying it in confidence to people, but they were lying. And, you know, there were executives that they’re like, oh, this is good for the industry and stuff. But yeah, it was just way too much and it affected the girls’ mental health a lot. And like, the morale was low and everything. And it just sucked for that because, you know, you have your friends, they’ve been in this whole competition and this whole thing for over a year now, maybe even two years and they have to choose who should be in their group and sometimes that’s not your friend, you know? And so they had to deal with that. So there was that and then, you know, there were other girls that were high in voting because of their countries, because all these girls were representing all these different countries. And, you know, like Sophia and Lara, they got high in votes because of where they’re from and things. But they were also, some people saw them as mean girls because of the whole Manon situation. But people, again, people didn’t know what was actually going on. And there was a lot more that wasn’t being said behind the camera. So yeah. But that was the whole Dream Academy thing. And in the end, after all the challenges and everything, and voting and the executives input, it ended up being the final six girls. And I think it’s the best six girls they could have chosen for that specific group, for KATSEYE and what they stand for today.
Abby: All right, so we know that Dream Academy is what introduced you to KATSEYE initially, but what made you such a big fan of their work, that you’re dropping $500 on hoodies.
Kassandra: Oh, we’ll talk about that later. But what really made me stick with KATSEYE is their relatability, honestly, because they’re just girls like us in their 20s. They have the same jokes and things like that. Like, we have the same understanding. Like, in their first ever live as a group, they were literally cursing, venting because they wanted to curse, like curse it out before they went live. They’re like, oh, let’s just get it all out. So they were like saying, fuck shit, fuck shit or whatever before they had to be professional for their live. And they thought that it wasn’t recording and then they were told, oh, we’re live already. And they’re like, oh, well, this is it pretty much. And they’re like, it’s the beginning of the end but what they didn’t know is that that brought in more fans because a fan myself, we actually loved it because it was normal and non-media trained. So I think that’s what really makes me admire and love KATSEYE is that they’re just people like us and they’re not just all serious all the time. Because, again, we’re girls in our 20s and we joke around and stuff like that. But yeah, that’s what really got me into KATSEYE. But I really admire their work ethic, especially being trained in the K-pop methodology. And, you know, there’s these arguments, like, I’ve argued with my friends before. They’re like, “oh, they’reK-pop, they’re K-pop”. And I’m like, they’re not K-pop because it’s a global girl group. There’s only one Korean in the group and they were just trained like K-pop idols. But they’re meant to be presented over here on the Western side and stuff like that. And they’re a group that’s for everyone, not just for girls, they’re for everyone. Of all ages too. But, you know, that’s what really got me into them. And along with their work ethic is just how they bring in a lot of crowds. Because they’re really great singers, like all of them, no matter what they are there for in the group. Like in their Lollapalooza set in 2025, they brought in one of the biggest crowds for a live performance for a daytime slot and I think they even broke a record. And when they do those dance breaks, you can just see all the work they put into those dance breaks and all that stuff. Like, they’re one of the best groups to watch live. And again, they did that same thing at Coachella. They just presented themselves and they just put their heart out there. But they really struggled with a lot of online drama and things like that. You know, they had to keep passing that. You have to prove the haters wrong, you know? And so one of their first songs that got really popular was Touch. And this song, it was very popular. The music video was popular and it was a super catchy TikTok song that you could dance to. And with that came the Gap ad, which you know about, and stuff.
Abby: It was amazing.
Kassandra: Yes. It’s one of the best Gap ads, they did Milkshake. And it’s one of the most popular jean ads out there. So that was just their first EP and then they transitioned to, you know, the second EP. They haven’t come out with an official album yet, but they have had some popular songs like Gabriella. They’ve won a VMA before for best new artists, and they’ve performed at award shows. They were even nominated for yeah, a couple grammys, I think. And they couldn’t believe it themselves. But it’s just the fact that this group is like, you know, you can see yourself in them and it’s just really, really touching. But yeah, talking about how they’re so good at performing live, I got the chance to see them last December. And it was really last minute because I really wanted to go to their concert, but they became so popular so fast. The resellers were crazy. I was actually really upset because these tickets were too expensive. And so I said I would go support them, you know, like how the Swifties did, but I was like doing it for them because I really appreciated their group. You know, they even made me feel less alone when I felt alone. So I went to their concert and I just waited outside and my dad dropped me off and everything. He kept telling me, just keep looking, just keep looking. Ten minutes before the show started, my dad called me and he’s like, I found a ticket. It’s like for two something. I’ll pay half for your birthday and all this. And so I ended up getting in ten minutes before the concert. And I got to experience KATSEYE live. And it was one of the best experiences I had. And, you know, myself, I was worried because I was there alone. But when you’re in those atmospheres, you just feel everyone’s energy around you. And everyone was just there to see KATSEYEt and I really appreciate that. And then after I waited around for them to leave, and I even got to see some of them and I made some friends with the people I was waiting with. It was a really cool experience. But yeah, KATSEYE I brought a lot of us together in that whole thing, yeah.
Abby: Aww, you made friends.
Kassandra: (laughs)
Abby: All right, so it’s time for what you guys were waiting for. It’s time to get into all the drama that’s been happening around KATSEYE, specifically with Daniela and Manon. So tell me a bit about that, Kassandra.
Kassandra: So, around right after the Grammys in February, it was announced that Manon was going on hiatus. So the labels had come out with a message saying that she was stepping back to focus on her health and her well-being and things like that. But it’s just been a lot of drama because Manon would then come out with her own statement saying she’s completely healthy and, you know, some things just don’t work out. So there’s a lot of mixed messages and Daniela has been getting a lot of, like, that heat from that whole thing as well because her dad has just been making things worse as well. And it’s been, like I said, she’s been on hiatus and she still is. She just missed Coachella sadly because she was one of the ones that was really excited about it.
Abby: But she was still there in the crowd, right?
Kassandra: Yes, this was the crazy thing is that Manon was actually at Coachella, both weekends, and neither week she performed with KATSEYE. And she should have been because, you know, I think it’s such a statement to prove that you were healthy enough to be at Coachella, but you didn’t get to perform with the group. So I think it really has something to do with the label and not her because the girls say how much they love each other. But then again, they can’t say much because, you know, it’s really early in their careers and all the confidentialities and stuff. And I would have really liked to see Manon part of the whole Coachella performances, especially with K-pop Demon Hunters and all that. Like, that was one of the best performances. I loved it. And, yeah, so it just sucks and it’s just been really messy. None of the girls really deserve this. Like, it just really sucks. But, yeah.
Abby: Cool. So, I’m not really a big fan of KATSEYE, you know. I didn’t watch it from the start, but I’ve seen some things on the internet saying that previously Manon had KATSEYE in her bio, and now it’s gone. Do you think that means that it’s the end of her journey with KATSEYE? Or what do you think is gonna happen with that?
Kassandra: Honestly, I didn’t want to say this and I really hope it’s not, but it really seems like that’s where it’s going because it’s been happening for a while. There’s been a lot of signs and things. And it’s just all this outside drama doesn’t help and those haters from Dream Academy are back and they’re critiquing her work ethic and everything. They’re like, oh, she’s never been 100% in. And stuff. And then Daniela’s dad backed that up and like been putting shaded allegations about her work ethic while she was on hiatus and saying how, like, oh, you know, like, they don’t need her and things like that. Like, he made the situation worse. And, you know, these girls can’t speak out. Like, especially under such strict labels and things like that, it’s just something that it just sucks for all the girls involved. You know, it also, when there’s those Manon haters, but there’s also those Manon fans. I like Manon in the group. She’s great and everything. But there’s those people out there that say, no Manon, no KATSEYE, which is just not right. Because the group is more than one person. Like, they all bring something to the group and it’s just not good for anyone. It just brings a lot of negativity. They’re taking it out on Daniela, especially. And, you know, these girls went through such a unique experience together when they were in Dream Academy. And for them to now be experiencing this, it’s just not right.
Abby: Yeah, and I agree. You know, the group is just more than one person. I don’t think that it should be the end of KATSEYE just because it could possibly be the end of Manon’s journey there. But you know, it’s kind of inevitable that people say that. Especially with just groups in general ,they seem to go that way. So we have like fifth harmony, who they were super popular. Camila Cabello left, they started going downhill, and now they’re not a thing. We have One Direction who was also super popular. Zayn left, they did good for a little bit, but then they all went their separate ways. Do you think that’s kind of what’s gonna happen?
Kassandra: Um, I think they’re really early in their careers for this. And, if it happens at that point, again, they’re really early in their careers so they have somewhere to build off of. But I really hope KATSEYE stays together because the girls have expressed how they really appreciate this connection and the support they have within a group that they wouldn’t have if they were solo artists. And they say it themselves or they at least try to say that Manon will always be their sister. You know, there’s posts, especially on their Snapchats, which a lot of people hardly use Snapchat anymore, so that’s why they probably use it. There’s some girls in the group that post on their Snapchats about Manon and stuff and it’s only there temporarily, because you know, they could probably get in trouble. And it’s just, you know, they probably stand with Manon, but they can’t say anything, because it wouldn’t do anyone any of them good if all of them were out, you know? And so it just sucks. In my opinion, I think the label is doing a really bad job with this whole situation because they’re saying one thing and they’re saying it’s about Manon’s health, but it’s just contradicting. Because Manon’s like, I’m completely healthy. And there’s just been interviews and videos out there on social media saying how she wanted to be there, but she couldn’t be there. And it’s just, it doesn’t look like it’s going in the right direction. In my opinion, if they’re able to get out of their contracts or once their contracts are done, I think they should find a better label where they can be all together.
Abby: I agree, because even like their music, it’s affected by it. You know, I’m not hating on KATSEYE music, but it’s not necessarily my taste, but it has nothing to do with their voices at all, more so just the music that’s being produced. And who do we have to blame for that Kassandra?
Kassandra: Absolutely the label. I can’t because they are such amazing singers and they have some songs like “My Way” and “Gabriella”, “Time Lapse”. There’s songs like that really present their vocals and see how good of singers they are, especially with that acoustic version they did at Coachella. That was really great. And, you know, I feel like the label is just all about the numbers. You know, there’re recent songs that they came out with. They’re really good live. They’re really EDM, you know? Yeah, I understand the songs. You know, these songs, some songs are just meant to be out there to have fun. But, you know, they deserve better. I’ve heard stuff they produce themselves and it’s better. And they’ve said it themselves in interviews that they want vocal heavy songs. And they should be given that because, you know, there’s those catchy songs. Yes, they’ll go viral for a little bit. And they’ll be good live, but they put in that work and to be great singers, to not be able to actually, you know, show, yeah, show the world that they’re great singers is just not right. And so..
Abby: I agree that it all comes down to the label trying to sell them. So I think, yeah, they need, like a better opportunity to be able to show the world what they’re capable of and like, to have an environment where their voice actually matters, their opinions matter.
Kassandra: Yeah, like, their performances are always amazing, but, like, it’s just this whole thing, this controversy, and getting these songs. It just doesn’t seem like it’s a whole performance that they want to put out there. Even in some of the videos they post on YouTube, like their vlogs, even they say, like, they feel bad that they’re not giving their 100%. Maybe because they’re tired or they’re going through something and stuff and they’re just being pushed to the limits. And especially with this whole pressure of not having a sixth member, it’s just, it’s not right because, you know, I got into a KATSEYE by the show, right? But I stayed because, you know, their personalities and stuff. But I listen to the music, obviously. I know all the music. And yeah, they deserve better. And I think just this whole thing with their new music, I hope the new song, like, Pinky Up, you know, it’s really catchy. It’s the best it could be. It just depends where they go on from here. But yeah, so I think this whole situation just sucks for all the girls. Because you can see even in recent interviews, how sad they look if anyone brings up a manon. And you can tell they want to say something, but they can’t. And as much as you would want to remember their new songs more, the big outside influence revolving around this situation overshadows it and it just sucks. And it may be that Pinky Up is a strong, like viral ready single, but for now, the conversation around KATSEYE is way more than just the music. It’s just, they have so much to get through and I hope this new era can be something that they could present to the world where it’s more than just like Monon versus CATSEYE or you know, Manon versus the label. Because, like they said, all these girls love each other and, you know, it just sucks. As a supporter from the beginning, they deserve way better from all the things they’ve been through. And, you know, like, Manon,they brought her from Switzerland just to sit her out . Like, this was her dream, especially Coachella. It’s just not right. But, yeah, I hope this new era is something that can be good for them. But basically, this fandom is a mess, but their talent is undeniable. I just hope the new EP has some real vocal moments because these girls can actually really sing well. And my work here is done, but before we go, the new EP “Wild” drops on August 14th. And the best part is, I’m actually going to see them live at the Rose Bowl on August 8th. But I’m not gonna say how much I dropped there either.
Abby: Are you going to try and get barricade?
Kassandra: Let’s just say that the ticket that I bought will be very helpful in that, but I don’t mind because, you know, that’s why we do payments.
Abby: How many payments would you say you have.
Kassandra: I already paid off my ticket. That’s all I got to say.
Abby: Oh, really?
Kassandra: Yeah, I already paid it off. I got it a little while ago, but, yeah, I already paid it off.
Abby: Have you paid off the hoodies?
Kassandra: No, I have not because those are newer. It’s just, you know, I like to support a group. This is why I tell my friends I can’t get into any other groups, especially Kpop and BTS, because I’m someone that will support them fully and buy a lot of stuff.
Abby: And if you support another one, you’re gonna go broke.
Kassandra: Yes, literally, because I’m already doing it with KATSEYE, and I just really appreciate the relatability. And I’ve learned, especially going to their concert alone. It’s like, it’s okay. Like, for head in the clouds, I didn’t even think twice about not going alone. Because, you know, I missed out on Coachella because I didn’t want to go alone. But it’s an experience that I get to have and maybe I get to meet more new people. Anyways, I can’t wait to see them live again because their performances are always so good live. So if you’re going to be at the Rose Bowl, come find me. We can talk chisme. And in the merch line. But yeah.
Abby: I love that for you. I hope you have a good time. But yeah, that was it for this episode of Certified Chismosas.
Kassandra: We miss you guys. We’ll catch you in the next one. Bye.
Abby: Bye.
