KATSEYE, a girl group signed to HYBE and Geffen, represents a blend of global influences while straying from traditional K-pop by performing primarily in English. Their origins in reality shows and multinational backgrounds reflect a trend in K-pop's evolution. Despite the innovative training approaches, the uncertainty around their classification—K-pop versus mainstream pop—highlights the complexities of genre identity. The appeal of 'pure pop' often bypasses diverse musical forms, reinforcing a whiteness that shapes American pop music.
"The CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M proclaims their endeavor unprecedented, explaining that the labels are applying K-pop training practices but 'doing it in pop music.'"
"KATSEYE originated from another show, Dream Academy, and the members-as is common nowadays-hail from different countries and speak multiple languages."
"Without any songs in Korean, they're presumably not K-pop. And as the Korea-based, ethnically Japanese girl group XG proved before them, if you're singing in English, the type of pop music you make becomes hard to classify."
"Just as 'American' can be wielded as a nebulous term that ignores minority groups, so too is A-pop defined by its nonspecificity and de facto whiteness."
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