KATSEYE Hits U.S. Top 10 With 186K Sales in One Year

• KATSEYE finished 2025 in the top ten best-selling artists in the U.S., a rare milestone for a group that only launched in 2024.
• Multiple Billboard Hot 100 entries indicate persistent mainstream demand rather than fan-driven traction.
• The group's trajectory, supported by HYBE and Geffen, indicates a broader shift of K-pop's position in the U.S. pop market.

KATSEYE, HYBE’s global girl group, ended 2025 with a surprising commercial milestone in the U.S. The group ranked among the Top 10 best-selling artists across all genres last year, said a Luminate year-end report.

KATSEYE's second EP album, Beautiful Chaos, sold 186,000 units in the U.S., making it the seventh best-selling album overall in 2025. This is an impressive accomplishment for a group that only began in June 2024. Beautiful Chaos also peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 28 weeks as of late 2025, depicting an unusually long period of sustenance.

KATSEYE and K-pop’s U.S. Mainstream Push

KATSEYE's profitability mirrors a bigger shift in global pop consumption, with Korean pop singers increasingly competing in mainstream U.S. markets that were formerly dominated by local artists. This tendency has accelerated thanks to digital streaming, social media, and smart Western marketing by major companies like HYBE (BTS' parent label) and Geffen Records, which co-manage the group.

The six-member group was established through a reality show co-produced by HYBE and Geffen. They were chosen for their international potential, combining English-language pop with K-pop production values, aiming for both Western and Asian audiences. KATSEYE's breakout hits from the EP, including Gnarly and Gabriela, helped them sustain streaming and chart rankings. Also establishing them as one of the few non-mainstream pop groups to have several U.S. chart entries. The two songs also ranked in Billboard Hot 100 this week at No. 89 and No. 21, respectively, along with their latest song Internet Girl placed at No. 29 on the same chart.

Building Scale Beyond Album Sales

According to industry experts, album sales represent only a portion of KATSEYE's footprint in the United States. The group has also confirmed big festival appearances, such as Coachella 2026, and award nominations, such as the upcoming Grammy 2026. The group is also planning further touring, notably in Latin America, to highlight their strategic international standing rather than just providing short-term hits.

KATSEYE's rise seems to have far-reaching effects for the K-pop industry, which has mostly relied on fan-driven sales. Their performance indicates changing audience dynamics in Western countries, where Korean acts can maintain mainstream commercial power beyond the genre's conventional boundaries.