After global girl group Katseye’s success, it was inevitable that HYBE x Geffen would try to form another similar group. When a sister group to Katseye was announced, there was a variety of mixed opinions. Some people were excited, while some were more hesitant. Since I have loved the content Katseye has released, I found myself being rather optimistic about a group with a similar vision. However, any of the excitement mentioned above has quickly disappeared.
Katseye was formed through a Netflix show titled Dream Academy. This show included trainees, who competed in an elimination-style show. Audience votes helped eliminate trainees until the finalists formed a group. A fan favorite from the survival show Dream Academy was Emily Kelavos, who ultimately got eliminated. When a new HYBE x Geffen Instagram account named Prelude: The Final Piece posted a picture of Emily, naming her their first member, fans were ecstatic. However, the following day, much of that anticipation dissipated when the second member announced was former Dream Academy contestant Samara Siqueira.
While Samara was a trainee at Dream Academy, it was discovered that she had been liking a variety of racist TikTok content. Even after being called out, she never apologized for her behavior. For this reason, it is honestly appalling that she would be included as a member of this new group. The main reason Katseye is doing so well is because of its diversity. People from all over the world can watch their group and see aspects of themself. Just recently, in the Katseye x Monster High collab, we saw the members dressing up as monsters from their individual cultures. In their music, we also see various inspirations from different backgrounds. This includes different dancing styles and music styles. For these reasons, it would seem like a no-brainer that including a member with a racist past in Katseye’s sister group feels like a slap to the face.
Another previous Dream Academy member debuting in Prelude is Lexie Levin. Both she and Emily are very talented, and it truly is a shame to see their talents being wasted on a group many Dream Academy fans have already lost interest in. There were so many talented, loved contestants they could have included instead of Samara, like Ezrela or Marquise.
Some fans have expressed that they feel it’s too early for Katseye to have a sister group. The group only debuted last summer, so forming the next global girl group this soon seems a bit rushed. Some fans also feel the group is just “Dream Academy Rejects”. I don’t personally agree with this sentiment since the Dream Academy contestants are talented and trained ridiculously hard. With that being said, the main concern surrounding the group is Samara and her racist history. It’s not that most fans don’t want to support another global girl group. It’s that they feel uncomfortable with Samara’s involvement. I doubt this issue will be addressed as it should be, but only time will tell.
