HYBE and Geffen Records' joint girl group KATSEYE placed near the top of multiple 'Year in Search' lists compiled by Google, proving their formidable global influence.
Google on the 5th (local time) released 'Year in Search 2025.' It is an annual report in which Google analyzes worldwide search data each year to track the people and issues that saw explosive increases in interest that year.
KATSEYE ranked second in the U.S. 'Trending Musicians' institutional sector in this report. They stood alongside global artists such as Bad Bunny, Sombr, Doechii and Coldplay. Considering that KATSEYE has just entered its second year since debut, this indicates their remarkable growth and popular appeal.
In the U.S. 'Concert Outfits' institutional sector, which selects keywords for which searches for costumes, fan fashion trends and artist-themed clothing surged year over year, KATSEYE also ranked second. Among search terms such as pop star Beyoncé's album "Cowboy Carter", "Katy Perry" and "Lady Gaga", "KATSEYE" proudly secured a spot.
It is attributed to their first North American tour, "BEAUTIFUL CHAOS," which began in November. Their 'Better in Denim' campaign with the clothing brand GAP also drew major attention. It means that KATSEYE's stage styling, which has become an icon of diversity and inclusivity, has emerged as a fashion reference in American popular culture.
KATSEYE's global hit "Gabriela" ranked fourth in the worldwide 'Song Lyrics' institutional sector, making it one of the most searched songs of the year beyond the United States. The song, which blends sophisticated pop sounds with Latin-flavored acoustic guitar, has been praised for showcasing KATSEYE's sensual energy and more mature vocal capabilities.
"Gabriela" rose to No. 31 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (dated Nov. 22), No. 38 on the U.K. Official Chart (dated Oct. 18) and No. 10 on Spotify's "Weekly Top Songs Global" (dated Oct. 3), and is gaining popularity. As KATSEYE's sensual performances spread by word of mouth, they repeatedly climbed various music charts, which appears to have also influenced their rise in Google search rankings.
KATSEYE was also listed in YouTube's recently released "Global Culture & Trend Report 2025" under the "Trending Topic US" list. KATSEYE was the only artist to appear among popular topics that spanned social and cultural subjects, such as "KPop Demon Hunters" and "Labubu."
KATSEYE was formed through the audition project "Dream Academy," based on the "K-pop methodology," and debuted in the United States last June. Led by HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk, they are considered a representative success case of the "multi-home, multi-genre" strategy, and they are nominees in two categories — "Best New Artist" and "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance" — at the 68th Grammy Awards to be held on Feb. 1 next year.
[Photo] HYBE labels
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