Katseye's 'WILD' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 After Iowa Headlining Set
Global girl group Katseye has scored its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, with the new EP WILD topping the chart with the biggest U.S. debut by a girl group in 18 years. The milestone comes just months after the group headlined Iowa's Hinterland festival in St. Charles.
WILD earned 170,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending Aug. 20, according to HYBE x Geffen Records. That figure more than triples the opening-week total of the group's 2025 EP Beautiful Chaos, which debuted with 44,000 units.
Biggest Girl Group Debut Since 2008
The label said the 170,000-unit opening is the biggest debut by a girl group this decade and the largest in the United States since Danity Kane's Welcome to the Dollhouse in 2008.
Released through HYBE x Geffen Records, WILD includes the Billboard Hot 100 hits PINKY UP and Animal.
The six members of Katseye are Filipino American Sophia Laforteza, Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeung. The group is currently performing with four members, with Laforteza and Bannerman on hiatus to focus on their health and well-being.
Iowa Connection: Hinterland Headlining Set
Katseye headlined Iowa's Hinterland festival earlier this summer, part of a busy festival season that also included a Coachella debut in April and a headlining slot at Head In The Clouds in Pasadena, California.
The group's Iowa performance helped build momentum ahead of the WILD release, introducing the global act to Midwest audiences.
'WILD HEARTS' Scores at the Box Office
Katseye's success also extended to the big screen with KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS, which screened in about 1,700 theaters across 61 countries during its limited release through Trafalgar Releasing.
The film grossed nearly $8 million worldwide during its opening weekend. It earned more than $4 million from 724 screens in North America, including previews, placing No. 5 at the weekend box office. Overseas, the film brought in more than $3.8 million. Additional screening dates were added for the following weekend in response to demand.
The group is also heading into the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with two nominations. PINKY UP is up for Best K-Pop and Best Choreography.
Sold-Out World Tour Up Next
Katseye will next take its music on the road with THE WILDWORLD TOUR, beginning Sept. 1 at Dublin's 3Arena. The global run sold out in less than 48 hours, according to the group's label.
The tour includes two-night stops at The O2 in London, UBS Arena in New York, Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and Palacio de los Deportes in Mexico City.
Katseye is also scheduled to perform at Filipino American pop star Olivia Rodrigo's inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival at Great Park in Irvine, California, on Aug. 29.
'WILD' Takes Center Stage
Katseye promoted WILD with two national television appearances, including a performance of Animal on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. It marked the group's first musical performance on a late-night program.
On the EP's release day, the group also performed as part of NBC's TODAY Citi Concert Series.
The rollout extended into retail through a partnership with Target that includes seven exclusive versions of WILD, collectible cards and a KUROMI X KATSEYE capsule collection featuring fashion, collectibles, drinkware, snacks and other merchandise.
Katseye's Rapid Rise
Formed through the competition series The Debut: Dream Academy, Katseye has quickly emerged as one of pop music's prominent new global girl groups.
The group has also gained recognition beyond the charts, leading Billboard's 2026 21 Under 21 list and appearing in Variety's Power of Young Hollywood Impact Report.
Katseye was featured as Vanity Fair's VANITIES subject for its July issue, the first time the magazine selected a group for the long-running feature. The members also appeared on the June covers of Allure in the United States, South Korea and the Philippines.
With its first Billboard 200 No. 1, a strong theatrical debut and a sold-out global tour ahead, Katseye is marking its latest series of milestones less than three years after its members first came together.
What's Next for Katseye?
Fans in Iowa and across the Midwest can catch Katseye on the WILDWORLD TOUR, with U.S. dates including two nights at UBS Arena in New York and Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The group's rapid ascent shows no signs of slowing down.