Despite being an enthralling watch, Pop Star Academy: Katseye is facing criticism for potentially deceiving its contestants, according to sources.
Despite the new documentary series being a fun concept, it’s important to not misunderstand the collaboration between K-pop powerhouse HYBE and US record label Geffen. They are joining forces to curate what is being described as the first-ever “global girl group.”
After carefully selecting from a pool of over 120,000 young applicants from all over the world, the team has narrowed it down to approximately 20 trainees.
The purpose of their role is to demonstrate their abilities in singing, dancing, charisma, and influence while completing intensive K-pop training in Los Angeles.
Only six contestants successfully made it through to form the girl group Katseye, resulting in plenty of tears throughout the process.
Following the release of their debut single ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong)’ on August 16, Pop Star Academy: Katseye was featured on Netflix in a series of eight episodes showcasing the group’s triumphs and challenges.
Despite fans’ positive reception of the new show, the executives in charge of creating the pop group are currently facing backlash for deceiving contestants about the true nature of the show.
For weeks, they were under the impression that they were only participating in a training program, but little did they know they were actually preparing for a survival show series in which they would be subject to public votes.
Moreover, in Episode 6, it was revealed that before proceeding with their third mission, four of the remaining 18 contestants would be eliminated.
Instead of receiving the news from the trainers they had been training with for months, Brooklyn, Karlee, Iliya, and Mei were informed of their elimination through a robotic voice on a television screen, resulting in their departure from the competition.
During the voting period, the participants were instructed to select five of their fellow contestants for their desired debut group. Before the elimination, they were shown the results of these selections, with some receiving a significant number of votes while others received none.
The contestants were surprised to see their answers displayed on the screen while sitting next to each other.
Lexie chose to depart from the show in Episode 7, citing that it had become something she no longer wanted to be associated with.
She expresses her disapproval of the program’s transformation into a public show, which caused division amongst the participants. This change greatly bothered her and left her feeling upset and uncomfortable.
Karlee reveals, “Initially, we were unaware that this was a survival show. The concept was presented to us as a training program where we would select the members, undergo preparation for debut, and finally debut.”
“The essence of K-pop and a group lies in their strong bond and mutual trust, while survival shows pit contestants against each other. I do not support the idea of pitting individuals against each other in order to form a group.”
Meanwhile, Brooklyn brings attention to the dream team voting, revealing, “During the interview, I was personally assured that this would not be made public and I felt completely betrayed.”
Despite HXG president Mitra’s explanation that a more compelling storyline was necessary, the deception has caused disappointment among many fans watching from home.
Speaking on X/Twitter, an individual stated, “If I agreed to be trained privately, evaluated privately, and chosen for a girl group privately, and then after a year of exhausting training and harsh evaluations, it turns out to be a SURVIVAL SHOW! I would be furious.”
Another individual expressed, “In my opinion, the executives were completely wrong for not informing the girls from the beginning that Dream Academy/Katseye would be a survival show. It is also unfair that they are now airing those clips after the group has already been formed, knowing that it will cause people to take sides.”
“The statement from an executive that they will increase the stakes, entertainment, and drama, because that is what the fans truly desire, was followed by a clip of a contestant expressing that she no longer recognizes herself and how their actions continue to break hearts every week/after each mission. This observation was also shared by a third person.”
“The girls were not informed that it was a survival show and were continuously deceived about their privacy, as seen in Episode 7. This was deeply troubling and disappointing. While I still support Katseye, their actions were unacceptable. Prioritizing a more dramatic storyline over the trust and well-being of the girls in that room was a betrayal.”
A fourth individual also expressed their opinion, stating, “Why isn’t there more discussion about the fact that the public voting for the survival show was kept secret from the girls during training? It was extremely unfair.”
Despite some disagreement with the decisions that were made, there are still individuals who support them. For instance, this person stated, “Although I am not a fan of the fact that HYBE and Geffen did not inform the girls about their participation in a survival show, I believe it was ultimately the right decision. The final line up of Katseye is flawless.”
Katseye, from Pop Star Academy, is currently available for streaming on Netflix. Don’t forget to browse the new TV shows premiering this month and add some movies to your watchlist.
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