Warta Kema – This year, 2 members of KATSEYE, including their leader, were announced to be on hiatus because of mental health issues. Another member was announced to be on hiatus due to a sprained ankle and came back just after taking a few days off. Despite having almost half of the group on hiatus due to health concerns, KATSEYE’s schedule seems fully packed with the upcoming world tour until November 2026.

Who Is KATSEYE?

KATSEYE is a global girl group under a joint entertainment company from Korea, HYBE, and America, Geffen Records. They were formed through a reality survival show, The Debut: Dream Academy, and released their debut album in 2024 namely “Soft Is Strong (SIS).” The group consists of six members from different cultural backgrounds. The members are Sophia, Daniela, Lara, Megan, Yoonchae, and Manon.

KATSEYE is often recognized by their distinctive concept of fashion, mainly inspired by Y2K. With different cultural backgrounds, KATSEYE claimed in their SIS album design that they are united under one dream, embracing diversity and individuality through their music. Hence, the fanbase of this group, EYEKONS, were born.

KATSEYE’s popularity has risen since their second album “Beautiful Chaos,” with the popular song titled “Gnarly” in 2025. Despite the mixed reactions, “Gnarly” successfully made it into the group’s first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Beautiful Chaos” debuted at number four on Billboard 200. Their popularity peaked when their second single titled “Gabriela” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Then, the group got nominated for Best New Artist at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards in 2026.

Manon’s Hiatus, The Start Of The Downfall

On February (21/2), KATSEYE published a notice on Weverse that one of the members, Manon, announced a hiatus due to health and her well-being. Initially, this left fans concerned about her health, and they continued to support her in taking a break. Other members of KATSEYE have also supported her decision and are hoping for the best for her recovery. Seven months passed, and Manon did not get any updates since.

This left the fans worried about where Manon had gone during those several months. Other than that, KATSEYE members also started to avoid talking about her. Many fans also noticed that the group is releasing several new songs, going on world tour, and winning awards in her absence. This has raised so many questions regarding Manon’s long-term hiatus and even her continuity in KATSEYE.

Sophia’s Hiatus, The Leader’s Absence

After Manon,  Sophia, the leader of KATSEYE itself, has also announced a hiatus in August (7/9). KATSEYE posted a notice on Weverse announcing that Sophia is on hiatus because of her mental health and wellness and is expected to be back in September 2026. This raises fans’ concerns about Sophia’s well-being, considering the group’s upcoming Wild Hearts World Tour starting in September (1/10). As the leader of the group, the public is concerned about whether KATSEYE could survive the pivotal point of their career without their leader. But throughout this article being written (16/9), Sophia has not appeared to be back on stage.

Now, KATSEYE has gone from six to four members. Many fans are concerned about the well-being of KATSEYE members because there’s a high chance of overwork to fill in for the hiatus members. This has raised so many questions about how HYBE and Geffen treated their members.

Megan Hiatus, Signs Of Overwork Happening

Not long after, another member, Megan, is announced to be taking a break due to a sprained ankle in August (28/9). KATSEYE posted a notice on Weverse informing fans that the group could not perform at the Daisy Chain Fields Music Festival because Megan sprained her ankle. But then, Megan seems to get back on stage right after, at the start of their world tour. This raises more concerns from fans on KATSEYE signs of overwork.

Not only Megan, but many fans on X also found footage that shows KATSEYE getting tired from working relentlessly. From one of their vlogs, a fan (@jdphia) clipped a video of KATSEYE members repeatedly admitting that they felt tired and even fatigued. Despite the world tour, KATSEYE’s schedule has been very packed since they blew up. Just how packed is KATSEYE’s schedule?

KATSEYE’s Unsustainable Schedule

Since they’ve become a hit, KATSEYE has been constantly packing their schedule. After releasing their popular song “Gnarly” in April 2025, they’ve released two Extended Plays (EP), three remixes, and six singles in 17 months. Not only that, they also have to attend talk shows and TV shows for  each of their releases. To visualize how packed their concert schedules are, all of the concerts and performances are The Beautiful Chaos Tour (May-December 2025), Grammy (February 2026), Lollapalooza (March 2026), Coachella (April 2026), United States (US) Summer Festivals (June-August 2026), and even their upcoming Wildworld Tour (September-November 2026).

This oversimplified schedule shows how fully packed they are at such an unsustainable pace for the members. Even though KATSEYE didn’t officially say they are exhausted, fans keep noticing so many signs of overwork from them. As a result of the schedule and the hiatuses, many fans are concerned about their well-being and the continuity of KATSEYE’s career. If this continues, will KATSEYE survive 2026?

Reporter : Fernaldhy Rossi Armanda

Editor : Khayla Dinda Pradwina dan Elga Thalita Perangin Angin