Meet KATSEYE: The HYBE Girl Group That’s All the Rage Right Now

“I don’t need nobody tryna tell me how to run it” — a powerful line from KATSEYE’s debut single Debut that shows the group’s fearless spirit and big dreams to take on the world.

The 6-member girl group has quickly taken over the K-pop scene, just a year into their debut. They have reached a level of success similar to NewJeans in their early days, but their music has a different vibe. Their music is infectious, bold, edgy, and unapologetic.

KATSEYE is different, not just like any other K-pop group. The girls are openly sharing their thoughts on topics like sexuality, tattoos, and other subjects that K-pop idols rarely discuss. No wonder the group is on everyone’s radar this year. 

They are scheduled to drop their second mini-album Beautiful Chaos on June 27, with the title track Gabriela already released last Friday. So, now’s as good a time as any to get to know all about KATSEYE members and their journey so far.

A Look at KATSEYE’s Journey So Far

Formed through the survival show The Debut: Dream Academy—a joint project between HYBE (the label behind BTS) and Geffen Records—KATSEYE is the product of a highly competitive, months-long search that brought together talented trainees from across the globe. 

Out of 20 finalists, six members were selected to debut, each bringing their own story, talent, and cultural background to the group. The journey of the top 20 contestants training undergoing intense training was documented in a docuseries, Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE, available on Netflix.

KATSEYE consists of Sophia from the Philippines, Daniela from the USA, Lara from the USA, Manon from Switzerland, Yoonchae from South Korea, and Megan from the USA.

KATSEYE members come from varying cultural backgrounds, and the leader Sophia Laforteza dished on the importance of staying true to oneself in an interview with Teen Vogue.

What resonated with the people so much about our visuals is how much we choose to enhance it and stay true to ourselves.

In an interview with NME, Lara shared similar thoughts, saying,

Sophia is the first Filipino person under HYBE, Manon is the first Black girl, and I am the first brown girl. It has never been done before and we are very underrepresented so I think there are a lot of eyes on us. It is so important that we constantly talk about our culture and make it very evident that we’re proud of where we’re from. 

They officially debuted on June 28, 2024, with 1st digital single Debut. Their second digital single Touch, released exactly a month later, became a viral sensation on TikTok and social media platforms. Touch was a pre-release of their debut English mini-album, SIS (Soft is Strong) released last August.

In April, KATSEYE made their comeback with a pre-release song, Gnarly, from their forthcoming album, Beautiful Chaos. Gnarly became their first Billboard HOT 100 hit, settling at #92. The title track, Gabriela, starring Jessica Alba was released on Friday, June 20. 

KATSEYE Members

Sophia Laforteza

Sophia, the leader of KATSEYE, was born on December 31, 2002, and hails from Queens, New York, with Filipino-American heritage. She topped the Dream Academy competition, earning her position as leader and guiding voice in the group.

Known for her powerful vocals and grounded personality, Sophia is also passionate about musical theater. Outside of music, she loves cooking and caring for her pets.

Manon Bannerman

Manon, born June 26, 2002, in Zürich, Switzerland, brings a Swiss-Italian-Ghanaian background to the group. She speaks Swiss-German, German, English, and French (and some Spanish). She was already a respected model and photographer before her debut. Manon ranked 6th among the Dream Academy finalists and earned the position of KATSEYE’s visual.

Daniela Avanzini

Daniela was born on July 1, 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia, and brings Cuban-Venezuelan-American roots to KATSEYE. A trained Latina dancer, she’s competed on shows like So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Got Talent. Beyond performance, Daniela is known for her outgoing, charismatic personality and strong bilingual skills. As the group’s main dancer, she ranked 3rd among the finalists.

Lara Rajagopalan

Born November 3, 2005, in Dallas and raised in Los Angeles, Lara is HYBE’s first South Asian artist. She was a runner-up in the survival show and now serves as KATSEYE’s main vocalist. She is of Tamil descent and fluent in English and Tamil. Lara boldly embraced her queer identity earlier this year, saying she is “half fruitcake”.

Megan Skiendiel

Megan, born February 10, 2006, in Honolulu, Hawaii, brings a blend of Swedish-Chinese-American heritage to KATSEYE. She is an all-rounder of the group and ranked fifth among the Dream Academy contestants. She is a multi-talented performer who sings, dances, raps, and models, with runway experience from shows in Paris and LA. Megan is also working on Cantonese and French skills. She is dyslexic and enrolled in an online school in grade 4. Megan came out as bi during a livestream with bandmate Lara earlier this month. 

Yoonchae Jeung

Yoonchae, the group’s maknae, was born December 6, 2007, in Seoul and is the only member from South Korea. She was the youngest in Dream Academy and anchors KATSEYE’s K-pop core with her cheerful energy and precise dancing. Yoonchae was inspired by BTS to pursue her dream of becoming a K-pop star.

With their talent, diversity, and the full support of their agencies, KATSEYE seems well on their way to becoming one of the biggest names in the next generation of K-pop.