KATSEYE is a global pop group that originated in Los Angeles and is known for songs such as “Gnarly” and “Gabriella.” The group consists of six members: Sophia, Lara, Daniela, Megan, Manon, and Yoonchae. These girls come from the Philippines, Switzerland, Korea, and the United States.
The group was formed in 2023 through a reality competition series called “Dream Academy,” which was a collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records. HYBE is known for numerous K-pop groups such as BTS, SEVENTEEN, LE SSERIFIM, and NewJeans. Geffen Records has artists like Nirvana, Olivia Rodrigo, and Kali Uchis. The series was later turned into a Netflix documentary called Pop Star Academy: Katseye, which shows the auditioning process, the intense training, and the formation of the group.
KATSEYE first debuted in June of 2024 with their first single, “Debut,” followed by another single, “Touch,” which got them their first VMA for best push performance. They later went on to release their extended EP SIS (soft is strong). In April 2025, they released their song “Gnarly,” and despite getting mixed reviews from fans on release, it went to the Billboard top 100. In addition, they released their second EP called “Beautiful Chaos” in June of 2025, which hit the Billboard’s top 200.
Here’s a little information about each of the KATSEYE group members:
Sophia: Sophia Laforteza, is the leader of KATSEYE. She is twenty-two years old and is the second-oldest member of the group. Ethnically, she is Filipino, and she can speak both English and Tagalog. She was born in Queens, New York. Her mother, Carla Laforteza, was a well-known singer and actress in the Philippines and she is a big inspiration for Sophia.
Daniella: Daniella Aavanzini is the main dancer of KATSEYE. She is twenty-one years old, and the third oldest of the group. She has Venezuelan, Italian, and Cuban origins and she was born in Atlanta, Georgia. She can speak both English and Spanish. Before debuting, she was a ballroom dancer and had done a multitude of dance styles, such as Afro-Cuban, Afro-style dancing, and Salsa.
Lara: Lara Rajagopalan is the main vocalist of KATSEYE. She is nineteen years old, and the fourth oldest in the group. She was born in Los Angeles California. Her mother is of Indian descent, and her father is Sri Lankan, but both are ethnically Tamil. She has an older sister named Rhea Raj, who also makes music. In March of 2025, Lara openly came out as queer and gained a large amount of support from fans.
Megan: Megan Skeindiel is the fifth oldest in the group. She is the all-rounder of the group, meaning she can sing, dance, and she has good visuals. She was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is ethnically Swedish-Chinese, with her mother being Singaporean Chinese and her father being Swedish. She can speak Cantonese and basic French. She came out as bisexual in June of 2025 and gained a great amount of support from fans.
Manon: Manon Bannerman is the oldest of the group, and she is also the leader of the group. Her mother is Swiss-Italian and her dad is from Ghana, making her Swiss-Italian-Ghanaian. When pronouncing her name, the last “n” is silent, so you would say it as “Man-no.” Her first language was Swiss German, but she can also speak English, a little bit of French, and she’s learning Spanish. She wants to be fluent so she can speak it with Daniella.
Yoonchae: Jeong Yoon-Chae is the maknae of the group, which means she is the youngest. She was born in Seoul, Korea, and is fluent in Korean and English, with Korean being her first language.
KATSEYE is known for its distinct fashion, drawing from Y2K fashion. Their growing brand gave them multiple endorsements and campaigns, such as Fendi and their most popular Gap campaign. Their fans are very excited to see what they create next!
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