Yahoo News Time to Meet Global Girl Group KATSEYE’s 6 Members
Hi, hello, have you scrolled through your social feeds and stumbled across a lil song called “Touch”? It’s infectiously catchy and has some super cute choreo to go along with it, and it feels very K-pop-inspired with an international twist. Allow us to introduce you to KATSEYE, your next favorite girl group who was formed on a reality competition show (like some of the greats, Danity Kane, Fifth Harmony, and Little Mix, nbd):
Their latest project, Soft Is Strong, is out now, and if you’re already obsessed with the girls and want to know...well, anything about them, you’ve come to the right place. Ahead, find a breakdown of KATSEYE and its 6 members: Daniela, Lara, Manon, Sophia, Megan, and Yoonchae.
How was KATSEYE formed?
As we previously mentioned, KATSEYE was formed on a reality competition show, The Debut: Dream Academy. The series was created by HYBE Entertainment, the massive company behind groups like BLACKPINK and BTS, and Geffen Records, which houses major clients like Olivia Rodrigo and Camila Cabello. Episodes were broadcast live on social media for the last three months of 2023, and 20 finalists from around the world were enrolled in the Dream Academy, which took them through an intense K-pop training crash course. The final six contestants eventually became KATSEYE.
Watch 'The Debut: Dream Academy' Here
Is KATSEYE a K-Pop group?
While the group follows K-pop methodologies, it’s not a purely K-Pop group. According to HYBE and Geffen execs, they wanted to create the biggest girl group in the world by “taking the ‘K’ out of ‘K-Pop’ and making it global.”
The girls are staying booked and busy though—they just performed on Good Morning America and Netflix is dropping an entire doc about their preparation leading up to their debut after they won Dream Academy called Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on August 21.
Who are the KATSEYE members?
Good Q! Meet the final six contestants who became KATSEYE below!
Daniela Avanzini
Age: 20
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Daniela is repping Latinas in KATSEYE as she comes from a Venezuelan and Cuban background. According to the group’s official Instagram page, she recently rang in her 20th birthday on July 1, making her a Cancer.
Lara Rajagopalan
Age: 18
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Lara is from L.A., but according to K-Popping, she attended LaGuardia High School (aka the same school Timothée Chalamet went to) in NYC. She also appeared in a 2016 project called Emoting Emojis per her IMDb profile, and in KATSEYE’s upcoming Netflix doc, she said she feels most comfortable on a stage.
Manon Bannerman
Age: 22
Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
Someone call Pitbull, because we think Manon is truly Ms. Worldwide! While she hails from Zurich, she was raised by Swiss Italian and Ghanian parents.
Megan Meiyok Skiendiel
Age: 18
Hometown: Honolulu, HI
Chinese American dancer Megan always had a love for performing, and her star power was solidified when she made fifth place on Dream Academy.
Sophia Laforteza
Age: 21
Hometown: Manila, Phillippines
Sophia ranked first on Dream Academy, which automatically made her a member of KATSEYE. The Filipina singer was born on December 31, making her a Capricorn.
Yoonchae Jeong
Age: 16
Hometown: Seoul, South Korea
Yoonchae is the only member of Korean descent, which means she was probably familiar with the rigorous K-pop style training that KATSEYE did at Dream Academy. She’s also the ~baby~ of the group, as she recently graduated high school in June 2024.
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