Katseye (pronounced as a cat’s eye) is a newly formed sensational pop-music girl group who debuted in 2024. Katseye consists of 6 insanely talented young women from different continents and rich cultures, breaking historical records for diversity: obtaining the title of the first Indian, Black, Latina, and Filipina artists under the HYBE (a primarily Korean) label. Sophia, Lara, Daniela, Yoonchae, Megan, and Manon comprise the girl-power group where they simultaneously sing and bust down moves for crowds of thousands, comparable to the PussyCat Dolls or Le Sserafim. You may have overheard their viral hit on Instagram edit audios, “Touch“, that has a catchy, whimsy tune. Read more about how their group came to fruition and the background history of each special girl!
Formation history
In 2021, the leading Kpop label HYBE Corporation (responsible for management of legendary boybands like BTS, Seventeen, and TXT) wished to expand their musical efforts internationally to produce a hit global girl group. To ensure their artists reach and represent audiences cross-culturally, they partnered with California’s finest, Geffen Records (those who signed Olivia Rodrigo), to achieve success in their project to redefine female pop groups. Jointly, HYBE and Geffen Records contracted several industry professionals for vocal coaching, learning dance choreography, and overall performance education. 120,000 girls applied from around the world for a dazzling once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the rigorous Kpop production/style of training. Eventually, they accepted 20 trainees to foster their skills for a year and inevitably throw them into a survival show reality television competition. Labeled “Dream Academy” in 2023, documentary found on Netflix, contestants were forced to perform live in front of judges and audiences vote on their favorites. Ultimately, 6 gals were rewarded the coveted positions for the newest pop sensation.
member description
- Sophia Laforteza (1st place)
This Filipina queen was a clear technical frontrunner within the trainee program, almost always receiving top marks, and solidified her spot in the group as most voted for by international fans and leader of her academy. Sophia is a poised and dedicated 22nd year old who entered the spotlight with a passion for belting musical theater. Ethnically hailing from the Philippines, the land of karaoke and natural-born stellar vocals, Sophia grew up witnessing amazing artistry from her mother, a professional singer. Her consistently talented performance and diligence to constantly improving her abilities caught the attention of 2/3 final panelist judges for their vote. Sophia serves as the leader of Katseye, representing the Philippines as the first Filipina to debut under HYBE records. She maintains a chipper, lively attitude but carries herself with a grace and professionalism beyond her years. If Katseye were a classroom, Sophia would be the A+ honors student who does extra credit in her free time and the teacher’s favorite.
- Lara Rajagopalan (2nd place)
This powerhouse siren voice came into the contest with a bang, immediately hypnotizing all of her fellow contestants and mentors. Lara arrived later in the game when the directors were pining for an enchanting singer to provide the pop group stable support. Lara, now 19, is a First-Generation American and Indian goddess who can speak Tamil! Lara exudes ultimate cool girl energy with her love for bold makeup looks and collecting crystals. Often described as possessing a sensual and magnetizing aura on stage, she quickly gained the hearts of many fans wishing to see brown girl representation hit Western and Kpop industries. In the trainee program, she secured #1 in vocal abilities on the charts for her silky smooth tone and musicality (she creates her own beats!). Lara is confidence incarnate, unabashedly showing her culture and passions, and it brings an extra level of maturity to this girl group. I personally would love to be besties with this girl’s girl.
- Daniela Avanzini (3rd place)
Daniela already achieved a flash of fame in her early childhood days as a pre-professional competition Latin ballroom dancer. Do you recall a tiny but sassy firecracker in a ballroom duo on America’s Got Talent? Or perhaps you viewed So You Can Think You Can Dance Juniors and caught a glimpse of a flexible Latin dancer with a head full of curls? All those years of grueling training under her belt, Daniela’s fierce yet highly detailed dancing style propelled her in the Dream Academy competition as a force to be reckoned with. She excelled under pressure due to her conviction in her abilities and unshakeable mindset like nothing can rattle her. Daniela is ethnically Venezuelan-Cuban-Italian and promotes her Latina identity as a strength as a performer. Her spicy personality (savage quips and intimidating game-face) makes her one to watch under the limelight. Daniela has elevated the level of historical group choreography from the 20th century (think Spice Girls) to an elite quality (these girls are hyper flexible and agile).
- Jeung Yoonchae (4th place)
Bringing Kpop essence and embodiment is the youngest member of this posse, 17 year old Yoonchae of South Korea. During the cut-throat Dream Academy process, she solo traveled halfway across the globe to Los Angeles at merely 15. Might I add, she was not even fluent in the English language when she lived in a dorm full of a dozen girls. She received bonafide idol coaching in Korea before switching to HYBE x Geffen records for general pop group/Western artist training. Yoonchae is a polished and polite, perfect model of an idol. She naturally understood how to work the cameras with cutesy, enticing facials and endearing appearance. A darling angelic voice and peaceful personality showcases Yoonchae as a valuable member and center-role worthy. Since this radiating beauty is the baby of the group, it will be exciting to see how she grows and metamorphize with the varying concepts the girl group will experiment. Her background also brings the Kpop crowd to discover and support Katseye.
- Megan Meiyok Skiendiel (5th place)
Is that Bloom from Winx Club fairies? Not quite, but Megan’s orange girlboss haircut is equally as iconic. Megan is a fun-loving spirited teen from the tropical paradise of Hawaii. An American with half Chinese and half Swedish descent, she brings the best of both worlds with her energetic, goofy side and her contrasting bold and powerful artist persona. Megan’s silliness combined with hard work ethic warmed the hearts of her training staff and judges, gaining her 5th place overall in the academy competition and in the pop group. Oftentimes, her attractive star quality is compared to a young Britney Spears in-the-making. Megan is a fighter and attacks her dance moves and belting with the same tenacity she exercises within the practice studio. Out of all the trainees in the documentary, Megan seemed to become the main character/interest of the show with her big doe eyes and even bigger dreams of stardom. “Girl crush” and “femme fatale” aesthetics seem to best describe her innocent yet killer vibe.
- Meret Manon Bannerman (6th place)
The natural face card on this ethereal princess is truly like none other you have seen. As the eldest member, Miss Manon from Switzerland serves visuals on the daily, drawing audiences into the fandom with her gorgeous appearance. Manon was personally scouted by talent agents from HYBE and Geffen Records for her bewitching charm and already substantial amassed social media following. There is simply just something indescribable about her that stimulates your curiosity, and the judges immediately noticed this innate superstar ambience for the group lineup. Most recognizable for her signature Rapunzel-length knotless braids hairstyle, Manon shines amongst the crowd as THE embodiment of Katseye. She is the well-versed polyglot out of this diverse group, as she grew up in Switzerland and speaks Swiss-German as her native language. Her mother’s ancestry comes from Italy and her father was originally from Ghana, so her ethnicity is Swiss-Italian-Ghanaian. Manon acts super down to earth, logically grounded, and values having her beloved family close. She may seem shy and reserved in passing, but she is unintentionally a goofball!