Everything you need to know about the 6 members of the global girl group KATSEYE
Hello, hello, have you been scrolling through your social feeds and stumbled upon a little song called “Touch”? It’s infectiously catchy and has a super cute choreography to it, and it feels very K-pop inspired with an international twist. Allow us to introduce you to KATSEYE, your next favorite girl group formed on a reality competition show (like some of the greats, Danity Kane, Fifth Harmony and Little Mix, nbd):
Her latest project, Soft is strongis out now, and if you’re already obsessed with the girls and… well, want to know anything about them, you’ve come to the right place. Below is an overview of KATSEYE and its 6 members: Daniela, Lara, Manon, Sophia, Megan, and Yoonchae.
How did KATSEYE come about?
As mentioned, KATSEYE was created in a reality competition show. The Debut: Dream Academy. The series was created by HYBE Entertainment, the giant company behind groups like BLACKPINK and BTS, and Geffen Records, which hosts major clients like Olivia Rodrigo and Camila Cabello. Episodes aired live on social media over the last three months of 2023, and 20 finalists from around the world were accepted into the Dream Academy, where they underwent an intensive K-pop training crash course. The final six contestants eventually became KATSEYE.
Watch “The Debut: Dream Academy” here
Is KATSEYE a K-pop group?
Although the group uses K-pop methods, it is not a pure K-pop group. According to HYBE and Geffen executives, they wanted to create the biggest girl group in the world by “taking the ‘K’ out of ‘K-pop’ and making them global.”
However, the girls are still fully booked and busy – they just performed Good morning America And Netflix releases a full documentary about the preparations for her debut after the victory Dream Academy called Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE on August 21st.
Who are the members of KATSEYE?
Good question! Meet the final six contestants who became KATSEYE below!
Daniela Avanzini
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Age: 20
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Daniela represents Latinas in KATSEYE as she has Venezuelan and Cuban roots. According to the group’s official Instagram page, she recently celebrated her 20th birthday on July 1st, making her a Cancer.
Lara Rajagopalan
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Age: 18
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Lara is from LA, but according to K-Pop MusicShe attended LaGuardia High School (the same school that Timothée Chalamet attended). She also appeared in a 2016 project titled Emojis with emotions According to her IMDb profile and in the upcoming Netflix documentary KATSEYE, she said she feels most comfortable on stage.
Manon Bannerman
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Age: 22
Hometown: Zurich, Switzerland
Someone call Pitbull, because we think Manon really is Ms. Worldwide! Although she is from Zurich, she was raised by Swiss-Italian and Ghanaian parents.
Megan Meiyok Skiendiel
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Age: 18
Hometown: Honolulu, Hawaii
Chinese-American dancer Megan has always had a passion for the stage and her status as a star was cemented when she placed fifth Dream Academy.
Sophia Laforteza
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Age: 21
Hometown: Manila, Philippines
Sophia took first place on Dream Academywhich automatically made her a member of KATSEYE. The Filipino singer was born on December 31st and is therefore under the zodiac sign of Capricorn.
Yoonchae Jeong
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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 underwent at Dream Academy. She is also the ~baby~ of the group, having recently graduated from high school in June 2024.