The Global Girl Group Katseye Are Making Their Fans Drool With Anticipation
Hands off, Gabriella, cause the trophy has officially been taken by the global girl group Katseye!
I am already in love with them, so let’s just explore their journey together!
The six-member girl group KATSEYE has built a passionate global fanbase. Fans have eagerly followed KATSEYE’s journey over nearly three years and across multiple continents.
KATSEYE comes from a unique partnership between American label Geffen Records, known for artists like Olivia Rodrigo and Camila Cabello, and HYBE Entertainment, home of BTS and featured in a new GRAMMY Museum exhibit.
This collaboration brings together two cultures that have a track record of making artists famous.
KATSEYE members – Sophia, Manon, Daniela, Lara, Yoonchae, and Megan – are ready for the global stage.
According to Weverse Magazine, Tom March, who is the President of Geffen Records (now Chairman and CEO of Capitol Records). He mentioned this during a 2023 press conference.
Ahead of the August 16 release of their debut album, SIS (Soft Is Strong), GRAMMY.com shared important details about these rising stars, including their training process and global connections.
Who Are The Katseye Members?
KATSEYE is a music group with six members from different cultures around the world. Sophia comes from the Philippines.
Yoonchae was born in Korea. Manon grew up in Switzerland with Swiss Italian and Ghanaian parents.
We have three American members who have diverse backgrounds, too. Lara is Indian, Daniela is Venezuelan Cuban, and Megan is Chinese Singaporean.
KATSEYE sings in English, but the members also speak several other languages. This helps them connect with fans globally.
What Do We Know About The Katseye Members Age?
The KATSEYE members’ ages range from 16 to 22 years old. The group consists of six members: Manon, Sophia, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae.
While their exact birthdates are not publicly detailed, this age range provides a general idea of their ages, according to Smitty Big Towing.
| Members | Age |
|---|---|
| Sophia | 22 Years |
| Manon | 23 Years |
| Daniela | 21 Years |
| Lara | 19 Years |
| Megan | 19 Years |
| Yoonchae | 17 Years |
What Was The Journey Of These Katseye Members?
Twenty finalists took part in a program called “The Debut: Dream Academy.” This program was like an “X Factor”-style competition and was streamed live on social media for almost three months in late 2023.
The “Dream Academy” introduced the finalists to the K-pop trainee system. Here, aspiring stars train hard in singing, dancing, and learning foreign languages to become skilled artists.
The show eliminated contestants through audience voting and evaluations from experts. And not to mention, this included executives from HYBE and Geffen, until only the final group remained.
The competition had three rounds with specific challenges that tested each finalist’s:
- Dance and singing abilities
- Teamwork
- Performance skills
Most contestants were based in Los Angeles, but they also had opportunities to train at HYBE’s headquarters in Seoul, South Korea.
The final group was announced live on November 17, 2023, in front of a studio audience in Los Angeles, with thousands watching online.
The atmosphere was filled with excitement as each member was revealed one by one, leading to tears of joy and cheers from the crowd.
One finalist, Lara, shared her emotions after being selected, saying it was her dream come true. On that day, the official group name, KATSEYE, was also presented, marking their change from trainees to a full group.
Netflix documented their entire training and development journey and plans to release it as a series called “Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE” on August 21.
The series aims to show an inside look at the hard work involved in creating a global music star.
What Makes The Katseye Members Stand Out?
Confidence. That being said, I am not claiming at all that the other band members are not confident. But Katseye members are different.
Lara explained to Teen Vogue that their debut single is “really just about sisterhood and being confident and strong and powerful and the best version of yourself.”
Fans can expect this theme to continue in their upcoming album, SIS (Soft Is Strong). Sophia mentioned in the group’s intro film, “Our debut comes with a lot of confidence and a lot of willpower and passion.”
KATSEYE has released two singles that focus on themes of confidence and empowerment. Their first single, “Debut,” is a lively pop song showing the group’s self-confidence as newcomers in the industry.
The second single, “Touch,” is an R&B song with drum-and-bass influences that celebrates independence.
What Have Katseye Memebers Been Up To?
On June 28, 2024, KATSEYE released their first pre-debut song, “Debut.” A month later, on July 26, they launched their second pre-debut track, “Touch.”
This song quickly became popular, gaining over 14 million monthly listeners on Spotify and nearly 400,000 TikTok videos. KATSEYE also gained more than 4 million followers across various platforms.
After these successful pre-debut songs, KATSEYE released their first EP, “SIS (Soft Is Strong),” on August 16, 2024.
The EP includes five tracks, including “Debut” and “Touch.” Due to the popularity of these songs, the EP debuted impressively at #119 on the Billboard 200 Album Charts.
KATSEYE became the first Global/Western girl group to reach this milestone.
KATSEYE released their single “Gnarly” in April 2025, which was the main track from their second EP, “Beautiful Chaos.”
The song received positive feedback, debuting at No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 52 in the UK. It also reached No. 1 on Spotify’s U.S.
Top Songs Debut chart, with over 8 million streams in just a few days. The music video premiere and performances on major Korean music shows helped “Gnarly” gain popularity on social media and made a significant impact in the music industry.
Who Is The Leader Of Katseye?
Sophia Laforteza is the leader of the K-pop group KATSEYE. She was chosen for her strong leadership skills, ability to bring the group together, and supportive nature.
Additionally, Sophia is a Filipina-American singer and won first place in the survival show “Dream Academy,” which helped her debut in KATSEYE.
My Takeaway
Some people have trouble identifying the voices in KATSEYE’s songs. This issue started with “Soft Is Strong” because HYBE chose a more blended vocal style instead of highlighting each member’s uniqueness.
It seems this was a deliberate choice for now. Hopefully, they will create better harmonies in the future, like Red Velvet and NMIXX.
The main point is that they are targeting a different audience on TikTok and Instagram. Fans in the KATSEYE, EYEKONS, and Dream Academy communities tend to look for more serious content, so this new approach may not resonate well with them, leading to mixed reactions.
Also, KATSEYE has strong skills in singing, dancing, and reality shows. However, it seems their team wants to focus on a specific style for their first year.
They have planned their releases months or years in advance due to budget and production limits.
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