#bth extra

synopsis. solani’s introduction into dream academy & meeting the other girls

tags. google translated spanish, lani meeting (most of) the girls for the first time

popstar academy, nov 2022 | los angeles CA

in the trainee dorms, ilya sits perched on the top bunk, legs swinging idly as she glances down at the camera set up on a tripod in the corner. her curls are frizzy from rehearsal and her sweatshirt slips lazily off one shoulder. "wait," she says, turning to sophia with an arched brow, "do they know the new girl's coming?"

sophia, seated cross-legged on the floor beneath her, shrugs one shoulder and digs into a snack bag without looking up. "i dunno, should we tell them?”

with a dramatic sweep of her arm iliya turns to the camera and proclaims in a sultry british accent, "a new bombshell will enter the villa."

the door clicks open behind them, and emily slips into the room, just barely dodging the edge of it before it clips sophia in the shoulder. "sorry, sorry!" she winces, shutting it behind her. "are we talking about the new girl?"

"yep," iliya says, still grinning. "trying to decide who gets her."

"'cause there's no room in here," sophia continues, pointing lazily between the bunk beds. "like, none. we're maxed out."

"i feel like the big room makes the most sense," iliya adds, glancing at emily for confirmation. “you guys still have that extra bunk, right?" 

the words are barely out before the door creaks open again, this time revealing a skipping megan with a grin plastered across her face. "we'll take her!" she declares triumphantly, shooting one hand into the air like volunteering as tribute. "she can share with me, adéla, and em—our fourth bunk is still empty."

emily barely gives it a beat before reaching up and grabbing megan's raised wrist, yanking it down with mock alarm. "dude! what if she's, like, a total nightmare? you just volunteered our room."

sophia snorts. "yeah, i feel like that's a bold move considering we literally know nothing about her."

"i do," megan sing-songs, eyes gleaming as she climbs onto sophia's lower bunk like it's hers. "i got it outta missy." she pauses for effect. "nikkys in mexico training her right now."

that earns a synchronized round of skeptical glares as emily lifts a perfectly shaped brow. "missy? no shot. she never talks."

"well she did this time!" megan insists, bouncing slightly on the mattress. "her name is solani—she's twelve, from mexico city."

"twelve?" sophia echoes, half-choking on a sip of water. iliya's jaw drops; emily's eyes go wide.

"i didn't even know they were taking auditions that young," iliya says, voice a little softer now. the idea of someone that young stepping into this pressure-cooker environment feels a little crazy.

"yeah, well," megan shrugs, grabbing sophia's phone without asking and beginning to type in a search bar, "she must be really good, then." she says it casually, but there's something sharp underneath it—because if someone that young is being flown in this late in the game...she's not just good.

she's a threat.

popstar academy, nov 2022 | los angeles, CA

tension hums through the air like static as the girls gather in the main living room on the night of solanis arrival. it's late, but no one is willing to go to bed. they're all perched somewhere: on the armrests of couches, cross-legged on the floor, pretending to be chill even as their eyes keep darting toward the front door.

a bubbling pot of ramen simmers unattended in the kitchen, abandoned in the wake of a whispered update that the car should be close. slippers shuffle across hardwood floors and every so often one of the girls get up to peer through the windows.

lexie is the only one pretending not to care. she's clicking through channels absently on the living room tv, volume low. "does anyone even know when she's coming?" she mutters, not looking away from the screen.

"nope.” manon answers from the couch with a shrug, phone balanced on her knee. the digital clock on the wall blinks eleven thirty; outside the city is asleep, but in here everyone is wide awake.

"do we even know what bunk she's going in?" dani pipes up from the far end of the sectional, socked feet tucked underneath her.

"still figuring it out.” sophia replies with a light laugh. "we only found out this morning that she was coming tonight."

"we should ask her what she wants to do," karlee suggests, chewing on the sleeve of her hoodie as she leans against the wall. "let her choose."

"isn't she really young?" naisha calls out from the kitchen. "like...ten? i swear megan said ten."

"twelve," sophia corrects gently from where she sits on the floor. "still the youngest by a lot, though. maybe it's better if she shares with girls closer to her age."

"which would be..." megan starts, looking around. "me, emily, and adéla. yoonchae, ua, and hinari are closer in age but their room is full, so that kinda narrows it down."

"okay, so it's settled." sophia nods, clapping her hands once in resolution. "the new girl will go in megans room."

that's what they've been calling her all day: the new girl. it was vague and impersonal, but it was all anyone had to go off of. they just knew she'd been handpicked, and that she'd gotten a full month of one on one training in mexico before being flown in. which, frankly, made her more of a mystery than a new roommate.

[ADÉLA — CONFESSIONAL]

"it's daunting," adéla admits softly, tucked on the edge of her neatly made bunk bed, hands clasped in her lap. "you want to be welcoming, obviously, but this is still a competition, so there is a flicker of insecurity. like...what if she's better? what if she's exactly what they're looking for?"

[MEGAN — CONFESSIONAL]

"it's always a gamble," megan muses in her own confessional, sitting cross-legged in an oversized tee. "you don't know if she's gonna click with the group or totally throw off the balance. but it also kinda feels like...getting a new sister. that's what this place is, anyway. a weird, stressful, beautiful little sisterhood."

popstar academy, november 2022 | los angeles, CA.

a sleek black suv pulls into the driveway, headlights flashing briefly as the engine cuts. in the backseat solani clutches her phone till her knuckles ache as she stares up at the looming house. her suitcase is wedged beside her, nearly as big as she is. the door opens and nikky steps out first, reaching in to help with her bag.

solanis legs feel like jelly as she swings them out onto the pavement. today had been her first time on a plane and it had been to move to a different country, but this is the part she's most afraid of.

nikky doesn't walk her to the door. she just rests a hand on the girl's shoulder, gives her one last encouraging squeeze, and nods toward the porch with a gentle "you got this, solani."

solani nods back but her feet feel like lead as she climbs the steps, suitcase bumping with every stair. the porch light casts long shadows as she lifts her hand, pushes the heavy front door open, and steps inside.

the door slams behind her a little too loudly.

she's frozen in the entryway, alone with her giant suitcase and pounding heart. every part of her wants to turn and run back out to the car, but fast approaching footsteps have her trapped. 

the first girl to appear is tall, with pale skin and long dark hair, wearing a warm, kind smile. "it's so nice to meet you, i'm sophia!" she chirps, sweeping lani into a tight hug before she can back away. "you must be exhausted."

"um—nice to meet you," lani recites automatically, trying her hardest to pretend she wasn’t rapidly translating in her head. "i'm solani."

before she can take another breath a second girl with bleach blonde hair to her chin bounds forward. "i'm karlee! we've been waiting all night for you."

more girls follow and lani recites each name in her head—daniela, megan, emily, adéla, celesté, lara, lexie, manon, marquise—until the living room is completely full. there are at least thirteen girls, all of them older, taller, more confident-looking. and every single one of them is looking right at her.

for a long beat nobody says anything and solani grips the handle of her suitcase, feeling entirely out of her depth.

then manon speaks up from the back of the group. "how was your flight?"

“um, my…” lani clears her throat, heart pounding with embarrassment. "i’m sorry...i'm now learning english." she apologizes slowly, a phrase she'd had saved in her notes app for weeks.

the girl who'd introduced herself as daniela lights up, stepping toward the front of the group. "¡puedo ayudar! mis padres son latinos y crecí hablando español en casa." (i can help! my parents are latino and i grew up speaking spanish at home.)

solani could have cried at the immense amount of relief she felt at that. she lets out a nervous laugh, "gracias a dios." (thank God.)

sophia smiles gently, speaking slow but not in a way meant to make solani feel stupid. "where in mexico are you from?"

"tepito," solani answers automatically, shifting from foot to foot as her brain processes the little english she does know. "um...mexico city." she tries to steady her breathing. for a moment she questions what she's even doing here.

megan grins. "well," she says brightly, "i hope you're not allergic to glitter, 'cause emily's in a crafting phase and you're stuck with us."

emily rolls her eyes. "that was one time." laughter bubbles through the room yet solani only smiles awkwardly; she has no idea what megan said, as the slightly older teen spoke in such a rapid pace lani felt dizzy from just trying to follow along.

"come on, we'll show you our room." adéla steps forward, gently lifting solanis suitcase from her grip and offering a soft smile. “there’s three of us in there already, but it’s the biggest room.

instinctively solani darts her eyes toward daniela, a clear cry for help.

the older girl smiles sympathetically, “dice que te enseñará tu habitación; ya hay tres personas allí, pero es grande.” (she says she'll show you your room; there's already three of them in there, but its big)

solani nods, flashing a grateful smile as she trails behind the blonde down the hallway. megan, emily, and daniela follow close behind, chatting excitedly.

megan shoves open their bedroom door with a proud flourish. it's warm and lived-in, with clothes draped over each desk chair, hairbrushes and water bottles littering each dresser, mismatched heels peeking out from half-under one of the two wooden bunk beds.

solani steps inside quietly, taking it all in. the room feels both cramped and enormous; familiar in its chaos, foreign in its context. she reaches for the handle of her suitcase awkwardly, unsure where to stand. megan answers for her, dragging it to the center of the room and starting to unzip it before solani can protest. "i stalked you on instagram." she admits casually, shoving a t-shirt through a plastic hanger.

solani’s eyes widen fearfully. "no you did not.”

"i did," megan grins proudly. "took some digging 'cause missy would only give me your first name, but she underestimated how good i am at internet stalking."

"and you didn't show us?" emily groans from the corner, tossing her hair over one shoulder. "rude."

"i couldn't!" megan defends, "missy threatened to burn me at the stake if i said anything."

solani lets out a breathy, horrified laugh, covering her face with her hands. “embarrassing.”

"you're so cute," adéla coos, flashing solani a warm grin. "how old are you again?"

"uh, twelve." lani admits reluctantly, refolding a skirt and placing it in the only empty drawer. "thirteen in month.”

“when’s your birthday?”

solani blushes again. “i don’t know in english.”

“i’ll help,” dani offers again, smiling encouragingly.

“okay, uh…doce de diciembre.”

“december twelfth,” daniela translates for the other girls. she turns back to solani, “so soon!”

solani only hums in response, shifting her attention back to unpacking. this birthday would be the first she had ever spent away from home, and she’d rather not breach the topic with a bunch of older girls whom she met five minutes ago.

profiles ｡˚ kats

manon bannerman. june 2002. katseye.

sophia laforteza. dec 2002. katseye.

daniela avanzini. july 2004. katseye.

lara raj. nov 2005. katseye.

megan skiendiel. feb 2006. katseye.

yoonchae jeung. dec 2007. katseye.

solani rodriguez. dec 2009. katseye.

extra ｡˚ allure cover article

synopsis. katseye’s recent allure article including solani

Katseye Is Done Following the Rules

Created in the K-pop mold, the girl group has gone from green trainees to global sensations with something to say. And they have the bruises to show for it.

By Elizabeth Gulino June 25th, 2026

Katseye is hungry. Very hungry.

We're in the middle of their two-day cover shoot for Allure at a studio in Los Angeles, where the girls all live. Ambition metaphors aside, on numerous occasions during this interview, they tell me how much they like to eat. I can vouch that the statement isn't something they parrot to sound relatable. In full glam, the group's members — Sophia Laforteza, 23, Daniela Avanzini, 21, Lara Raj, 20, Megan Skiendiel, 20, Yoonchae Jeung, 18, and Solani Rodriguez, 16 — begin to rip open bags of Takis Fuego Rolls, Miss Vickie's jalapeño-flavored chips, and Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Chunks before they settle into the enormous brown leather couch and adjoining chairs in the greenroom. Waiting to be snatched by their bejeweled manicured hands are even more unopened treats, all stacked on a folding table in the corner: Twix, KitKats, Pringles, Reese's, Garden Veggie Straws. Off to the side is a lone plate of cut fruit.

It might be the never-ending pile of snacks, the constant chattering over one another, or the casual ease in which they curl up into the seating arrangements, but the girls of Katseye make it feel like we're hanging out in the basement of a sorority house. And if you've ever been inside one of those, they're not the most conducive to group interviews, especially when the occupants are six very busy pop stars. They apologize for the chaos. At one point, Megan thinks Solani has hives and crawls across the floor to Sophia to confirm her diagnosis. All of this, along with their understandably instinctual urge to check their phones, means that it takes almost 15 minutes for the group to answer my first question.

But you know what? They deserve a moment to yap and snack. In the past couple of years, Katseye has gone from an experiment to the Next Big Thing in pop: They were nominated for two Grammy Awards and, although they left empty-handed, performed at the ceremony to a room full of their peers and 14.4 million viewers and eyekons (the name for their fans) around the world. They booked Coachella, and performed back-to-back weekends with songs from their first two EPs, SIS (Soft Is Strong) and Beautiful Chaos, and their new single, "Pinky Up." During our cover shoot, news broke that the 27 original dates of the global tour this fall for their upcoming EP, Wild, sold out within 48 hours, according to a press announcement. Just two days after the Allure shoot, the group performed at the American Music Awards and swept their categories, winning three awards in total.

Even if the choruses of "Pinky Up" or "Gnarly," two of their most catchy, hyper-pop songs, aren't lodged in your psyche, you've likely seen the young women in your social media feeds. Katseye as a group has inked contracts with Fendi, Laneige, Coach, Pandora, Lush, Glossier, and more—in fact, their most viral moment was a brand deal. Remember that jeans ad with Sydney Sweeney that sparked so much outrage for what some felt was its eugenics theme? As if to answer the internet storm, came Katseye's Gap denim campaign where they danced to Kelis's "Milkshake" in coordinating outfits. Suddenly, they were thrown into the center of a conversation about diversity and representation. Katseye, whose members represent Filipino, Cuban Venezuelan, Ghanaian Italian Swiss (at one time, but more on that later), Indian, Cuban Mexican, Chinese Singaporean, and Korean cultures, seemed like the perfect antidote to the "good genes" discourse.

Although their plates are both literally and figuratively full at the moment, the young women arrived on time this morning except for Lara, who was at the doctor's office to have an MRI and a cortisone shot for her back pain, a normal appointment, perhaps, in the daily life of a global pop sensation. "You're kind of required to be a superhuman for this job," Sophia says. The girls seem to have come a long way from performing through their injuries and physical pain, though. Megan had to take three months off last year for a back injury after not taking the proper time to heal, she says. Prioritizing time for their health is a big step. "I was so afraid that everybody would be like, She's so unprofessional because she came two hours late because she was at the doctor," Lara says of her tardiness. "I was shaking in my boots."

Even with the bumps and bruises, Katseye perseveres. It's probably because they were made for this: The girl group is the product of a very intentional collaboration between Hybe, the South Korean multinational company behind BTS, and Geffen, an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. Its members were plucked from 120,000 international applicants to be rigorously trained, molded, and manufactured into international superstars through K-pop methodology. In the midst of their training, they learned that they were on an elimination show called The Debut: Dream Academy. Overnight, they went from being a team to being each other's fiercest competition. Their experience was streamed across YouTube, Weverse (a South Korean platform), and ABEMA (a Japanese platform). The finale, where the members of Katseye were announced, was aired live on November 17, 2023.

The process also resulted in the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: Katseye, where, in just eight episodes, viewers got a behind-the-scenes look as 20 girls were whittled down to seven through a mixture of fan voting and teacher evaluations. Almost three years later, Katseye's members don't reflect so fondly on the process. "There was a lot of darkness," Lara says. "People, when they watch it, are always like, 'Oh my God, you guys went through so much,' and I'm like, 'You don't even know a percentage of it.'" The rest of the girls recall injuries, tears, and breakdowns that weren't shown in the final cut.

Yoonchae, the only member from South Korea, had already started the K-pop training process back home, so most of her time spent working to get into Katseye was solo. "I always went to lessons and practice alone by myself," she says. "I had to eat by myself every day, so it was very lonely."

The groups youngest member, 16 year old Solani, shares similar memories of feeling alone. "I came before Yoonchae, so when I started I was the only one who didn't know any English at all. So that was really scary at first." Luckily, she shares, Solani met Daniela soon after arriving. Having grown up in a Spanish-speaking household, Daniela was a huge help for Solani when it came to learning English.

In an episode of Dream Academy, a teacher says that Lara needed to work on toning down her personality. In response, the 20-year-old says she became "a completely different person" to have a shot at getting in the group. "I think a lot of the girls went through that same struggle where who they are authentically did not fit into what I think Katseye was originally supposed to be," Lara says. "I tamed myself because I saw a future and it was worth it, but I think that caused so much soul torment."

The disconnect between what Katseye was supposed to be and who they're becoming now might be why this moment in time feels pivotal for them not only as a group, but as individual young women. "If we never cussed in our first livestream or if we weren't wild, we would not be where we are," Megan says. "I feel like you need to break rules to make an impact in any aspect. Even in the music industry, people who follow the rules don't make history, you know what I mean? I feel like to get what we wanted, we had to start speaking up."

Their self-expression extends beyond their creative projects. Since joining Katseye, both Megan and Lara have publicly come out as queer—something they're both proud of and eager to represent. During a live performance of their single "Pinky Up," Lara wore a version of a "Protect the Dolls" shirt, a slogan that calls to support transgender women. (Conner Ives, the creator of the original shirt worn by a number of celebrities, donates 100% of the profits to Not A Phase, a trans-led, UK-based charity.) The "Pinky Up" music video also features cameos from notable transgender women, including Vivian Wilson, Mel 4Ever, Vhex, Saturn Risin9, and Katalina. Lara articulates her point of view: "I like everyone," she says. "I will date anyone. I think people really try to invalidate that because of who we currently or have publicly dated. But I've dated so many girls and it's such a beautiful experience to be with women and it's something that's a very core and important part of me that will always be with me for the rest of my life."

Megan agrees. "I came out as bisexual, but me dating men doesn't take that away from me. My first relationship was with a girl, but [the fans] don't know that," she says. "I feel like people should just be able to be who they are no matter what. When it comes to race, identity, whatever, if that's who you are, then be who the fuck you are and no one should take that away from you."

It's clear all six women have become more self-assured as they've settled into pop stardom. They're quick to declare their opinions when it comes to outfits and makeup looks and they are—as one would assume after their rigorous training—incredibly professional on set. But at the end of the day, they're still young women existing in the world—they giggle and FaceTime their friends and family, take selfies in the corner, sing in random spurts, pull out their phones to text and scroll, and turn up the volume when Beyoncé's Renaissance album blasts through the speakers. At one point, after queuing up a song from Don Toliver, Daniela gets her hands on hot pink hair paint. She bops around the set in her polka-dot outfit, painting down the roots of whoever will let her—which ends up being a sizable portion of the crew—with the bright, glittery concoction. After seeing their brows bleached for the first time at our shoot, Megan and Daniela's excited screams cause everyone's heads to whip toward the glam room in a mixture of both fear and curiosity. Thankfully, it's positive excitement. "It edges me out," Megan decides. Daniela FaceTimes her dad to show him her new, however fleeting, look.

Their antics remind me of what it was like to live with my six best friends in college, although I quickly remember that they're not just a group of roommates trying to get through statistics and Thursday happy hour together: They're young like we were, sure, but they're also integral parts of a global machine, and they all have their own roles to play to keep the wheels turning. Sophia is the leader, a position once held by Lara after an initial group vote. Lara spent very little time with the title before realizing that being the liaison between Katseye and their label was not for her. "I think that you guys appointed me to [be the] leader because I speak up a lot, but it takes a lot more than that," she says, adding that being the leader involves "a lot more understanding of the company."

Now, they tell me Lara takes charge of voicing the group's creative opinions, Megan is the "mood maker," and Yoonchae acts as the bridge to the K-pop world. When I ask about Solani, Lara is quick to answer for her with a touching response that underscores just how vital she is to their "sisterhood."

"She's kind of our baby sister," Lara says with a smile. "She's the youngest, so naturally we all look after her a little, but she also has this way of pulling us back down to earth. She reminds us of what matters — she keeps us soft with each other."

When Daniela starts to reflect on her position in Katseye, she pauses. "I don't know. I want to hear what my bandmates think," she says, straightening and turning toward the rest of the girls. "Genuinely, what role do I play? If I weren't in Katseye, what would be missing?"

It's a big question to ask during an on-the-record interview with a stranger. While Sophia launches into describing Daniela's purpose (which includes bringing the "fire" to their onstage performances) and the rest declare there would be a "very huge void" if she was gone, there is, notably, someone actually missing here: Manon Bannerman, the 24-year-old seventh member of Katseye. The last time Katseye publicly operated as a group of six was on February 4, during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Since February 20, Manon has been on a "temporary hiatus" from the group to "focus on her health and well-being," according to a statement released by Hybe and Geffen. They added that they "look forward to being together again when the time is right."

The same day, Manon released her own statement on Weverse: "Hi friends. I want you to hear this from me, I'm healthy, I'm okay, and I'm taking care of myself. Thank u for checking in! Sometimes things unfold in ways we don't fully control, but I'm trusting the bigger picture. Thank you for standing by me. I love you endlessly and can't wait to see you again."

Since then, the remaining six members has endured nonstop questions and speculation regarding their seventh member's "health and well-being" and when she'll return, if at all. Although Manon shared an update in April that she was having "positive conversations" with the label and was "happy and healthy," there hasn't been an update regarding her position within Katseye. Representatives for Hybe and Geffen declined to be interviewed for this story.

Four months out from the official announcement, it seems that the timing for Manon's return still isn't right—although throughout our conversation, Katseye still refers to themselves as a group of seven. When I ask if Manon has any plans to rejoin the group, Sophia reiterates the hiatus messaging: "Because we did announce that it is about her well-being, it's not our place or anybody else's place to rush her," she says. "We want to give her all the time that she needs, all the space that she needs, and so we don't want to make any assumptions, set anything in stone...she really deserves that and the door is always open."

I acknowledge that they've been fielding a lot of questions about their missing seventh member for some time now. "We love her and the fans love her. The people love her. They love Katseye," Sophia continues, cementing herself as today's dedicated speaker on the topic. "If I was in their place I would be asking too, and so we understand. But what we can say is that we wish that you could just keep extending love and support and patience and all those things, because all of us deserve that." At the time of publication, no mentions of Katseye appear in Manon's social media bios. Some are certain she'll go solo.

The only girl that continues to mention Manon by name is Solani, who clarifies that she is still very much in contact with their oldest group member. "She's like a big sister to me," she says. "We all love and miss her so much and are looking forward to her rejoining us when the time is right."

Since February 20, Manon's role in the group has been a consistent topic on social media, with fans online monitoring the group's every move and generating their own theories on what's been happening. Some of them aren't so kind. By now, the girls know how to handle the internet's varied opinions—they all seem to have developed boundaries with social media, and that includes removing themselves entirely, if necessary. Lara has had TikTok deleted for the past three weeks.

They've also thrown themselves into preparing for the upcoming tour for their new body of work, Wild. Although I've only been given a few snippets to listen to, they tell me it's a big departure, both sonically and aesthetically, from their first EP, SIS, almost two years ago. "If you look at the SIS era and see how we were then..." Sophia trails off. "Like, what is that?" Lara agrees. "We were not us at all," she says. Do they feel like Wild is more "them," then? "With every release that we put out, the more authentic and raw it gets to us," Megan says.

Although K-pop isn't their sound, it is part of Katseye's blueprint. "I'd say our music is not K-pop, but it is heavily inspired by it," Daniela says. "I feel like the most K-pop thing about us is definitely our training system," Yoonchae adds. She's the group's only South Korean member—Sophia is from the Philippines, Solani is from Mexico, and Daniela, Lara, and Megan are all from the United States, although they rep their Indian, Latin, and Chinese cultures whenever they can.

Like their music, some of Katseye's members often feel like they're straddling two worlds when it comes to their identities. "For the Americans and for the white people, I'm not white enough. Then for the Latinos, I'm not Latin enough," Daniela says. "There's a lot of people in that middle ground that feel the same way, that don't feel accepted. I just want to be there for those people." Megan, who is half Chinese and half white, feels the same. "Growing up in America and being mixed, it was honestly kind of hard for me to find my place and where I stood," she says. "I had a little bit of mixed kid dysphoria, and going into Katseye, I was kind of scared at first. I was like, I don't really know what I represent... I had to realize that being mixed doesn't take away anything. It doesn't take away [from] how Chinese I am."

While they're all living on their own now except for Lara, who lives with her family, and Solani, who lives with Sophia now, Yoonchae appears to be having the hardest time adjusting. She was 15 when she competed for a spot in the girl group. "When I came to America for Katseye, I was very confused and I had a very hard time. I had to adjust, making my new version of Yoonchae for America," she says. "It was very hard to do that and it's still hard right now, too."

"I saw one eyekon post on Twitter, and she was Korean. She came to America for school...and she, like me, was having such a hard time adjusting to American culture," Yoonchae says. "She also met a lot of mean people and she got bullied and everything like that." Telling this story, Yoonchae starts to get emotional. "When she saw me [join] Katseye, growing up in this new country and learning new languages and seeing me, who's younger than her and struggling with the same thing as her... When I saw that it seemed like I was looking at myself. So the way she felt I helped her, she also helped me."

As she's nearing the end of her story, Yoonchae starts to cry. The girls all turn toward her in a way that feels maternal. In other interviews, including this one, it's obvious how protective they are over the two youngest members. They often jump in to finish their sentences or ask if they need help when they have trouble finding the English words for what they want to vocalize. Someone grabs Yoonchae a tissue.

"We're not faking it," Sophia assures me later. While part of their success relies on the eyekons buying that their friendship is real, by now I've seen their dynamic firsthand. The bond feels familial. I guess part of it is because they really did cohabitate in the Hybe x Geffen womb they emerged from. "We really are best friends," continues Sophia. "And they know everything about me, and because we're with each other all the time, we don't see each other as workmates. We see each other as literal family. We really are sisters. We really are friends that hang out...My fucking bridesmaids. It's insane."

As it does with any group of close-knit young women hyped up on sugary snacks and delirious after a long day, the conversation derails at the mention of a wedding. Quickly. "By then we'll have our own children and our children will be each other's flower girls," Megan says. "Oh my God, my daughter's going to be your flower girl," Sophia says. The thought appears to have shaken Megan to her very core. "Oh my God," she says. "Imagine being pregnant." Solani makes a fake gagging sound and scrunches up her nose as if disgusted.

"Imagine our kids form a girl group," Lara says, simultaneously realizing what she's just put out into the universe. The girls all protest immediately. "My children are not allowed to be in this," she then asserts.

After a communal freak-out over their looming futures and a flurry of promises that yes, of course they would all fly to South Korea, Mexico, and India for Yoonchae’s, Solani’s, and Lara's respective, hypothetical weddings, they're back to reflecting on what being part of Katseye has taught them. "As an only child, I never really learned things about myself and things that I can get better at," Daniela says. "I had my parents and friends, but... it's hard, I think, especially not growing up with siblings, because I don't know, you don't really have that person that's kind of your age just giving you advice, life advice, girl advice, whatever it is."

They all seem to agree with the idea that working together has changed them in ways they're still striving to understand. "I never really loved teamwork growing up, to be honest," Lara says. "I hated a school project. I always just wanted to do it myself, but teamwork is a really valuable, amazing thing to be good at and to learn. There is no better place to learn it than this."

Each member derives her own realizations from this experience, with its dual crucibles of grindingly hard work and pop adulation. But there's one thing they certainly could all agree on: Katseye is bigger than the sum of its parts. And they're still hungry.

synopsis. solani is scouted to audition for the worlds next biggest girl group at the age of twelve (and a half)

tags. dream academy, popstar academy, the very beginning, use of google translate, pls do correct if anything’s off

pre-debut, late summer 2022 | tepito, mexico city, MX.

solani rodriguez is not to be tied down.

from the moment she could form a thought lani had been clawing at the walls of her world, desperate to stretch beyond them even in the womb; according to her mother, she'd kicked and twisted so violently it had sent anabela to the hospital three times, and once she arrived nothing has kept her still since. not the cramped and peeling two bedroom apartment where she shared a room with four brothers and a mattress older than she with two. not the screech of the same metro line she took to school and dance and back again. not even the city itself, where the same homeless couple begged outside the deli on third street as another penthouse rose across town.

but solani had always known she was meant for more than that. she felt it in her bones, in the places that ached when she stretched too far, in the tightness behind her ribs every time she stood at the window and watched a plane trace its way across the sky. she knew she could've been great, it just wasn't meant to be in this lifetime.

anabela had solani at just seventeen; her high school fling, luca, was gone before she even walked the stage with a diploma in one hand and baby in the other. lani never met him, never heard his voice, never saw his name on a birthday card. her mother never spoke of him, and solani never dared to ask.

she never felt the need to, though, as by the time solani turned two anabela had fallen in love with the kindest man lani could ever remember. elijah slipped into their lives like a missing puzzle piece, and he treated solani so much like his very own that sometimes she forgot she really wasn't. over the next eight years anabela and elijah welcomed four baby boys, each new brother brightening solani's world more than she ever could've imagined.

elijah died three weeks before solani turned ten, and her mothers world hadn't had any color since.

so by the time lani reached double digits she already knew what her future would be like.

she'd live her life inside that apartment, caring for her younger brothers like always: breakfast before school, diapers before bed, math drills and fevers and nightmares. solani would be a second mother forever while their own worked doubles and her dreams disappeared into exhaustion. her only time to breathe came during dance, but even that came with strings: it was her tía's studio, her classes were paid for through the promise that she swept floors, scrubbed mirrors, and sometimes babysat the children of her instructors. whatever her village of tía’s needed, solani became.

still, it was worth it: dance made sense when nothing else did. numbers, too—simple, clean, and consistent. twos and threes and counts of eight. sharp diagonals. lines and patterns and formulas. dance was the only place numbers made sense to solani; unlike algebra, dance had rules that stayed put. solani liked rules. they kept her upright.

but the day her tía called her into the office, she’d never hated them more.

the studio directors voice had been lifted with excitement as she'd revealed a casting agent had been in touch; they'd seen clips of solani dancing on the studio's social media and dug up clips of her singing covers on youtube. they wanted her to audition for a competition show—dream academy, the director explained. a global search, where the finalists will debut in a girl group.

solani walked out that office hating rules more than she ever had before, because for once they'd be working against her, not with her.

rules said girls like her didn't get chosen. not the kids who danced in used sneakers and borrowed leotards, with no plan outside of the chipped walls of their rundown apartment.

but most of all solani hated how bad she wanted it, hated how much her heart started racing the moment she heard the words. she didn't even know what it meant, not really, but it didn't matter—it would be hers either way, because solani didn't give up easily. (it's the eldest daughter in her.)

pre-debut, october 2022 | tepito, mexico city, MX.

they sent a small documentary crew from los angeles to mexico on a random weekday in october. it was still sweltering in tepito, and a broken box fan rattled weakly in the corner as solani opened the front door in cutoff sweatpants and an oversized tee that hung off one shoulder, a nervous smile stretched across her face so wide it made her jaw ache.

she'd spent the morning memorizing as many simple english phrases she could, in between dragging her younger brothers into the complexs' tiny backyard and instructing them firmly, "do not come inside unless you're on fire." their mother, anebla, was on hour twelve of twenty four at the hospital she worked tirelessly at, leaving solani in charge of keeping her rather destructive away from four strangers standing in her living room holding thousands of dollars' worth of equipment. (she crossed her fingers and prayed the boys would stay outside.)

she kicked a stray sock under the couch with the heel of her foot as the door swung open. "¡hola, buenos días!" she smiles uncharacteristically wide and her jaw burns. (hi, good morning!)

one of the crew, a kind-eyed man in his thirties with a clipboard and heavy camera slung over one shoulder, stepped forward. "hola, solani. soy jon; él es brian," he said, gesturing toward his quieter partner who gave a brief nod. "¿se siente cómodo hablando algo de inglés?" (hi solani. i’m jon, this is brian. do you feel comfortable speaking any english?)

“sé un poco.” solani makes a so-so gesture with one hand. “practiqué lo que iba a decir.” (i know a little bit; i practiced what to say)

“muy bueno.” jon smiles back. (very good)

they don’t waste another second; after a few quick questions and some camera adjustments, they position solani on the edge of the worn-down brown couch, directly in front of the chipped white wall. the fabric scratches her thighs and a broken spring pokes at her lower back; she swallows hard.

"laminación..." brian lifts a hand from behind the camera lens. "¡acción!" (rolling…action!)

lani inhales deeply, straightening her spine. "hello," she recites, mimicking the pronunciation she’d been practicing since first getting the email about the film crew. “my name is solani rodriguez and i'm twelve years old from tepito, mexico city."

jon nods encouragingly. from off camera, he prompts, “cuéntanos un poco sobre cómo te descubrieron.” (tell us about how you were discovered) with a smile he adds, “en español. añadiremos subtítulos.” (in spanish. we will add subtitles)

lani shifts slightly, thumbs tangled in the hem of her tee-shirt. "un agente de casting encontró un video mío bailando en el instagram de mi estudio/a casting agent found a video of me dancing on my studios instagram.” she says with an awkward laugh. “ella contactó a la directora de mi estudio, que también es mi tía, y luego mi tía me dijo que me habían reclutado para dream academy/she reached out to my studio director, who’s also my aunt, and then my aunt told me i'd been scouted for dream academy.”

“y luego...” she shrugs, a practiced gesture meant to hide the fact that her heart was pounding. "el resto se derivó de ahí.” (and then…the rest followed from there)

MISSY V.O | popstar academy documentary

"we have a new contestant in mexico," missy's voice announces over a quick montage: solani mid hip-hop routine in an aging studio with scuffed floors and heat-warped mirrors. "we're really excited about her potential. she's got great star quality, but she is very young, which means she does have a lower technical skill set."

footage flickers to a tiktok solani had posted of her laughing from a bending tree branch, palms tightly clasping its bark as she swings wildly with one of her brothers screaming joyfully in the background. the image cuts quickly to the inside of her tía’s local studio again, but this time with a new instructor as lani tries mimicking choreography clearly more advanced than what she's used to.

V.O: “we sent a member of our training and development staff to help oversee her progress," missy continues. "we invest hugely in the girls we bring here and want to give them every chance to rise to the level expected."

back in her childhood apartment solani is perched on the couch, arms wrapped around her middle as she speaks in rapid, fluent spanish. below her on the screen appears english subtitles, translating her interview.

“i'm confident in what i can do as a dancer, like, on my own," read the subtitles. "but most of these girls have been training in professional studios their whole lives and done competitions and intensives and all that. i've only been taking weekend classes from my tía for maybe five years now." her voice falters slightly. "i'm fast at picking things up and i do work really hard, but a lot of it's just been luck, which can only get you so far until you need actual talent." she fidgets with two strands of her thick curls, twisting together until they knot. "and i've never danced in front of anyone but my teachers and my family—no competitions or recitals or performances of any kind." she blushes nervously as the subtitles translate, “not to mention i’m not at all fluent in english."

V.O: “when new trainees come in, i think more than anything that effects the current trainees mental." missy says during her confessional, seated against a white backdrop and wearing a firm expression. "there's only so many spots available in the group and they know that. it shakes them for sure."

back in mexico solani is crouched in the hallway, helping the two oldest of her brothers tie their mud stained sneakers. she's focused, gently giving them instructions on double knots and lace loops. her littlest brother toddles into frame, a cracker clutched in one small fist. solani lifts and balances him on one hip with the ease of a single mother to four rather than the eldest child of one.

her voice speaks over the clip as she's bent out of frame, "siempre quise ser una estrella. ha sido mi sueño de toda la vida, pero siempre se ha quedado en eso: un sueño.” appearing on the screen in time to her voice over, the subtitles read: “i always wanted to be a star. it has been my lifelong dream, but it's always been just that—a dream.”

the camera lingers on her face as she finishes tying the last lace, cheeks glistening with sweat and eyes narrowed in determination. solani straightens, standing tall as she continues talking to the lens without ever dropping her eyes from her siblings. “y ahora puede que realmente vaya a entrenar a los angeles. solo pensarlo me hace cagarme encima.” (and now i might really go train in los angeles. just thinking about it makes me shit myself)

she glances sheepishly at the toddler on her hip. “no has oído eso.” (you didn’t hear that.)

a giggle is heard off screen, followed by her second youngest brothers gleeful shout, "¡ja, lani dijo mierda!” (ha, lani said shit!)

MICHELLE V.O | popstar academy documentary

"solani has the star quality, the 'it' factor we're looking for," michelle, one of the projects’ casting directors, says in her confessional. "but her skill set is definitely lower than some of the girls we currently have. that's not a surprise—she's younger, and she hasn't had the same access to formal training or resources that the others have. that doesn't mean she can't catch up; just that she'll have to work harder."

the screen cuts to solani perched on the edge of a twin bed, legs swinging lightly and socked feet skimming the scuffed floor. there's a box fan running beside her, humming too loud. she speaks over it anyway, mix of spanish and broken english. “he estado bailando durante casi, uh, six years.” (i’ve been dancing for almost six years.) she gives a small, crooked smile. “pero en realidad solo llevo entrenando unas tres semanas.” (but in reality I've only been training for about three weeks.)

her fingers twist in the hem of her tee shirt, eyes dropping down to her lap. “a veces olvido que todavía no estoy al mismo nivel que los demás y me frustro. quiero estar ahí ya, pero no lo estoy, y tengo que recordarme a mí mismo que eso no significa que no vaya a lograrlo.” (sometimes i forget that i'm not at the same level as the others and i get frustrated. i want to be there now, but i'm not, and i have to remind myself that doesn't mean I won't be.)

V.O: “i think the biggest hurdle for solani in this program is going to be the skill gap," michelle admits. "but i also think she's got the work ethic and passion, so if she puts her mind to it and does what she needs to do in training, she'll get there in no time.”

[MICHELLE — CONFESSIONAL, STUDIO INTERVIEW SETTING]

"i found solani on social media," michelle begins, the corner of her mouth lifting into a proud smile. "she'd been tagged in a couple of promotion videos for her studio, and she stood out immediately for me."

[CUT TO: SOLANI — HOME INTERVIEW, TEPITO BEDROOM]

the camera angle is a little wider than usual, showing that the bedroom solani sits in is clearly shared: two twin mattresses are pushed against opposite walls, each one covered in mismatched cartoon bedspreads.

“mi tía recibió este correo electrónico un día,” solani perches cross-legged on one of the beds, long curls tucked behind her ears. “todo fue súper informal; algo así como: ‘oye, hemos estado siguiendo a una de tus bailarinas y creemos que encajaría muy bien en el proyecto en el que estamos trabajando. ¿le interesaría hacer una audición?’” (my aunt got an email one day. it was very causal, something like ‘hey, we've been following one of your dancers and think she'd be a great fit for this project we're working on. would she be interested in auditioning?')

she shrugs, cheeks coloring as she smiles shyly. “al principio pensé, eh...no. no quería dejar sola a mi madre. es madre soltera y enfermera, así que ayudo mucho con mis hermanos pequeños. son cuatro y son...una locura.” (at first i thought, uh—no. i didn’t want to leave my mom alone. she’s a single mother and nurse, so i help a lot with my little brothers. there are four of them and they are…wild.)

solani pauses, biting her bottom lip. “perp cuando se lo conté, me miró como si estuviera loca. me dijo: lani, ¿eres tonta? claro que vas a hacerlo. ni se te ocurra dejar pasar esta oportunidad por mi culpa.” (but when i told her, she looked at me like i was crazy. she told me: lani, are you stupid? of course you’re doing this. don’t even think about missing this opportunity because of me.)

solani in songs ｡˚ porch light

warnings. eating disorders (bulimia) & grief

“i would ask you how you've been, it's all over the internet / but hey i mean you knew that after all.”

i see this as coming from maybe adela. lani is in that friend group with megara emily & adela, but she doesn’t see emily&adela very often just bc of like schedules. (she’s closer with adela so they do text&call often) but when anabela dies, they find out through social media. not lani herself. and megara didn’t want to tell them bc it’s “not their place.”

“if you're looking for an autopsy or a half-assed half-apology / then i think you picked the wrong time to make this call.”

adela immediately calls lani after hearing & this is basically how that goes; she’s lowkey pissed bc solani pretty much disappeared for a few months, & the only updates adela got were through megara: “yeah she’s ok, just wanted to stay in tonight”, “she’s not feeling well”, etc. & then one day in july adela is on instagram or tiktok or whatever, & sees some post about solani’s mom. she thinks its bs at first, but after seeing multiple posts realizes it’s not & confirms with megara.

adela calls lani over&over until she finally answers: “i haven’t heard from you in months, if it wasn’t for megan & lara i’d be looking for a fucking obituary atp,” but lani really does not care. she’s numb to everything but hunger. hence: if your looking for an autopsy or half-assed apology…

“it is not irrelevant that you stopped taking your medicine / but i'm giving you the benefit 'cause it's raining out.”

the first part of this isn’t as relevant as the second—i just think of it as relating to her ed, so instead of “medicine” it’s that she’s not really eating, and she doesn’t see it as a big deal bc it’s just how she “grieves”.

as for the second line everyone around solani (from the kats to adela to even the fuckass ugly bfs) is taking everything she says/does with a (giant) grain of salt. she’s mean as hell right now, but they’re giving her the benefit of the doubt.

“i’ll tell you how the weather is / you’ll slip into some eloquently ramblin’ mixed messaging / i should shut you down.”

the kats try to bring up their concerns multiple times, but solani always seems to have some rehearsed, b.s excuse.

“i hope you tell me that you're winding down / that you've lost the taste to face the crowd / that whatever made you famous made you sick.”

solani reaches a certain point in her grief where the girls almost want her to admit she is struggling, because at least then they could actually begin to help her and know how to do so without having decode and fight with her about it first.

as for the second line, her eating disorder accelerated after seeing hate comments online. so, what made her famous (katseye) quite literally made her sick (her ed)

“that you can only do what pain allows / it ain't up to you to make it out / & there ain't no shame in callin' this thing quits.”

solani can only do so much within the constraints of her grief/eating disorder; she can only handle so much of it on her own until she needs help (you can only do what pain allows)

the girls try telling lani she doesn’t have to handle her grief alone (it’s not up to you to make it out) & eventually try convincing her take a brief hiatus at the peak of her depression & ed (no shame in calling this thing quits)

“poison spreading to my lungs / i ain't holding breath, i ain't holdin' any faith at all.”

i think of the ‘poison’ in relation to all she’s refusing to process out of fear: grief, anger, guilt for even being angry, sadness, fear itself. and it’s poison because it’s spreading into every aspect of her life: relationships with herself & the girls, physical & mental health, her career & performances, sleep schedule, eating habits, everything. the girls slowly stop “holding breath” that she’ll come to them on her own, hence why they step in.

“i’ll leave the porch light on / heartbroken, each morning when it’s me that turns it off.”

with lani, this isn’t a literal porch light—the girls are constantly telling her she can come to them, both verbally & physically & every way inbetween. but it always falls on deaf ears, & every time they grow more & more worried.

“you act like we just sit up here & wait for you to reappear / but baby there are bills to pay.”

this won’t really make sense in the current bth timeline, but later on there’s a period where lani just kinda shuts down. she won’t leave her room or talk to anyone, she just kinda goes numb. (won’t say exactly why yet…) but as much as they wish they could, and believe me they do try as much as possible, the girls can’t just sit in there with her and wait for her to reappear. they announce she’s on a temporary hiatus (actually for her health & wellbeing, not whatever bullshit hxg is pulling w manon rn), and katseye continues. (don’t worry this doesn’t last more than like maybe 2 weeks!!!)

note. guys this is long asf i’m sorry💔

JUNE & JULY 2025

extra ｡˚ moodboards

pinterest

SOLANI

SOLANI & KATS

(in order: manon, sophia, daniela, lara, megan, yoonchae)