Global Audition Winners: Girls’ Group Cat’s Eye Seen with Matcha Lattes at Tokyo Station

Five members bought iced matcha lattes

On an August evening, surrounded by bodyguards in suits, the ones walking near Tokyo Station were members of the girl group KATSEYE.

The global girl group was formed by six winners of the talent discovery reality program The Debut: Dream Academy, planned by Korea’s major entertainment company HYBE and Geffen Records under Universal Music Group in the U.S. Chosen from over 120,000 applicants worldwide through fan voting, they came to Japan this time to perform at SUMMER SONIC 2025, held in Osaka on August 16 and Tokyo on August 17.

“It’s HYBE’s first U.S.-based group, made up of six members. The eldest, Manon (23) from Switzerland, is a multilingual who speaks four languages. Sophia (22), the leader, is from the Philippines. Daniela (21) is an American with Venezuelan and Cuban roots, well-known for her dancing skills.

Lara (19) is an Indian American who excels at the traditional Indian dance Bharatanatyam. Megan (19) from Hawaii is known for her drive and energy. The youngest, Yoonchae (17) from Korea, still struggles with English but has a charming, cute aura. Their debut single ‘Debut,’ released last year, has already surpassed 33.84 million views on YouTube as of August 21,” (music magazine writer).

They also appeared at the U.S. music festival Lollapalooza 2025, held from July 31 to August 3. U.S. magazine COSMOPOLITAN ranked KATSEYE second in its “Top 5 Best Lollapalooza Performances of the Year.” Moreover, their monthly Spotify listeners have already exceeded 25 million.

Amid such worldwide attention, this marked KATSEYE’s first-ever performances in Japan. Unfortunately, Manon had to cancel the August 16 Osaka show due to health issues. For the Tokyo show the following day, the five members—Sophia, Lara, Yoonchae, Daniela, and Megan—traveled together.

After getting off the Shinkansen, they entered a café located right outside the ticket gates. What all five of them ordered was the same: iced matcha lattes. Sipping through straws, they walked out together, greeted by bodyguards in suits. The five lined up neatly along the building wall, while the bodyguards walked parallel to them, protecting them. Passersby who crossed paths with them turned their heads in surprise, whispering, “What? Models? Who are they?”

Though diverse in nationality and background, the members captivate fans with their harmonized singing and dancing—and even share the same taste in drinks. Their future activities are definitely something to look forward to.

(From FRIDAY Digital. The magazine welcomes tips and information via the form below or the official X account.)

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