‘It’s Heavy, and It’s Jarring’

KATSEYE is learning that some parts of fame can be really gnarly — and not in a good way.

In a conversation with BBC News posted Wednesday (Nov. 12), the girl group opened up about the high volume of hate — and sometimes death threats — they’ve received since debuting in 2024. “I think as time goes on and on, the stakes just get higher and higher, and the pressure from 360 all sides becomes more heavy and intense,” said member Lara Raj. “I’m like, ‘It doesn’t matter, and what people say doesn’t matter,’ but we’re humans.”

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“And if 1,000 people are, like, sending you death threats, it’s jarring,” Lara continued. “Even if it’s not gonna happen, and it doesn’t mean anything, it’s heavy, and it’s jarring.”

When interviewer Mark Savage responded with surprise that the ladies had already faced such intense negativity so early on in their careers, member Sophia Laforteza confirmed that even their families and friends have had to put up with online hate and attacks. “We’ve gotten a lot of things already said to us, about us, to our families,” she said.

“It’s something that we know we signed up for, being so public and just being out there for people to … they know so much about [us], and it’s a part of our job,” Sophia added as bandmates Daniela, Manon, Megan and Yoonchae nodded. “We know it’s a part of fame. But it doesn’t change the fact that we are human.”

Fortunately, the group members agreed that it’s nice to have each other to lean on when things get tough, as they all already know everyone in the band knows how it feels.

The interview comes as KATSEYE’s fame is exploding in 2025, with the sextet recently nabbing a best new artist Grammy nomination ahead of next year’s awards. In an interview with Billboard about the honors, Megan said, “With any award or nomination, it means so much to us because we work so, so hard … So, it’s like all of the hard work, those long hours and all the dedication are really paying off.”

The nomination comes less than two years after KATSEYE released its debut single, “Debut,” in 2024 after forming the year prior on the competition series Dream Academy. The band scored its first-ever Billboard Hot 100 hit in May when “Gnarly” made its entrance on the chart, and this fall, the ladies reached the top 40 with “Gabriela,” which also scored a Grammy nod for best pop duo/group performance.

Watch KATSEYE’s full sit-down with BBC News above.