Draft:Lara Raj
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Lara Raj | |
|---|---|
 Raj in September 2024 | |
| Born | Lara Rajagopalan November 3, 2005 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Occupation |
|
| Relatives | Rhea Raj (sister) |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Pop |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 2024–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | Katseye |
Lara Rajagopalan (Tamil: லாரா ராஜகோபாலன்[citation needed]; born November 3, 2005), known professionally as Lara Raj and mononymously as Lara, is an American singer based in Los Angeles, California. In 2024, she made her debut in the girl group Katseye,[1] formed through Hybe UMG and Geffen Records' global competition reality show Dream Academy in 2023.[2]
Early life
[edit]Lara Rajagopalan was born on November 3, 2005, in Stamford, Connecticut, to an Indian mother and Sri Lankan father. Her parents are both ethnically Tamil.[citation needed] Raj's mother is a Bollywood dance teacher and chef, while her father is a businessman.[3] Her older sister, Rhea, is a singer-songwriter with whom she learned how to produce music with and shared a love for creating music.[3][4]
Raj spent her childhood in Dallas, Texas, before moving to New York City.[3] In New York, Raj attended middle school at Professional Performing Arts School and high school at LaGuardia High School.[3][5]
Career
[edit]Pre-debut
[edit]Raj began performing when she was five years old.[5] She began vocal lessons, acting training, and dance classes as a child living in Dallas, Texas.[5] She began performing with Septien Entertainment Group, an artist development group, at venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, and Six Flags.[5] After winning a singing competition, Raj was accepted into a professional program and moved to New York City.[5]
As a preteen, Raj made a brief appearance on The Blacklist and appeared in commercials for Macy's and Spotify.[6][5] Raj earned a principal role in former First Lady Michelle Obama's Global Girls Alliance campaign launch video.[5] As a teenager, Raj was a company dancer at Broadway Dance Center.[5]
Raj was also involved in public speaking and modeling, having hosted segments for the American Heart Association’s "Go Red for Women" campaign.[7][8]
2023: The Debut: Dream Academy
[edit]In 2023, Raj joined the global audition program The Debut: Dream Academy, competing among 20 contestants.[9][10] Raj placed second in the competition, joining the girl group Katseye.[9][6] The group's formation process was later chronicled in the 2024 Netflix docuseries Popstar Academy: Katseye.[11]
2024–present: Katseye debut
[edit]In June 2024, Hybe confirmed that the release of the Katseye's first EP was set for August that year.[12][13] Raj debuted alongside the other members of Katseye with the release of the single "Debut" on June 28.[14] As a member of Katseye, Raj became the first Indian artist to sign with a Hybe label.[15]
Personal life
[edit]In March 2025, Raj came out as queer to fans on the idol–fan messaging app Weverse, describing herself as "half fruitcake."[3] In Mary 2025, Raj received the "Blooming Impact Award" from the Los Angeles LGBT Center.[3]
Raj, who is of Indian descent, is an advocate of South Asian representation in media. She appears with culturally specific adornments like a bindi, an Om necklace, and bangles. During the advert for the Gap "Better In Denim" campaign with Katseye, Raj openly talks about how important it was for young brown girls to see someone who looks like them on billboards — saying that her mission is to make the South Asian community feel “uplifted, powerful and confident.[16] Raj sites inspiration from South Asian women like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Avantika Vandanapu, and Ramisha Sattar.[9]
Discography
[edit]As a contestant of Dream Academy, Raj participated in the promotional release of the contestants' shared songs for competition. It was performed on November 17, 2024 and released to streaming platforms on August 21, 2024.[11]
| As (artist) | Title | Released | Track | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Debut: Dream Academy | The Debut: Dream Academy - Live Finale | August 21, 2024 | "Dirty Water" | Promotional release |
| "All The Same" |
Videography
[edit]Filmography
[edit]Reality shows
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Network | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Dream Academy | Contestant | YouTube | [10] |
| 2024 | "Pop Star Academy: Katseye" | Herself | Netflix | [11] |
Films
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Emoting Emojis | Piper | Short film |
Television
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Blacklist | Sara | Episode: "Sutton Ross" | [5] |
References
[edit]- ^ Cabral, Katrina Maisie. "The KATSEYE Members Talk About What Sophia Laforteza Is Like as a Leader". Preview.ph. Preview Philippines. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ Fung, Gloria (8 September 2024). "Meet Sophia Laforteza, K-pop girl group Katseye's lead vocalist with big dreams". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 15 November 2024. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f Momenian, Donya (2025-05-29). "KATSEYE Share the Secret Meaning Behind 'Gabriela'". Teen Vogue. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ^ "Meet Lara Raj, Indian-Queer Pop Powerhouse, Member Of Katseye Who Won Their First VMA". BollywoodShaadis. 2025-09-08. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Meet Lara Raj - Voyage LA Magazine | LA City Guide". Archived from the original on 2024-03-08. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
- ^ a b Swrup, Aahana (2024-08-23). "Lara Raj: Where is the KATSEYE Member Now?". The Cinemaholic. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ^ "Lara Rajagopalan: The Indian-American teen artist makes it to K-Pop band KATSEYE". The Global Indian. 2023-01-07. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ Srivastava, Aditi (2023-11-19). "Lara Rajagopalan: Meet HYBE's first Indian-origin K-pop idol, set to debut in KATSEYE". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- ^ a b c Naik, Sihaam (2025-06-17). "Lara Raj may just be the desi pop baddie you've been waiting for". Vogue India. Retrieved 2025-08-24.
- ^ a b Aniftos, Rania (August 28, 2023). "Meet the 20 Finalists for HYBE x Geffen 'Dream Academy' Global Girl Group Contest". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 8, 2023. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ a b c Burt, Kayti (August 23, 2024). "Netflix's Pop Star Academy: Katseye Reveals What it Takes to Make a Global Girl Group". Time. Archived from the original on October 3, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ "K-pop girl group Katseye ready for US debut". The Star. June 18, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024 – via Borneo Bulletin Online.
- ^ Kim, Min-young (June 14, 2024). "Hybe, Geffen Records to debut new girl group Katseye on June 28". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024.
- ^ "Hybe's global girl group Katseye launches with debut single". The Korea Times. June 28, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024.
- ^ "KATSEYE are ready to be the next world-dominating girl band". Retrieved 2025-09-22.
- ^ "Meet Katseye's Lara Raj, the LGBT star in an inspiring new Gap ad". South China Morning Post. 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-09-17.
External links
[edit]
Media related to Lara Raj at Wikimedia Commons