MANILA, Philippines – Filipina performer and leader of global girl group KATSEYE Sophia Laforteza is one of the growing number of artists proudly raising the Philippine flag on the international stage. 

She and members Daniela, Lara, Yoonchae, and Megan made their Coachella debut on the Sahara Stage on April 11 (Manila time) — performing mainstays like “Gnarly,” “Debut,” “Touch,” and “Game Boy,” and their latest single, “PINKY UP.” 

“I’m overwhelmed with emotion. You guys are making our dreams come true,” Sophia said as she pointed out the Philippine flags that were being raised in the crowd during their 2026 Coachella set. 

Destined to be on stage

While most people know her as a member of KATSEYE, Sophia is by no means new to the public eye. 

As the daughter of singer and theater actress Carla Guevara-Laforteza and chef Godfrey Laforteza, it only seemed natural that Sophia would develop an interest in the arts, too, having started singing and dancing since she was just three years old. 

When Sophia was five, she appeared with her family on an episode of the talk show She Said, She Said. There, she gamely jumped into a duet with her mom — singing “It Sucks To Be Me” from the musical Avenue Q, where Carla was playing the roles of Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut. 

Born on December 31, 2002, Sophia would follow in her mom’s footsteps when she grew up, going on to pursue theater to show off her vocal and dancing prowess. But it was through HYBE and Geffen Records’ music survival show The Debut: Dream Academy that she would get her big break. She was the only Filipina contestant on the 2023 show, and was consistently a strong contender all throughout. 

On the very first mission, she ranked second through her rendition of Paramore’s “Still Into You” with fellow contestants Lara, Nayoung, Celeste, and Samara. She pushed even harder when it came time for Mission 2, where her performance of LE SSERAFIM’s “ANTIFRAGILE” with three other contestants landed her a spot in first place. 

It did not come as a surprise, then, when she advanced to the live finale after sustaining her first-place ranking in Mission 3 through her now-iconic performance of the Pussycat Dolls’ “Buttons” alongside Daniela, Manon, Celeste, and Nayoung. 

Sophia would later be announced as the first member of KATSEYE — and it was an achievement she worked tirelessly to get. 

“I’m so proud because she did it all on her own…. She’s a straight-A student…. Never did she tell me [when she was younger] that she wanted to be a performing artist,” her mom later told reporters on the sidelines of KATSEYE’s press conference in Manila in September 2024. 

The world is her oyster

There’s a running joke that artists who perform at Taguig City’s Market! Market! are destined for success in the future. Just take a look at where English pop-rock band The 1975 and American group LANY are now, after playing sets at this mall in 2014 and 2017, respectively. Even P-pop girl group BINI performed there in 2024 — and went on to also perform at Coachella for the first time last April 11. 

KATSEYE is now one of those music acts, holding their “Touchdown in Manila” fan showcase in Market! Market! just a few months after their June 28, 2024 debut. Since then, they’ve taken the stage at many other major events like Coachella. 

In February, KATSEYE even performed at the 2026 GRAMMYs, where the group was nominated for Best New Artist. 

They’ve also performed at the 2025 Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards, and while they didn’t take home any prize, they got to leave the venue with arguably the biggest honor yet: getting slimed. 

Sophia’s pop star dreams have come true, and as she and the rest of KATSEYE rack up more milestones as their music careers progress, the whole world will be watching. – Rappler.com

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