KATSEYE used its appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to celebrate a major career milestone while also sharing a heartfelt message for members Sophia Laforteza and Manon Bannerman, who are currently on hiatus. Speaking during the interview, Lara Raj thanked fans for continuing to support the group and expressed her love for both members.
Addressing the temporary lineup change, Lara said, “We have nothing but so much love and support for Sophia and Manon, and it’s beautiful to see how the Eyekons give them so much support and also continue to support us.” The comment came after host Jimmy Fallon acknowledged that KATSEYE was appearing as a quartet, with Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae taking part in the interview and performance.
Sophia recently announced a hiatus to prioritize her mental health, while Manon has remained on an extended wellness break since February. Despite their absence, the remaining members have consistently emphasized that both artists remain an important part of KATSEYE, and Lara’s remarks reinforced that message on one of the group’s biggest television appearances to date.
The August 12 episode marked KATSEYE’s late-night performance debut. Before sitting down with Fallon, the members joined the show’s opening monologue by humorously filling in for members of The Tonight Show staff. During the interview, they reflected on their whirlwind year, including winning an American Music Award, earning a Grammy nomination and performing at Coachella.
Conversation quickly shifted to the group’s upcoming third EP, WILD, arriving on August 14. The members described the project with words including “wild,” “maturity” and “growing up,” while Lara also spoke about her long-term goal of writing more music for the group. She contributed to the Target-exclusive bonus track “Unloveu,” receiving both songwriting and production credits.
KATSEYE closed the night by delivering the television debut of “Animal,” the Ed Sheeran co-written single produced by Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin. The performance followed another busy week for the group, which included the live premiere of the unreleased track “That Way” during Spotify’s exclusive KLUB KATSEYE event in New York City.
Momentum continues to build ahead of WILD, with “Animal” already becoming KATSEYE’s highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 debut after opening at No. 24.
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