Lara Rajagopalan (born November 3, 2005), known professionally as Lara Raj, is an American singer based in Los Angeles, California. In 2024, she made her debut in Katseye,[1] a girl group formed through Hybe UMG and Geffen Records' 2023 global competition reality show Dream Academy.[2]
Lara Rajagopalan was born on November 3, 2005,[3] in Stamford, Connecticut, to an Indian mother, Kavita, and an Indian-Sri Lankan father, Sri.[4] Her parents are both ethnically Tamils.[5] Lara's mother is a Bollywood dance teacher and chef, while her father is a businessman.[6] Her older sister, Rhea, is a singer-songwriter with whom she learned how to produce music with and shared a love for creating music.[6][7]
Raj began performing when she was five years old.[8] She took vocal lessons, and participated in acting training and dance classes as a child living in Dallas, Texas.[8] Raj began performing with Septien Entertainment Group, an artist development group, at venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, and Six Flags.[8] After winning a singing competition, Raj was accepted into a professional program and moved to New York City.[8]
As a teenager, Raj was also involved in public speaking and modeling, having hosted segments for the American Heart Association’s "Go Red for Women" campaign.[10][11] In 2019, Raj appeared in a principal role in former First Lady Michelle Obama's Global Girls Alliance campaign launch video.[8][12]
2023–present: Dream Academy and debut with Katseye
Lara Raj first gained attention by posting song covers on social media,[13] which led to her being scouted to join The Debut: Dream Academy, a talent competition program created by Hybe and Geffen Records as part of their initiative to create a “global girl group”.[14][15] By the finale in November 2023, Raj placed second overall, securing her position in Katseye. As a result, she became the first Indian-origin artist to sign under a Hybe label.[16] The group's formation process was later chronicled in the 2024 Netflix docuseries Popstar Academy: Katseye.[17]
Raj is credited for proposing that the group’s initial name, “Catseye”, be changed to the stylized form “Katseye”, a suggestion that was ultimately adopted.[18]
In December 2025, Raj was included in GLAAD's 20 Under 20 list. Presented by Teen Vogue, the list honors influential LGBTQ youth aged 20 and below.[19]
Personal life
Raj is an advocate of South Asian representation in media. She appears with culturally specific adornments like a bindi, an Om necklace, and bangles.[20][21][22] During Katseye's "Better in Denim" campaign with Gap, Raj spoke 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".[12] Raj cites inspiration from South Asian women like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Avantika Vandanapu, and Ramisha Sattar.[14]
Her grandmother, whom Raj considered a "spiritual anchor", gifted her a cat's eye crystal before her death. Soon after, when Raj was selected to be a part of the final group and its name was revealed to be "Katseye", she felt it was "destiny".[14]
In March 2025, Raj publicly came out as queer to fans on the idol–fan messaging app Weverse, stating that she had “known I was queer since I was a kid”. In May 2025, Raj subsequently received the "Blooming Impact Award" from the Los Angeles LGBT Center.[6]
In an interview with BBC News' Mark Savage, Raj revealed the impact of "racist" comments, including death threats, upon her mental health. She explained that she deleted X to avoid seeing such comments.[23]
As a contestant of Dream Academy, Raj participated in the promotional release of the contestants' shared songs for competition. They were performed on November 17, 2023 and released to streaming platforms on August 21, 2024.[17]
Raj has contributed studio background vocals for her sister Rhea Raj's tracks.[6] Rhea collaborated with her on the writing and production of one of her tracks.[24]
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