On Friday, April 10, KATSEYE officially made their Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival debut. Despite having to reblock their setlist as a five-member group following a recent South American tour, Sophia, Lara, Daniela, Megan, and Yoonchae delivered an energetic staged performance that took over the timeline.
From surprise guests to viral, slightly controversial stage antics, there is an amount to unpack from their desert debut.
Kicking Things Off With Pinky Up
The girls set the tone by opening their set with "Pinky Up," their new, EDM-infused comeback track that just dropped the day before.
Visually, the entire set was a step up. The stage design was surprisingly elaborate for a relatively new group, and the styling was top-tier, with blonde Yoonchae serving a look. They moved through their catalog, delivering performances of "Internet Girl" and "Mean Girls." Megan, who often gets overshadowed in the regular mix, really had a chance to step up the massive crowd during high-energy dance breaks.
A Golden Surprise With HUNTR/X
The absolute peak of the set happened when KATSEYE brought out some hitters for a surprise collaboration. EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami from KPop Demon Hunters (HUNTR/X) suddenly hit the stage in all-black outfits to perform a rendition of "Golden."
Having that many vocal powerhouses on one stage could easily turn muddy, but it actually ended up being the perfect moment for Sophia to shine. Her vocals pierced through the heavy harmonies, proving exactly why she is such a strong anchor for the group's live sound.
On the flip side, the live vocals did hit a bit of a snag during "Gabriella." The Spanish bridge has always been a scrutinized part of the track, and Daniela struggled to keep her vocals steady during that section, which stood out precisely because the rest of the group was maintaining such a stable live sound throughout the desert heat.
The Viral Fanservice Debate
Of course, you cannot talk about this Coachella set without addressing the moment that went viral.
KATSEYE is no stranger to bold stage interactions. Usually, that dynamic plays out between Lara and Manon, but with Manon on hiatus, Megan stepped into the duet space with Lara. During their interaction, Lara took things to a extreme level by licking Megan's face on stage.
While some brushed it off as a free-spirited Coachella festival expression, it definitely rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. The licking felt gratuitous, giving off heavy mid-2000s shock-value vibes. The girls are simply way too talented to feel like they need to resort to that kind of extreme fanservice to get people talking.
Manon's Absence
Hanging over the entire set was the unavoidable reality of Manon's hiatus.
Seeing the five members pull off such a crowd proves that they are going to be completely fine moving forward, but it was bittersweet to watch them hit such a career milestone without her. What made the situation even more complicated to digest was the fact that Manon was on the Coachella festival grounds. She was spotted out in the crowd enjoying Sabrina Carpenter's set, interacting with Chappell Roan, and was reportedly seen hanging out with Ice Spice.
Knowing she was right there in the audience while her group performed on the Sahara stage makes the hiatus feel that much more permanent. Regardless of the behind-the-scenes drama, the girls put on a show that proved their real-world success far outweighs any internet noise.
Test