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Lara Raj
American singer (born 2005) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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 the girl group Katseye,[1] formed through Hybe UMG and Geffen Records' global competition reality show Dream Academy in 2023.[2]
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Early life
Lara Rajagopalan was born on November 3, 2005,[3] in Stamford, Connecticut, to an Indian mother, Kavita, and a Sri Lankan father, Sri. Her parents are both ethnically Tamils.[4] Lara's mother is a Bollywood dance teacher and chef, while her father is a businessman.[5] Her older sister, Rhea, is a singer-songwriter with whom she learned how to produce music with and shared a love for creating music.[5][6]
Raj spent her childhood in Dallas, Texas, before moving to New York City.[5] In New York, Raj attended middle school at Professional Performing Arts School and high school at LaGuardia High School.[5][7]
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Career
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Pre-debut
Raj began performing when she was five years old.[7] She took vocal lessons, and participated in acting training and dance classes as a child living in Dallas, Texas.[7] Raj began performing with Septien Entertainment Group, an artist development group, at venues like the House of Blues, Hard Rock Cafe, and Six Flags.[7] After winning a singing competition, Raj was accepted into a professional program and moved to New York City.[7]
As a preteen, Raj made a brief appearance on The Blacklist and appeared in commercials for Macy's and Spotify.[8][7] As a teenager, Raj was a company dancer at Broadway Dance Center.[7]
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.[9][10] In 2019, Raj appeared in a principal role in former First Lady Michelle Obama's Global Girls Alliance campaign launch video.[7][11]
2023: The Debut: Dream Academy
Raj first gained attention by posting song covers on social media such as TikTok,[12] which led to an invitation to be part of the global audition program The Debut: Dream Academy in 2023, competing among 20 contestants.[13][14] The eventual group for the competition's winners was originally planned to be named "Catseye", but after a well-received suggestion from Raj, the spelling was altered from a 'C' to a 'K'.[15] Raj placed second in the competition, joining the girl group Katseye.[13][8] The group's formation process was later chronicled in the 2024 Netflix docuseries Popstar Academy: Katseye.[16]
2024–present: Katseye debut
In June 2024, Hybe confirmed that the release of the Katseye's first EP was set for August that year.[17][18] Raj debuted alongside the other members of Katseye with the release of the single "Debut" on June 28.[19] As a member of Katseye, Raj became the first Indian artist to sign with a Hybe label.[20]
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Personal life
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In March 2025, Raj came out as queer to fans on the idol–fan messaging app Weverse, describing herself as "half fruitcake". In May 2025, Raj received the "Blooming Impact Award" from the Los Angeles LGBT Center.[5]
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.[21][22][23] 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.[11] Raj cites inspiration from South Asian women like Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Avantika Vandanapu, and Ramisha Sattar.[13]
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".[13]
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. One such incident involved an individual falsely reporting Raj to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement for "working and residing in the United States without legal authorisation".[24]
Discography
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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.[16]
Raj has done studio background vocals for her sister Rhea Raj's tracks.[5] Rhea collaborated with her on the writing and production of one of her tracks.[25]
As lead artist
Songwriting and production credits
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Videography
Public service announcement video
Music video appearance
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Filmography
Reality shows
Films
Television
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References
External links
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