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The Star
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Who is Megan Skiendiel? Katseye's half-Singaporean teen member in the limelight for being bisexual but she also loves her laksa
American teenager Megan Skiendiel is in the limelight for saying that she is actually a bisexual. It is in the news and making big rounds in all the social media sites. But she makes it a point makes it a point to connect with her Singapore roots, just like how her Singaporean-Chinese mother, known only as Sylvia. This is a report on her background that had appeared in The Straits Times several months ago. SINGAPORE: Her name is Megan and she is from the booming global band Katseye. She also loves local food like laksa and chicken rice, and speaks to her Singaporean maternal grandmother every day even though they live on opposite sides of the world. American teenager Megan Skiendiel makes it a point to connect with her Singapore roots, just like how her Singaporean-Chinese mother – who is known only as Sylvia – remains close to her family here even after living in Honolulu, Hawaii, for almost two decades. Skiendiel, 18, is part of Katseye, the new global girl group formed via a high-profile partnership between South Korean music conglomerate Hybe, the label behind K-pop juggernaut BTS, and American record label Geffen Records under Universal Music Group. The other five members of the multiracial Los Angeles-based pop act are South Korean Jeong Yoon-chae, 16; Indian-American Lara Rajagopalan, 18; Cuban-American Daniela Avanzini, 20; Filipina Sophia Laforteza, 21; and Manon Bannerman, 22, a Swiss of Italian-Ghanaian descent. The sextet beat more than 120,000 young women from around the world who participated in online and offline auditions that started in November 2021. Out of these aspiring auditionees, 20 were selected to be put through a rigorous, year-long K-pop trainee system involving gruelling dance and vocal lessons. They were ranked according to their abilities, with the lowest-scoring candidate eliminated from the programme. Their progress was streamed on YouTube for 12 weeks beginning Sept 1, 2023, where viewers could select their favourite trainees. The final members of Katseye were revealed in the live finale on Nov 18 via YouTube and fan platform Weverse. Chinese-American Megan Skiendiel from global girl group Katseye is very close to her Singapore family, especially with her maternal grandmother. -- PHOTO: UNIVERSAL MUSIC via The Straits Times/ANN In a Zoom interview with The Straits Times on Aug 23, Skiendiel says she enjoys hanging out with her Singaporean family members and visiting Universal Studios Singapore. 'I love laksa and Hainanese chicken rice. They are my favourite,' she says. 'My mum took me to Singapore when I was about three months old,' says Skiendiel, adding they would make it a point to return to Singapore every year and stay with her maternal grandmother. While she has not been back to Singapore in about three years, she still keeps in touch with her relatives daily via their family WhatsApp group chat. 'My po po (grandmother) is always sending me things she reads about Katseye. My uncles, aunties and cousins too. It's so amazing that they are on the other side of the world yet can still follow what we do,' says Skiendiel, who is now based in Los Angeles and has an American-Swedish father. 'We have a close connection even though they are so far away.' The Eurasian teen, who has an elder brother, credits her 'tiger and dragon mum' for pushing her to chase her dreams of becoming an entertainer. 'Being an Asian mum, she practises tough love on her kids, but I love her for that,' says Skiendiel, who started taking dance lessons when she was four and singing classes at six. At that young age, she would fly to Los Angeles from Honolulu every weekend to hone her craft. On the second episode of Pop Star Academy: Katseye, she revealed she would attend dance class on Friday, fly home on Sunday night and attend school on Monday. Sylvia then explained that children growing up in Hawaii are introduced to the arts at a very young age. In another episode, the older woman broke down in tears as her daughter prepared for the final stage of the audition. Skiendiel is seen hugging and comforting her mother, and thanking her for being her biggest pillar of support. Now sporting long red hair, the former brunette – whose idol is Jennie of South Korean girl group Blackpink – says: 'My mum always pushes me to be the greatest version of myself, even though it's hard sometimes. That's how she shows her love for me, and I love her so much for that.' Katseye have been receiving much love since they released their first single, aptly titled Debut, on June 28. It has clocked more than eight million streams on Spotify. The rookie group's second single, a catchy pop track called Touch which dropped on July 26, has chalked up 23 million streams on Spotify. The music video garnered over 10 million views on YouTube. Katseye staged their first live performance at KCON in Los Angeles on July 28, a popular K-culture festival celebrating South Korean pop culture and music. On Aug 16, their first mini-album SIS (Soft Is Strong) was released, and the group now have over 4.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify. The sextet say their multiracial background helped them amass a global fan base and are thankful that Pop Star Academy: Katseye is giving them 'a lot of new exposure'. The group's name also reflects their diversity. Katseye alludes to the gemstone cat's-eye, which displays a spectrum of colours depending on the direction of the light. 'Our goal is to have Eyekons (their fandom name) all over the world. Since we're such a diverse group, fans can see themselves in us,' says Bannerman. Laforteza, Rajagopalan and Jeong hope their Asian background will connect them to fans outside the US. Katseye leader Laforteza has already received great support from her native country Philippines as seen in the Netflix show, when the audition added a voting criteria in which fans could decide who they wanted to be part of the final line-up. Meanwhile, the unwavering support from their families is pushing the Gen Z artistes to reach for the stars. 'My parents have always nurtured my love for singing and dancing... what's important to them is that I'm fully committed to my dream,' says Laforteza. Her mother is Filipina actress Carla Guevara Laforteza, 48, who had faced disapproval from her family when she wanted to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Daniela Avanzini (left) and Megan Skiendiel in Netflix's docuseries Pop Star Academy: Katseye. -- PHOTO: NETFLIX via The Straits Times/ANN Sophia Laforteza adds: 'My mum was always told that she needed to be a doctor or lawyer, so she knew what it was like when I said I wanted to be like her.' Rajagopalan says: 'My parents have been the most supportive people on this journey. My sister is also an artiste. 'My mum grew up in India and faced much pressure from her family. She wasn't able to do what she wanted to in life. So she wanted my sister and me to be able to do what we want, as long as we are disciplined and work hard to pursue our dreams.' Katseye are aspiring to be like American girl groups The Pussycat Dolls and Destiny's Child, as well as Blackpink and British girl group Spice Girls. While there has not been any new prominent international girl group in the market in the past decade, Katseye face stiff competition from a slew of K-pop girl groups such as NewJeans, Illit, BabyMonster, Le Sserafim and IVE. Laforteza says: 'We are doing our best. Our goal is to make a name for ourselves, push boundaries and create our own sound as Katseye.' Rajagopalan adds: 'Our music has a nostalgic feeling. A great way to describe it is that it is fresh, but it is also reminiscent of other girl groups we're so inspired by.' 'All of us came into this with our strengths,' says Laforteza. 'We have dancers in Megan, Daniela and Yoon-chae, while the rest of us are singers. We balance one another out really well.' -- Report from The Straits Times/Asia News Network as appeared on August 28, 2024
The Star
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Star
Megan, half-Singaporean member of global girl group Katseye, comes out as bisexual
Megan shared that she realised she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight. -- PHOTO: MEGANSKIENDIEL/INSTAGRAM SINGAPORE/SEOUL (Korea Herald/ANN): Megan, a member of the global girl group Katseye, has publicly come out as bisexual. During a live broadcast on fan platform Weverse with fellow member Lara on June 6, the 19-year-old shared her identity with fans, stating: 'I'm coming out. I'm bisexual.' The two celebrated the moment together, jumping in place with joy. Megan, who has a Singaporean-Chinese mother and American-Swedish father, debuted in the US with the six-member group in 2024. This marks the second coming out within the group. Back in March, Lara revealed her sexual orientation through a Weverse live broadcast. She shared that she realised she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight, and confessed that she was deeply afraid when auditioning. 'I didn't know if people would accept me. I was scared it might ruin my chances,' she wrote at the time. With both Lara and Megan now openly identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, Katseye stands out as a rare example of queer representation in the K-pop scene. The sextet is a multinational and multi-ethnic K-pop girl group formed by South Korean entertainment company Hybe in collaboration with American label Geffen Records. The group will return with its second EP Beautiful Chaos on May 27. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Megan, half-Singaporean member of Katseye, comes out as bisexual
Megan shared that she realised she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight. PHOTO: MEGANSKIENDIEL/INSTAGRAM Megan, half-Singaporean member of Katseye, comes out as bisexual Megan, a member of the global girl group Katseye, has publicly come out as bisexual. During a live broadcast on fan platform Weverse with fellow member Lara on June 6 , the 19-year-old shared her identity with fans, stating: 'I'm coming out. I'm bisexual.' The two celebrated the moment together, jumping in place with joy. Megan, who has a Singaporean-Chinese mother and American-Swedish father, debuted in the US with the six-member group in 2024. This marks the second coming out within the group. Back in March, Lara revealed her sexual orientation through a Weverse live broadcast. She shared that she realised she was attracted to women as early as the age of eight, and confessed that she was deeply afraid when auditioning. 'I didn't know if people would accept me. I was scared it might ruin my chances,' she wrote at the time. With both Lara and Megan now openly identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community, Katseye stands out as a rare example of queer representation in the K-pop scene. The sextet is a multinational and multi-ethnic K-pop girl group formed by South Korean entertainment company Hybe in collaboration with American label Geffen Records. The group will return with its second EP Beautiful Chaos on May 27. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Independent Singapore
03-05-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Singaporean student says parents will 'disown her' if she doesn't get into a top overseas university
SINGAPORE: Talk about pressure! A young Singaporean confessed on social media that her parents have warned they'll 'disown her' if she doesn't secure a spot at a top overseas university. In a heartfelt post on the subreddit r/SGExams, the student explained that her parents, who are Singaporean-Chinese and have studied abroad themselves, are 'obsessed with prestige' and have drawn a hard line when it comes to university choices. 'Going to NUS/NTU/SMU isn't an option for my parents. They've told me that anything short of Oxford or Cambridge, or at least a top 20 university in the USA, isn't acceptable,' she said. She also revealed that her parents have issued several ultimatums. If she chooses to remain in Singapore for her tertiary education, they have told her she would no longer be welcome in the family home, would be cut off from any family assets, would not receive any form of monetary support (including her university tuition fees), would be left alone in one of the investment condos they own, and would only be acknowledged on 'special occasions.' Although she believes she might have a chance at being accepted into an overseas university, she admitted that she found her parents' demands unreasonable, especially since NUS, NTU, and SMU are all highly regarded institutions. 'They're acting like NUS/NTU/SMU aren't good schools?? I honestly think I'd be happier within Singapore too, as I've visited some of the top 20 US campuses, and they didn't really appeal to me,' she argued in her post. 'Of course, it's possible they're just saying this, so I'm 'motivated' to go overseas, but I somewhat suspect they're doing this just so they can say they have two kids overseas (I have an older sister currently overseas.)' She also mentioned that she has already tried talking to her parents about this, but unfortunately, they're determined to send her abroad. 'I don't know if I should just go overseas to go along with what they want, or if I should choose to stay local (assuming I get accepted, of course),' she continued. 'I honestly don't know if they'll go ahead with their threats, but it's a lot of unnecessary pressure, and it's been weighing on me a lot.' 'Going to an overseas uni has massive advantages in the job market.' In the comments section, one Reddit user shared that she has also experienced this kind of pressure from her own parents but not to the extent that they would disown her. She added, 'I feel like your parents are a bit more petty (very petty). NUS, NTU, and SMU are all good universities, so I don't know what your parents are saying because I feel like their reasoning is quite questionable and not based on facts, but rather motivated by ego.' Another user stated, 'You are still a teen, 18 and below—they can't disown you legally.' Others, meanwhile, chimed in to offer the young woman some words of comfort and advice. One user reassured her that attending an overseas university can actually be less stressful than studying in Singapore. He wrote, 'I'm in an overseas uni trust me, it's actually quite chill and good. If you qualify for the top unis just go for it, it'll be a good opportunity, and you'll love it, but unless you really really don't want to go overseas, just rent out your condo and get roommates. You can get easy $$ already.' Another pointed out there's an upside to her parents' demands, writing, 'Going to an overseas uni has massive advantages in the job market, especially if you are going to Oxbridge.' A third user suggested she have another conversation with her parents, saying, 'If you do love your parents and care for them, I would first advise you to talk it out at the dinner table or something where everyone is calm and hopefully negotiate or sort it out.' In other news, a Singaporean employee took to social media to share that his employer is attempting to deduct his salary over claims of lateness without providing any proper proof. Posting on the r/askSingapore forum on Wednesday (Apr 30), he explained that he is currently employed in a full-time role where there is no formal time-tracking system in place—no timesheets, fingerprint scanners, or clock-in/clock-out procedures. Despite this, the employer allegedly accused him of being 'late every day' and is now refusing to pay over S$100 in outstanding reimbursements, claiming that the amount will instead be deducted as a 'lateness' penalty. Read more: Employee claims boss wants to deduct his salary over lateness without proof or proper records Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
