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Lara Raj
Pop
Lara of KATSEYE Gets Emotional During Performance of ‘Unloveu’ at Hamilton’s TD Coliseum
The girl group member performed a partially solo version of the track at the piano on Nov. 1, and was later consoled by her fellow members.
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Lara Raj showed fans her vulnerable side while performing with KATSEYE.
Currently operating as a quartet, the K-pop-inspired girl group took the stage at TD Coliseum in Hamilton on Nov. 1.
During the show’s second act, Raj came out on her own to perform “Unloveu,” a track from the five-piece’s recent album, Wild. It’s a moment for Raj to be front and centre, as she sits at the piano for half of the song before joining the other four members to perform alongside her.
Detailing the process of emotionally detaching from a toxic relationship, “Unloveu” is a major moment for Raj, who co-wrote the track with Grammy-winning songwriter Amy Allen and Ross Golan. Raj serves as a co-producer on the emotional ballad, too, marking the first time a group member has contributed songwriting or production on a track.
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When Raj sat at the piano, she started playing the opening chords before she broke down in tears.“No,” she softly said into the microphone, hiding her face from the crowd. She quickly composed herself before saying, “I’m sorry, let’s try that again.” The audience cheered her on the entire time, showing their support and even starting to cheer her name.
She seamlessly continued through the song before her fellow girl group members — Daniela Avanzini, Megan Skiendiel and Yoonchae Jeong — joined her on-stage. They huddled around Raj to give her a hug before disassembling to close out the performance. Still, they maintained a closeness until the stage faded to black.
It’s been a whirlwind year for KATSEYE, who are currently down two members from their original six. In February, Manon Bannerman took an indefinite hiatus from the group, followed by Sophia Laforteza, who is currently on a mental health hiatus, but is scheduled to return for the group’s touring commitments in 2027.
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In April, they made their Coachella debut and dropped their third EP, Wild, in August, which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart. It features hits like “Pinky Up,” “Hootie Frooti” and “Animal,” which was co-written by Ed Sheeran. The singer-songwriter revealed it was the group’s major hit “Gnarly” that inspired him to reach out to collaborate. In addition, it includes a new-old Charli xcx track, “Bel Air,” originally intended for the singer’s 2014 album Sucker.
Recently, KATSEYE performed at this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, sharing the stage with Tate McRae — who performed the live debut of her chart-topping single “Housewife” — Megan Thee Stallion and more.
While the group has completed their Montreal and Hamilton stops on their global arena tour, they are scheduled to play a string of shows across the U.S., continuing on Nov. 3 in Detroit.
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