In an era where digital discourse often dictates the perceived trajectory of rising talent, KATSEYE member Sophia Laforteza is stepping forward to challenge the weight given to online backlash. Appearing alongside her bandmates on Jake Shane’s popular Therapuss podcast, the 23-year-old artist offered a candid, grounded perspective on the group’s journey through the modern music industry, directly addressing the relentless nature of Internet commentary in a segment that has swiftly gone viral across social platforms.
Reflecting on the viral echo chambers that often target emerging pop acts, Laforteza deconstructed the viral mechanics behind online hate with remarkable poise. “A lot of these people don’t have original thoughts,” Sophia began, dissecting how localized negativity quickly amplifies online. “They literally… somebody starts it. Somebody always starts it based on the tiny, tiny little information that they know, filtered literally on your screen on a little rectangle, right? And then they’ll see that and be like, ‘Oh my God, yeah. Yeah, this person’s right. Let’s get really loud.’ They could literally fill this room, but they could sound like a whole stadium,” she noted, framing the disconnect between digital noise and real-world reality.
Laforteza went on to contrast the overwhelming influx of phone notifications with the tangible support the group experiences on stage, grounding her experience in the realities of live performance versus screen-mediated perceptions. “That’s why, just to bring it back to when we perform and all that stuff, when we have something going on and it’s just so loud on the Internet, I would literally be on my phone and think, ‘Wow, my phone is blowing up with people checking in on me.’ Like, it’s so loud. Then I put my phone down, I’m in a restaurant, and nobody f–king knows who I am in this room. Nobody knows. Then I go someplace like Coachella, and we’re in the Sahara Tent, right? So there’s this whole tent in front of us, and we just see this crowd of people. I’m like, ‘Wow, this is a lot of people,’” she continued.
She further emphasized the vast scale of their real-life audience compared to comment sections. “Then I see the drone footage when I go online, and it’s even bigger. People came to Coachella just to be there. They can’t even see us or hear us all the way from the back, but they showed up. All of those people outnumber the amount of people that are actually making all this noise online. People think that the internet is the whole world, but it’s not,” she said, before issuing a clear dismissal of armchair industry critics: “Stan Twitter could easily be like, ‘KATSEYE‘s done.’ No, we’re not.”
Closing her thoughtful commentary, Laforteza delivered a warm yet firm reminder regarding the core mission of the group, urging audiences to regain a healthier perspective on pop culture consumption. “We’re just girls doing our best to empower and impact the world and fulfill our dream. We just want to sing and dance. Then you’re like, ‘Oh my God, KATSEYE‘s done. I’m so mad at that face she just made.’ Close your eyes…I could literally go to your neighbor and ask them, ‘Do you know who I am?’ They’re gonna be like, ‘No.’ Exactly. You guys, come on. The internet is not everything. Go catch some butterflies.”
