VCHA Talk Debut Journey, Touring With TWICE, and Making the Most of Every Moment

Beth Garrabrant

Lately, the teenage members of VCHA have developed a shorthand that only they understand. It's a way of talking, a kind of lilt, Camila explains. "It's like…" she says, grinning, then pitches her voice an octave higher and tilts her head slightly to demonstrate the kittenish mannerism: "Oh, yeah?" The girls that get it, get it — and they erupt into giggles and trade smiles across the table, their in-joke now unearthed. "We start talking like that," Camila adds, "and we don't even realize it."

"I feel like we find the most unfunniest things funny," KG says, laughing. As she talks, she looks at the other girls as if speaking directly to them. They nod in quiet agreement. "We're just those types of people. So when we're together, it's like, 'Whoa, you get it!' You know?"

Explaining an inside joke is like deciphering a secret language. It's a test of whether someone can convey the magic of shared understanding to an outsider. For VCHA, it's as effortless as Camila's cat-eye liner, winged to perfection on this Monday afternoon.

Together, Lexi (18), Camila (18), Kendall (17), Savanna (17), KG (16), and Kaylee (14) possess the disarming ability to draw others into their vibrant world. Despite their relative newness — the group debuted earlier this year with the hyper-confident single, "Girls of the Year" — they don't seem fazed by the attention. Some have been manifesting stardom since they were seven, already accustomed to overzealous crowds and stage lights. Of course, their current reality is something bigger than they ever imagined. Yet, in conversation, VCHA appear low-key and unguarded in ways you wouldn't expect from a group of pop girls on the rise who, just a week before this interview, opened for K-pop superstars TWICE at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, right off the iconic Strip, or who in several months will perform at this year's Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.

In person, they are immediately likable. Lexi is both sharp and gentle ("She's one of the funniest girls I've met in my life," says Camila); Savanna radiates charisma, never too shy to speak her mind; Kendall is practical and diaristic, often recalling moments with a straightforward exactness; KG speaks about her passion for music with self-actualized clarity; and the oldest member and former nursing student, Camila, emanates empathy, giving off major Big Sister Energy. (Kaylee, the youngest, has been on hiatus from group activities since early March for an undisclosed health condition and is not present for the interview. A JYP Entertainment spokesperson tells Teen Vogue, "She is taking this time to focus on her health.")

Now, sitting in a prosaic conference room in western Los Angeles, the girls have made it feel familiar and cozy, like we're hanging out in the atrium at the nearby Westfield Mall instead of an office building sitting in ergonomic chairs around a conference table. Even though their journey has been a whirlwind, from their reality-show beginnings to this, their first cover story, it’s clear that the girls haven’t strayed far from their roots: as one YouTube commenter put it, VCHA "just seems like a friend group making music videos for fun."

If we were sitting in the mall next door, the girls would be dressed for it: Lexi in a simple white baby tee and baggy blue jeans; Camila going full balletcore in black tights and legwarmers; Savanna opting for green cargo pants and a cropped collared shirt, her UGG platform slippers matching Lexi's; doe-eyed Kendall keeping things minimal in jeans and a white long-sleeve with a no-makeup makeup look to match; and KG channeling her inner tomboy in a beige LA baseball cap and well-worn white sneakers.

Their music conjures the effervescent essence of girl-power pop from the early 2000s, reminiscent of iconic cultural imports like the Spice Girls and Play. They sing about crushing hard — just listen to those fluttering synths in "XO Call Me" — and loving themselves even harder. "Girls of the Year" and its bubbly follow-up single, "Only One," emphasize the hallowed themes of confidence and friendship, which are particularly poignant now amid a broader girl group resurgence. While international acts have been leading the charge, with K-pop phenoms TWICE, NewJeans, and BLACKPINK dominating charts and selling out stadium-size venues around the world, and UK trio FLO bringing their honeyed R&B vocal harmonies to global stages like Coachella, there hasn't been a representative American girl group to take hold since Fifth Harmony. VCHA is hoping to change that. And with one of the most potent K-pop companies behind them, they just might.

VCHA was formed on A2K, or America2Korea, a making-the-band competition series that auditioned teenage girls across North America to create an American girl group using K-pop's tried-and-true method for finding and developing talent. The venture is a collaboration between South Korean giant JYP Entertainment (home to TWICE, Stray Kids, and ITZY) and Republic Records, making VCHA the first of their kind — but hardly the last. This summer, HYBE and Geffen plan to debut their six-member global girl group, KATSEYE, further signaling K-pop's growing influence and reach outside Asia.

The girls understand K-pop's appeal; they're fans themselves. Kendall cites Stray Kids' trap fever dream "Christmas EveL" as her entry point, captivated by the realization that K-pop is where her interests in art, music, dance, and musical theater converge. Lexi and Savanna, hundreds of miles apart, learned ITZY's "Dalla Dalla" choreography in high school. Kaylee has called TWICE's bubblegum bop "TT" one of the first songs she remembers listening to. "K-pop is more than just music," KG says. Before auditioning for A2K, KG made her own music under the name KG Crown. Drawn to K-pop because it sounded "unique and energetic and different" from what was out there, it wasn't until she witnessed ITZY's performance at KCON LA in 2022 that she grasped what truly makes K-pop special. "It's the choreography, the visual aspects, the fans... It's so much." Now, she's signed to the same label as ITZY.

You may have an idea of what K-pop is. People unfamiliar with it often picture gorgeous idols with poreless skin singing and dancing in sharp unison. But that image hardly captures the full complexity and creativity of what K-pop offers, especially for Western labels that need help turning TikTok virality into real artistry. More than an amalgamation of melodic elements, choreography, and visual aesthetics, K-pop has mastered the attention economy. Idol fans are devoted, and agencies nurture their loyalty. Imagine if every artist had a Taylor Swift-level fandom and marketing strategy and you can understand why K-pop is more than a billion-dollar industry — it's a successful business model.

So it may be no mistake that VCHA comes across as relatable girls next door. They look like any group of friends you'd find wandering the halls of your high school: Lexi, who is Hmong, studied ballet and danced competitively on the weekends growing up in Wisconsin; Camila, born in Spain to Cuban parents and raised in Montreal, sang and wrote music with her brother for years, even competing on two seasons of The Voice Kids in Canada and France; Savanna spent her formative years on the mat, a gymnast-turned-dancer raised in South Florida by Venezuelan and Trinbagonian parents; Kendall, a quiet choir singer from Texas, grew up immersed in dance and art; Missouri native KG played guitar and piano in a band with her three older brothers before moving to LA to fulfill her pop star dreams; and Kaylee, the only member of Korean descent, filled her days in Pennsylvania with baking, taekwondo, and singing in her bedroom for fun.

Watching them dance around Beverly Hills with bows in their hair and glitter on their eyelids, you get the sense that they really could be your friends. They feel that way, too. Lexi, who has taken on the role of leader within the group, a diplomatic position distinctive to K-pop, sees the bigger picture: "We're happy to be going through this all together and possibly inspiring others who want to go down the same path [as us]," she says. Even their name reflects their desire to guide the way ahead: VCHA is derived from the Korean word 비춰, meaning to "shine" or "illuminate."

"The best way to be a role model is to be yourself," Kendall says. “Don't try to be somebody else just to be someone else's role model."

Their conversation flows freely, a rapid-fire exchange much like their hyperactive group chat. Savanna gives each member a particular name in her phone’s contacts list: Kendall is "Candle" with a candle emoji ("I have no idea why," she says); Camila is "Camila new," a reference to her new number; KG is affectionately nicknamed "Rage" as a part of their playful tradition of adding "R's" to names; and Lexi is "Lexiii" with a baby chick emoji, a controversial choice because Lexi hates birds. "I'm scared of them," the leader says in earnest. "But when I put that, I didn't know you hated birds!" Savanna adds. "I was like, 'Oh, it looks like you.' She did not like that."

It's one of those stereotypically gorgeous days in La La Land — balmy, sunlit, and without a cloud in sight. The members of VCHA now call LA home, having moved into a house together a few months ago. Lexi and Savanna share a room, which Camila describes as a "dark jungle with anime." What she means is that Lexi and Savanna err on the side of maximalism: earth tones, green vines, LED lights, collectible figurines from their favorite anime (Jujutsu Kaisen and Haikyu!!), a chaotic collage of printed photos, Savanna's gaming desk and PC, and most importantly, blackout curtains.

Camila and Kendall's room gives off an entirely different vibe. "I feel like [their room] is giving smart," KG says, and Lexi interjects to add, "But it's soft." Kendall's side is homey, with stacks of books and baby blue and pale pink accents (The Art of War by Sun Tzu is on her TBR list), while Camila opts for a clean, simple canvas and a mix of personal touches: trinket trays, plants, and a Totoro plushie. KG's room is a burst of color, with purple LED lights — her favorite color — and a basketball hoop mounted on the wall. Her guitars are neatly displayed and the most recent addition is a reminder of home: a purple Care Bear (her mom has a matching pink one).

These days, they spend more time together than apart. When they're not practicing, rehearsing, or traveling together, they're learning how to coexist in the same space. "I always lived with my mom and my brother or my grandma and my family," Camila says. "So being comfortable with myself and having only myself and the members, I feel like that's something I'm still learning."

Kendall says she's the enthusiastic organizer of their frequent "Family Game Night" gatherings, preferring to bond over board games like Clue and Code Names. In the short time they've been living under one roof, they've realized a few things: First, if you need life advice, go to Kendall; if you're looking for makeup tips or a confidence boost, Camila is your girl; Savanna is handy, and she'll help you build your furniture; KG will always lighten the mood; and Lexi will teach you how to make the ideal matcha latte (the group's current obsession).

"The first time I made [a matcha latte] for one of them, they lied to me and told me that it was good, but then when I tried it, it was awful," KG recalls. Camila isn't going to let her be too hard on herself. "It wasn't that bad," she says, to which KG quips, "But it wasn't good." The laughter is imminent. "We're always laughing all the time," Savanna says.

KG moved to Los Angeles from Michigan in 2021 to pursue a solo pop career. LA felt new and exciting, a city full of dreamers whose passions matched hers. "A lot of people out here are pursuing acting, singing, music…" she says. "I can relate to them." However, for her bandmates, the move has been a more considerable adjustment for some more than others. "Having summertime year-round is so weird to me," says Lexi, who grew up in the more seasonally dynamic Midwest. Sitting across from her, Camila, a proud Québécoise, hums in agreement. "It's definitely a lot different from Canada."

It's also very different from Seoul, where VCHA spent months honing their skills at JYP Entertainment's Gangdong-gu headquarters last year. On A2K, contestants were handpicked by JYP founder J.Y. Park and evaluated across four main principles: dance, vocal, star quality, and character — each an essential aspect of K-pop, according to Park. In order to advance to Seoul, the hopefuls first had to survive a boot camp in Los Angeles. There, the girls bonded over their shared sense of humor and proximity to the hotel pool. "We got really close, really fast," soft-spoken Lexi says. "It helps that we all love singing and dancing, so that's what connected us."

Each member of VCHA came to the show with different strengths and skill sets, making it easy to categorize them: Lexi, the graceful ballerina; Camila, the agile vocalist; Kendall, the captivating performer; Savanna, the passionate all-rounder; KG, the tenacious artist; and Kaylee, the joyful prodigy. However, their training aimed to transcend these labels, molding them into multifaceted artists unrestrained by limitations.

"I can't even look back at those days," KG says, cringing. "My dancing, oh gosh." She auditioned for A2K without any prior dance experience. She spent dozens of hours in the practice room playing catch-up, and viewers watched as she steadily improved over several months. However, memorizing the steps is only part of the process. In the world of K-pop, every detail matters, down to the placement of your fingertips. KG didn't just have to hit her marks, she had to meet K-pop's incredibly high standards.

Despite the stress of the situation, she never saw herself in competition with the others. "The competition is with yourself," she explains. "It's up to you to prove what you are capable of and whether that's needed in a group." JYP and Republic never envisioned the show as a typical, cutthroat survival series. "J.Y. Park made sure to tell us that it was more about working together, helping each other, and being there for each other because we could all make it," Camila adds. "That made us feel like, 'Okay, let's just help each other get better and work really hard together."

An idol can spend years as a trainee practicing these skills before even stepping on a single stage. Park Jihyo trained for 10 years before she debuted in TWICE. VCHA didn't have the luxury of time; after filming wrapped on A2K, the girls began preparing for their pre-debut release, "Y.O.Universe," which premiered in tandem with the show's August 2023 finale. While in Seoul, VCHA split their time between lessons — vocal training in the morning, four to five hours of dance practice after lunch, and then additional tutoring like schoolwork, Korean-language learning, and character-building classes, which consisted of teamwork workshops and "helpful tools" that Savanna describes as "educational stuff, like history to be aware of." Camila adds that these classes taught them “good things to know for yourself as well as mentally.”

They even participated in the weekly K-pop music show circuit to promote "Y.O.Universe," an experience Lexi still calls "unreal" months later. Even after their early-morning wake-up call for the dry rehearsal at the KBS studio and the subsequent hair and makeup session, they were fueled by adrenaline and maybe some nerves. "My stomach hurts, so I can't feel anything right now," Lexi said in a behind-the-scenes vlog of their first Music Bank prerecording. Don't worry: She likes how buoyant performing for an audience makes her feel, like a kaleidoscope of butterflies inside her chest. "It was really fun," Savanna recalls. "We saw all the other idol groups that were there, too. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was still surprised by everything." While waiting for the live show to start, they relaxed in a nearby hotel away from the set, adhering to California’s regulations for minors working in the entertainment industry, which limits working hours.

Upon returning to the US in January, they still maintain a regular practice schedule. KG goes to online school in the morning before they head out together for their lessons. The girls say they're currently gearing up to release new music. "It's our foundation," Savanna says of their training. "It makes me so happy when other people notice [my improvement] because it wasn't easy," KG says, reflecting on how much she's grown since A2K. "I've learned that I can rely on myself." In doing so, she's adopted the mindset of: "I'm going to practice, I'm going to work hard, and I'm going to improve."

"I feel like we've grown so fast, and we've perfected our skills to the point where we can all sing and dance confidently," Camila says. "I really hope we get to showcase how good we are right now." She'd also like the chance to express herself through songwriting in the future.

Savanna is motivated by a piece of advice from JYP (the man), who isn't just a famous business owner and producer, he's also an idol with over 30 years of experience. "He always tells us to 'trust your practice before you go onstage,'" she says. "Because if you're filled with worries before you go onstage, then all the practice, what was it really for? As we were opening for TWICE, we made sure to have fun and trust our practice."

Performing for TWICE still feels like a pinch-me moment. "It was incredible," Savanna says, breathless. Although they had to continue the tour without Kaylee, they kept their spirits up and trusted their practice. (For fans worried about Kaylee's hiatus, a JYP spokesperson says, "Recent VCHA activities have been performed with Kaylee's return in mind by keeping the six members formation in the choreography as opposed to five.")

Related: TWICE Are Still Reaching New Heights — and They’re Doing It Together

"We were all so nervous," Lexi says of opening for their labelmates and fellow Teen Vogue cover stars. She addresses TWICE formally as 선배님 (sunbaenim), a Korean term of respect to indicate their seniority. KG describes the moment they heard the cheers backstage, a thunderous chorus of "VCHA! VCHA!" through their shiny new in-ears: "It's unforgettable," she says, with an energetic inflection like a gravitational pull. "I remember motivating each other, like 'We can do it!'"

The anxiety bubbles up roughly five minutes before every stage, Camila explains. "Those five minutes…it's a lot of emotions and you get really nervous, but then when you step onstage [and] you see the audience, it's like, 'Okay, I can do it.'" Kendall's nerves peaked after the show at Allegiant Stadium while waiting to thank TWICE for their support post-concert. "They came down, and we took pictures with them," she says, hushed like she's spilling a secret. "Some of us were standing up, some of us were sitting down, and so I was sitting down, and then Jihyo 선배님 came and sat next to me. We were posing and she was like, 'Do you want to do a heart?' And I was like, 'Yes,'" Kendall gushes. "It was so sweet. I love her so much. I even did a [TikTok] challenge with her and I am just so appreciative."

Even now, Lexi struggles to grasp the enormity of the moment. "We're happy performing on the smallest stage…anywhere, like a coffee shop, that's still a big achievement," she says. “So to think that we performed at a stadium with thousands of people…I can't even wrap my head around it; it's crazy. It makes you feel proud. It makes me feel proud of my younger self, knowing that I always believed in myself and kept going for this dream and it happened.”

Two years ago, Lexi was sitting in math class, far from the shining marquees of the Las Vegas Strip, imagining herself as the main character in a story. The story always ended, she says, with her onstage. Now, when she visualizes it, she sees VCHA, all of them together, not as an ending but as a beginning. What she could never fathom, however, was the surreal scene that unfolded at the Mexico City International Airport this past January: a small mob of fans waiting for VCHA's arrival, screaming their names in excitement and following them with their smartphones poised in their hands — a genuine glimmer of pop stardom. "It was very unexpected," says Camila. "We got in the van, and we were like…" Savanna adds, looking at Camila. In union, they burst out, "Oh my God!"

"The connection with the fans makes [this experience] that much more special," Savanna says. “Because you know that people are there and they really support you and love you.”

There are dozens of videos on social media of the girls interacting with their fans, called VLIGHTS, at the airport. They wave, send a multitude of heart gestures, and even start impromptu dance battles at their gate en route to Brazil for the next concert. In fleeting moments like this, when the line between childhood dreams and reality blurs, their transformation into idols feels most complete.

Even at its outset, the bond they share with their fans embodies K-pop's core tenet: A star's light shines brightest in the eyes of those who admire it.

Photo Credits

Photographer Beth Garrabrant

1st Assistant Grayson Gunner

2nd Assistant Grayson Vaughan

Stylist Savannah White

Stylist Assistant Shannon Gorman

Makeup Artist Laramie

Makeup Assistant Shyanna Beaujour

Makeup Assistant Alex Pacheco

Hair Stylist Dennis DeVoy

Hair Assistant Julianne Laney

Hair Assistant Eloise Empson

Producer Dylan Brackpool

Production Coordinator Kim Romero

Prop Stylist Crystal Geller

Prop Assistant Julz Wang

Assistant Fashion Editor Tascha Berkowitz

Design Director Emily Zirimis

Designer / Production Liz Coulbourn

Visual Editor / Production Bea Oyster

Editorial Credits

Editor-in-Chief Versha Sharma

Executive Editor Danielle Kwateng

Features Director Brittney McNamara

Talent Director Eugene Shevertalov

Sr. Culture Editor P. Claire Dodson

Contributing Editor Alyssa Hardy

Associate Director of Audience Development and Analytics Mandy Velez Tatti

Sr. Social Media Manager Honestine Fraser

Social Media Manager Jillian Selzer

Copy Editor Leslie Lipton

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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