KATSEYE is a global girl group under HYBE UMG and Geffen Records. They operate in a space that places them somewhere in the space between K-Pop and Western pop music. After being formed on the 2023 reality show Dream Academy, KATSEYE debuted with two singles released a month apart, "Debut" and "Touch" - two catchy pop tracks that see the girls lean into a powerful yet gentle energy in both the lyrics and choreography.
After these singles, they released their first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), in August 2024. This EP followed much of the same structure as the singles: short, catchy songs with a clear message that audiences felt drawn to. It was a successful debut, with "Touch" gaining over 270 million streams on Spotify at the time of writing this. Now, with their first official comeback on the horizon, KATSEYE dropped the EP's first pre-release single, "Gnarly." As they try to break into the global market, however, this single may have hurt them.
Where Did "Gnarly" Go Wrong?
The Song Didn't Live Up To Fans' Expectations
Before jumping into the negatives, let me highlight some positives. The women of KATSEYE are fantastic performers. Their facial expressions, energy, and confidence are undeniable, even with one foot in an industry that boasts some of the most talented performers in music today. The music video for "Gnarly" is awesome. Lara, Daniela, Megan, Sophia, Manon, and Yoonchae look like superstars in exquisite styling while performing ridiculously cool choreography. Even the beat of the song is good. In my opinion, what ultimately brings this song down are its lyrics.
Oh, we're in a session tonight (Gang, gang)
Oh, we're going out tonight (Gang, gang)
Oh my God, this song's so lit, congratulations
Now you be like, "Gang"
Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang (Haha)
In a typical K-Pop song that features maybe 80% Korean and 20% English lyrics, the odd English phrase here and there is common, but when a song is 100% English and nearly every lyric is more jarring than the last, that's not going to attract many people. This also makes me wonder what type of audience they were hoping to reach. "Touch" and "Debut" attracted a mix of dedicated K-Pop fans and mainstream pop fans, but "Gnarly" feels crafted for an audience that's far too specific for the path they were created to forge.
What Does This Mean For Their EP?
"Gnarly" Sets A Difficult Stage For Their Future
Within minutes of the music video dropping, YouTube and Instagram comments were filled with confusion and disappointment. After waiting almost a year for a new song, fans wondered if all that waiting was worth it. Comments like "The beat is fire and the lyrics are the extinguisher..." and "This feels like if they took the English bits from any K-Pop song and made it the whole song" basically sum up how I feel. Obviously, there are some fans who loved it from the first listen, but I couldn't believe how honest and agreeable the YouTube comment section was.
12 Most Hated K-Pop Songs (That Are Actually Great)
Inevitably, not every K-Pop song is a banger - but these tracks have gotten the short end of the stick from fans for years.
It's difficult to say if this one song will have a larger impact on the future of their career as a group. I've already seen people switching up to say that they "get it" after a few listens. KATSEYE even posted an Instagram reel using a Nicki Minaj audio where she says "You're not gonna get this song the first time you hear it," so at least they're self-aware.
I just find it difficult to believe that their team genuinely believed that this was the song their first global girl group needed to release after an incredibly successful debut. I'm all for a concept switch in K-Pop, but KATSEYE isn't a K-Pop group. They're a widely talented girl group that has the potential to become huge worldwide, but I don't see this current path being the one that gets them to that point.