header image: julian song
words: aggy kazlauskas
katseye's third studio ep is finally here
if you haven’t heard of katseye, well, where have you been exactly? a collaborative effort from entertainment giants hybe and geffen, their tenacious attempt at forming the world’s first global girl group has been meticulously documented from day one – and now, with three extended plays and multiple international hits under the belt, the six-piece hardly needs an introduction.
it was only last year that their highly-polarising single ‘gnarly’ took the social media world by storm – following its success, which felt unforeseen yet well-deserved all the while, it seemed as if katseye was on a generational run: although less daring than ‘gnarly’, their next offering ‘gabriella’ quickly became one of their most streamed songs to date; their sophomore ep beautiful chaos proved to be a commercial success; and they even bagged themselves a few grammy nods. but all good things must come to an end, right? ish.
katseye’s third ep, wild, is built around the promise of a more cohesive and liberated identity, yet it finds the group two members down – manon bannerman and sophia laforteza are currently on hiatus. bannerman’s lack of presence on this project in particular leaves room for speculation that her half-year break might be a permanent departure, after all. consequently, despite what its title might suggest, katseye’s latest five-track venture feels more uncertain, disjointed, and monotonous than its predecessor.
still, there are moments of sheer brilliance that can be found on wild, especially as it builds towards its finale – the ep’s singles pale in comparison to the last two tracks, both of which might be exactly what katseye needs to finally stick the landing.
▌this is katseye’s wild ep… ranked!
05. hootie frutti
katseye’s latest offering (and the third single from their new ep) ‘hootie frutti’ dropped to mixed critic reviews and sceptical fan reactions last week. the track opens with member daniela avanzini, who is of venezuelan-cuban descent, speaking portugese – while embracing different languages à la rosalía on her transcendental lp lux is noble, the track’s approach to brazilian funk here feels inauthentic and half-hearted.
the chorus falls short to the 2010s build-up of the pre, confirming that lightning never strikes twice – the section, repetitive in its refrain-driven repeat of the song’s title, grasps at straws to replicate the success of ‘gnarly’ while forgetting that its distinctive singularity is what made it so special. although the ep’s lead single ‘pinky up’ just about manages to brush past with the same critique, ‘hootie frutti’ is proof that third time might not be so lucky.
04. animal
ed sheeran’s involvement on ‘animal’ is way too obvious for it to sound like a song that deserves to be a part of katseye’s discography, not just accidentally happens to be there. an argument could be made that commercial success is what katseye’s record label was after with the release of this one, which might not be a fault in the obvious sense, however, it does ultimately feel like taking the easy route at the expense of katseye’s artistic merit.
the song’s only saving grace is the group’s charming performance, in which members lara raj and sophia laforteza absolutely steal the show with their vocal acrobatics. hybe, if you’re reading this, let the girls write their own damn songs.
03. pinky up
now, ‘pinky up’ isn’t half as bad as social media users have made it out to be. is it generic? a tad bit, especially for a single that’s supposed to introduce an evolved version of katseye.
having said that, the track is an undeniable boost of serotonin, proving that having fun might just be the group’s forte; the high-energy tempo works perfectly with the doomsday concept that the song’s lyrics draw inspiration from, resulting in a dynamic number that doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of past triumphs.
though manon bannerman’s absence is evident here – and, frankly, her presence is definitely missed (not to mention the leaked choreography video which proved she was the missing piece that the ‘pinky up’ music video needed all along) – the rest of katseye lean into the bond of sisterhood to support each other through a period of uncertainty as hybe x geffen are yet to publicly confirm whether bannerman is likely to return anytime soon.
02. bel air
who knew that an old charli xcx demo was all that katseye needed to find the direction they should be headed towards? diving headfirst into synth-pop territory, ‘bel air’ drops the intensity of the ep’s singles and taps into a sound that feels genuinely authentic and liberated from the music execs’ neverending pursuit of commercial success; and for the first time throughout this project’s thirteen minute runtime, the girls actually get to sing – not literally, of course, but in a way that reminds the listeners that katseye is a girl group, after all.
the chorus is pleasant on the ears, deploying lyrics that are full sentences and not a mere few words, the storytelling is coherent, and the production actually doesn’t overshadow the vocals – what more could you ask for, eh? a well-crafted pop song through and through, which hints back at the likes of katseye’s previous tracks, such as ‘gameboy’ and ‘m.i.a.’ – aka the crown jewels in their discography.
01. that way
in true katseye fashion, they have saved the best for last. slinky, playful, and undoubtedly chic, ‘that way’ is a pleasant surprise in a sea of overwhelming beats and repetitive one-liners, which the ep’s first half is laden with.
each member gets their moment under the spotlight here, no matter how the actual line distribution has played out: megan skiendiel and daniela avanzini exchange some fun moments during the song’s first half; lara raj and sophia laforteza take the lead on the chorus; and yoonchae showcases her personality on the second verse, pulling your attention in from the very moment she sings “if you wanna dance, better get your hands / and put ’em in the right spot.”
if you’re a fan of vocals, you’re just in luck – ‘that way’ is vocal acrobatics galore, testifying to the fact that katseye’s strengths lie in their charisma and mischief, not overproduced, brainrotted lyrics that quite literally have no target audience.
when it comes to talent, pure talent, katseye certainly doesn’t lack it, whether it’s dancing, singing, or producing (ahem, lara raj has expressed her desire to write songs for katseye on numerous occasions) – and as soon as they’re able to put these talents to use without repeating the same formula that once proved to be a success, then that’s exactly when they’ll flourish, like they’ve done so on ‘bel air’ and ‘that way’.
