Music Assessment: Katseye – Gnarly

Of all of Ok-pop’s forays into non-Korean markets, Katseye have had the largest push and have probably the most potential to turn out to be stars exterior the trade. Although they’ve solely launched one EP since their debut final summer time, they’ve accomplished a good quantity of promotions and appear to have discovered a pure place inside the general pop music dialogue. With such a protracted hiatus since their final single, Gnarly is a vital second within the group’s evolution.

Maybe HYBE is aware of this, as they’ve given the group an entire sonic makeover. Gone is the breezy pop of their debut, changed with one thing way more confrontational. As is the case with so many too-short HYBE songs of late, Gnarly runs a paltry two minutes eighteen seconds. That’s about two minutes eighteen seconds too lengthy in my estimation, however it’s proper consistent with the edgy hyperpop sound the music is focusing on. It seems Ok-pop businesses have taken a really sluggish bus and are simply now arriving to final yr’s “Brat summer time.” I urge of you, Ok-pop … don’t tackle this explicit pattern. You’re not well-equipped to drag it off in any approach that feels genuine.

On first pay attention, it’s onerous to tell apart Gnarly as a music in any respect. It feels extra like a parody, particularly given its laughable string of cuss phrases thrown round like children desperately attempting to freak out their mother and father. A beneficiant approach of receiving this observe could be to name it “camp,” however camp doesn’t work if you’re attempting so rattling onerous to promote the gag. There’s an insufferable quantity of “attempting” occurring right here. Gnarly strains so onerous to be innovative and in-your-face that it finally ends up not doing a lot of something. Skilled pop followers have heard its rugged, electro distortion earlier than and Gnarly‘s lame shout-outs of every part from Tesla (actually?!?) to takis go down with a uninteresting, eye-rolling thud. The spotlight (lowlight?) for me comes throughout verse two the place the women truly say “I’m making beats for a boring dumb b*tch” earlier than bragging about their “mansion.” I don’t know the way I’m alleged to interpret this, however it actually appears like they detest their followers. That’s an fascinating lyrical strategy! I want them… all of the luck in that regard?

However actually, I feel this group has a lot potential if given the correct materials. Gnarly is unquestionably not that materials. I truly like my pop stars to be a bit prickly and misbehaved, however not in such a contrived approach. It is a huge, evident, deeply unclever cringe emoji during. I’m truly embarrassed on their behalf.

Grade: F