Is KATSEYE's 'Gnarly' a social experiment?
No matter how you feel about the song, it's a marketing job well done
I admit that I did not know how to feel when I first heard KATSEYE’s latest single “Gnarly.”
I found the hyperpop track loud, thrashy and not exactly the most pleasant song the listen to.
It also featured confusing lyrics, shouting out “gnarly” things like boba tea, fried chicken and Tesla.
Like many, I wondered whether this edgy departure was too much of a sharp turn from KATSEYE’s more wholesome and girly concept seen on their debut EP SIS (Soft is Strong) released last August.
But other music fans were much harsher. “This goes hard on mute 🔥🔥", read one comment on the K-pop subreddit.
However, it didn’t take long for my opinion on the song to change two days later.
Like many things on the internet, “Gnarly” followed me everywhere on TikTok and YouTube. I was soon watching all of KATSEYE’s live performances on Korean music shows like M Countdown, MusicCore and Studio Choom.
The ladies of KATSEYE sold the heck out of their performances—utilizing sassy facial expressions, sharp movements and tongue in cheek sense of humour.
These performances finally led me to a change my mind. Maybe this song isn’t so bad, after all!
“Gnarly” may not be for everyone.
It’s a completely silly and unserious song that pokes fun at memes and pop culture. It also goes against the soft, demure and delicate sounds often heard in the K-pop genre.
And that’s exactly the point.
Silly songs are on the rise, according to a recent piece published by Dazed. Gone are the days of straight-laced techno, EDM and drum’n’bass. Youth are instead favouring chaotic and wacky sounds. As the Chinese rapper Jackzebra told the publication, youth are gravitating towards the “freedom and chaos” of hardstyle and hyperpop.
It’s also a sign of rebellion in an increasingly capitalistic society, thanks in large part to how the internet dominates our lives.
“I feel like “Gnarly” is so chaotic, it's also vulnerable in a way. There's so much stimulation that comes from the song and it's really about being young women growing up on the internet,” KATSEYE’s Lara said in an interview with The Fader recently.
“[The song] ties into that and how confusing that can be and how blurry the digital world and the real world can get and how random it is.”
It should also be noted that “Gnarly” is co-written by Alice Longyu Gao, a songwriter who has been considered a hyperpop pioneer. The artist (who uses gender neutral pronouns xe/xem/xyr) first debuted the song as a demo on TikTok back in 2023. According to Gao, the song’s prominent use of “Gnarly” stems from their own background as a non-native English speaker who was always looking to expand their vocabulary. They didn’t know the meaning. They were simply “amused and surprised by the excessive usage of this word by some basic bros.”
As an artist, Gao is known for their experimental, out-of-the-box approach to music. Their songs have been described as bold, aggressive and chaotic. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
Basically, it’s the complete opposite of what K-pop is today.
K-pop as a genre and industry has often been inspired by Western pop music. But in recent years, it has increasingly played things safe when it comes to new releases—opting for tried and true formulas.
The summer of 2023 and 2024 saw an influx of afrobeats and dancehall inspired tunes like LE SSERAFIM’s “Smart”, KISS OF LIFE’s “Sticky” and TXT’s “Tinnitus (Wanna be a rock).”
If it wasn’t that, songs would try to emulate the synth-pop and jersey club genres heard on NewJeans’ hit song “Super Shy.”
This isn’t to say that any of the songs listed above are bad. However, I did spend the majority of 2024 wondering if it was time for K-pop to get a major shake-up.
Perhaps KATSEYE is the answer to that question.
KATSEYE has described themselves as a global girl group. They’re trained like K-pop trainees, and often promote their music and content like K-pop idols. But what sets themselves apart is the fact that they have stayed in America to do much of their work—giving them the freedom to experiment and live openly and authentically as themselves. Recently, Lara came out as queer, saying that she knew she was “half a fruitcake” since she was a kid.
And when criticism for “Gnarly” got a bit too intense, Manon sassily clapped back on Instagram live: “If you get it, you get it, and if you don’t get it, kindly, get the f—k away from us.”
“Gnarly” might be a polarizing song, but it’s marketing well done and a viral success.
The single is just a taste of the impression KATSEYE wants to make in the music industry, and the band has shown they’re willing to take some risks to get there.
On May 13, KATSEYE entered the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time with “Gnarly”, landing at #92. This August, the band will also take the stage at Lollapalooza.
With a packed summer and an upcoming album titled Beautiful Chaos, I can’t help but feel like KATSEYE is onto something big.
See me elsewhere!
I’ve been rather quiet over here, but with good reason. When I started this venture, I intended this newsletter to be weekly!
Somehow, life just gets in the way. Though, I haven’t strayed far from my love of writing about pop culture and music over the last few weeks.
For FASHION Magazine, I dove into the world of Labubu, the plushie keychain who has famous fans including Blackpink’s Lisa and Rihanna. I wrote about why the designer toy has become a symbol of childlike joy for Gen Z and Millennials.
I also wrote a guide for Grammy about the mandopop genre, shouting out artists like Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Jolin Tsai, Xin Liu and Xiao Zhan.
Get in touch by emailing bunnipopnewsletter@gmail.com. Or, follow bunni pop on Instagram, TikTok and Threads.