Track Overview: Katseye – Gnarly

Of all of Ok-pop’s forays into non-Korean markets, Katseye have had the most important push and have probably the most potential to grow to be stars outdoors the business. Although they’ve solely launched one EP since their debut final summer season, they’ve accomplished a good quantity of promotions and appear to have discovered a pure place throughout the total pop music dialogue. With such an extended hiatus since their final single, Gnarly is a crucial 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 rather 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, but it surely’s proper in step with the edgy hyperpop sound the music is concentrating on. It seems Ok-pop businesses have taken a really gradual bus and are simply now arriving to final yr’s “Brat summer season.” I urge of you, Ok-pop … don’t tackle this specific pattern. You’re not well-equipped to drag it off in any means that feels genuine.

On first pay attention, it’s laborious to differentiate 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 making an attempt to freak out their dad and mom. A beneficiant means of receiving this monitor can be to name it “camp,” however camp doesn’t work if you’re making an attempt so rattling laborious to promote the gag. There’s an insufferable quantity of “making an attempt” occurring right here. Gnarly strains so laborious 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 all the pieces 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 really say “I’m making beats for a boring dumb b*tch” earlier than bragging about their “mansion.” I don’t understand how I’m imagined to interpret this, but it surely 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 fitting materials. Gnarly is unquestionably not that materials. I really like my pop stars to be a bit prickly and misbehaved, however not in such a contrived means. This can be a massive, obtrusive, deeply unclever cringe emoji all over. I’m really embarrassed on their behalf.

Grade: F