Image courtesy of Hollywood Reporter
Katseye, the meticulously curated HYBE x Geffen global girl group, has generated a lot of buzz with its comeback single, “Gnarly.” Much of this noise, however, comes from the fact many actually hate the new Alice Longyu Gao-penned track, with some even going as far as calling it the worst song they’ve heard in years.
“Gnarly” is a stark departure from the group’s initial imagery. Katseye’s debut EP, “SIS (Soft Is Strong),” was a delicate and empowering collection of safe pop tracks about girlhood. So, the girl group talk-singing about fried chicken and liberally using the word “gang” over an incredibly aggressive beat marked a jarring juxtaposition between who the women are now and who they once were. While the lyrics are objectively subpar, their performances, energy, and dedication to this new genre-pushing era are what make “Gnarly” so interesting. If you can accept the random obscenities and brand-name dropping, the song is a lot of chaotic fun.
Listen to the rest of the playlist here!