KATSEYE Comback, with a Beautiful Chaos!

Jul 3

story by editor-in-chief: Ashly Nicole

Our faves, KATSEYE have done it again! And if you couldn’t tell by their first single, Gnarly, off of their newly released album, Beautiful Chaos, they have some hot new certified bangers for your eardrums.
Ever since they announced their very anticipated comeback, EYECONS have been beyond hyped, charting Gnarly in the billboard top 100 upon its release, making it KATSEYE’s first appearance on the Billboard top 100 since their initial debut last summer.
KATSEYE debuted with the release of their first EP, SIS (Soft Is Strong), on June 28th, 2024, and this year have released their second album one day shy of exactly a year from their debut, and it’s amazing to see how much this global girl group sensation has come into their own.

Since Beautiful Chaos’ drop a few days ago, this album has been on constant rotation. I may be biased to Gnarly since it did release as a single, and can absolutely not be escaped throughout the feeds of social media, or maybe because it’s an absolute ear worm of a bop, but I truly think they served up the right amount of everything with this one. Not only did the girls chart for the first time with this single, but it’s become a viral trend for dance groups and aspiring pop idols around the world to post dance covers performing the Gnarly dance; so much so, the members of KATSEYE have been seen referencing it in their own TikTok posts, and even posting videos of them lip syncing and dancing to alternative versions of the hit made by other musicians!
Despite how catchy this single is, I don’t think HYBE or the girls anticipated the actual global impact this would have on social media, and we are here for it.

Gnarly dance cover by @spadesdcrew on TikTok

KATSEYE dancing to alt Gnarly vocal cover on TikTok

Gnarly dance cover uploaded by @x.goldenstay.x on TikTok

The next song on this album is one that I’d like to think of as the modern day version of “Jolene”, because just like Dolly doesn’t want you to take her man, even though you can, KATSEYE wants your hands of their fella, Gabriela. This song is another catchy one (let’s be real, they all are), and one that makes you want to kind of swing your hips side to side in the sassiest way. If you’re one to keep up with anything the KATSEYE queens are doing, you probably know that Megan has been performing the choreography to some of their songs in the style of Candace from Phineas and Ferb, and she did not disappoint with this one. Megan even posted a behind the scenes version of the video to show the dance in slow motion, making it a great tutorial for any EYECONS who want to learn the Gabriela dance for themselves.

We’re about halfway through this, we wish it were longer, album, and Gameboy is next on our list. The KATSEYE crew certainly did not come to play when it comes to this track. Although it’s fun and bubbly, this song is one of those subtlety sweet disses on those people who just want to play mind games. The melody and lyrics are all equally catchy, and I can see this being one of the hottest songs of the summer. The music video for Gameboy follows the subtleness of the song, focusing on just the group, the dance, and their EYECONic facial expressions. Some may notice that Lara is not included in the group dance portions of the video, due to an untimely leg injury, but they did a fantastic job making sure she was still just as involved, having her appear to be playing the game the rest of the group is dancing in, on her phone. It’s such a cute and creative way to make sure everyone’s favorite group is still all together and all included, even if someone is somehow unfortunately not able to dance.

Mean Girls…it’s not what you’d think based on the title alone. This song is probably one of, if not, the most meaningful and revolutionary songs on the album, and quite honestly of any global or k-pop group. Upon the first listen, it definitely just gives off girls-girl vibes, which we absolutely love, but the further you dive into the song and really pay attention to the lyrics, it becomes so much deeper. I think this track has the potential to be something evergreen, to be one of those songs that brings a lot of people together, and it already is becoming that as it starts to trend. There’s a line in this song that some would like to say is “controversial”, “God bless the T girls, and all the in between girls”, was the line that was originally cut from the lyrics, but KATSEYE adamantly insisted it be kept in the song, and it truly shows how devoted they are to inclusivity and making sure anyone and everyone is welcome into the world of KATSEYE; and we say, God bless these girls. There are so many wonderfully touching lines in this song, sparking a lot of inspiration for online creators, making their one fancams and video montages of what and who they believe represents each line, including the six members of KATSEYE.
Thank you Megan, Sophia, Daniela, Manon, Lara, and Yoonchae for not only the representation in your music, but pushing for what you believe is right; this is something that brings people together, and shows there’s a sense of compassion and belonging in spaces that may not always feel that way to everyone.

“Mean Girls” montage by @meganfever on TiKTok

Annea Correia reacting to hearing “Mean Girls” for the first time

The album comes to a close with one of the most hyped and energetic songs in this body of work, M.I.A., this song is the shortest on the album, but certainly packs a punch, and I don’t think it will be easily forgotten. M.I.A. will definitely be a slow burner, but when everyone finally catches on to the vibe, this song is going to be everywhere. It’s such a punchy and in your face track, but also short, sweet, and to the point. I could see this being a song that opens KATSEYE’s tour, and even creating a call and response with the intro, “I go M.I.A.”
This one sits at the crossroads of BLACKPINK’s power pop, Charli XCX’s electro edge, and Audrey Nuna’s aggressive rap tendencies. It’s Y2K-coded, dancefloor-ready, and packed with internet-era attitude, and I’m living for it.

Whether you’re new to KATSEYE World, or you’ve been an EYECON since Dream Academy, this iconic global girl group is here to stay, and HYBE truly knew what they were doing when they put these 6 talented powerhouses together; these girls are unstoppable, and I can’t wait to see what the future of music, performances, and touring have in store for them, and us.
Make sure to go give Beautiful Chaos a listen, or 12, and be on the lookout for possible tour dates, and other fun announcements from KATSEYE!