What do boba tea, fried chicken, Teslas and a party in the Hollywood Hills all have in common? It’s a question that could stump any philosopher. Luckily, global girl group KATSEYE has an answer: all of these varied things are “Gnarly.”
Their new song of the same name initially inspired internet-wide bewilderment upon its release. Its brain-rot lyrics and vaguely SOPHIE-esque production are a big leap from their debut EP, 2024’s SIS (Soft Is Strong) with its breakout single, the sugary, teenybop smash, “Touch.” But even as many fans were scratching their head at the surrealist chaos, others were tapping into their new fuzzy frequency and getting ready for their new era.
Their forthcoming EP, Beautiful Chaos, is an encapsulation of the group’s buzzing energy, a messy distillation of the first-of-its-kind girl group — a partnership between Korean K-pop super-label HYBE and the States’ own Geffen. The group — composed of Daniela, Lara, Manon, Megan, Sophia, and Yoonchae — hail respectively from Atlanta, New York, Zurich, Honolulu, Manila and Seoul. Fans of the group feel especially connected to KATSEYE given that they witnessed them battle for their spots in an emotionally turbulent process of training and competition, all documented in a docuseries, Netflix’s Pop Star Academy: KATSEYE.
Now, with the drama of that process in the rearview, KATSEYE are ready to lean into their own distinct POV. There is no set road map for this group, which straddles Western and Korean models of pop superstardom. For example, Western pop consumers expect to know everything about their favorite stars, whereas K-pop idols generally exist in a sea of mystery. For the cross-cultural collective, finding harmony between the two worlds has had its challenges. “It’s been hard to find that balance when it comes to sharing things about our personal life … I love to share and let people into my life,” says Lara, who recently made headlines by identifying her sexuality as “half fruitcake.” “It’s been helpful to use the K-pop way to be a little bit mysterious, but it’s definitely two very different worlds that we’re still figuring out.”
In many ways, they’re letting the art do the talking, using “Gnarly” as a way to re-introduce themselves in a flash of confusion and “gaggery.” “We felt all the emotions all of our fans felt [when we first heard ‘Gnarly,’]” shares Sophia. “We had fans who were gagged. Some fans were confused. We felt all those things, that’s what made us feel like this was our song and that we could truly make it our own, and use it as an introduction to this new era.”
That new era’s introduction initially came via the single’s fittingly overwhelming, SSION-directed music video, which careens between a nasty, culinary horror movie and a full-on rave. It was their live performance of the song on Show! Music Core, though, that almost instantly changed the online reaction to the song from confusion to elation. “Honestly, it was a bit of a roller coaster at first. We knew ‘Gnarly’ isn’t for everyone. That’s totally okay,” says Manon. “But we also knew the performances are gonna change people’s minds. When we started rehearsing ‘Gnarly’ and saw the choreo, we were all gagged, and that really sold it to us. And now it’s in the Spotify Top Hits, so we’re super, super excited.”
Since then, they’ve been on a global sprint, performing the song and executing its floor-shaking choreo around the world. This past Saturday, they took the song to California for a performance at Wango Tango. There, they were dressed by none other than RuPaul’s Drag Race royalty Gigi Goode, who put the girls in an ethereal set of deconstructed white and earth tone drapery. “My goal was to do something fresh and light that the girls hadn’t been seen in before. I used a lot of elements from my latest collection, and twisted them into something with a lot of texture and movement to compliment the girls’ insane dance ability,” Gigi Goode told PAPER. “The looks feel like the canvas, and the girls are the paint.”
As drag fans, it was a dream for the girls to work with Goode. “I love Gigi. She’s so amazing. I was honestly star-struck when I saw her,” says Manon. “I also feel like we’re living in such a scary time. We want to be on the right side of history and support the dolls.” Exactly.
PAPER chatted with the globe-trotting superstars over Zoom right after they got back from a quick jaunt to Korea to talk about their “Gnarly” era, dealing with online attention and leaning on each other for support.
Hey! Excited to talk to you all. What’s the process been like preparing for Wango Tango?
Megan: We’re still trying to figure that out [Laughs]. We’re trying to get as much rest as we can, while also balancing getting ready and prepared. Coffee really helps and also being there for each other.
Sophia: Right before we perform, if one of us is feeling a little lower in energy, we love to grab each other and pass energy to each other. We’ll literally try to sink our breaths and squeeze out energy, like … if one person has strength, we try passing it on.
I, like a lot of your fans, was pretty shocked when I first saw “Gnarly.” It took me a second, but, when I saw the live performances, I became obsessed. What’s it been like for you to see the very passionate reaction on all sides to this new song?
Manon: Honestly, it was a bit of a roller coaster at first. We knew “Gnarly” isn’t for everyone. It’s a very different side of us. It’s a very different song. The opinions are super valid. We’re open to any constructive criticism. That’s totally okay. But we also knew the performances are gonna change people’s minds. When we started rehearsing “Gnarly” and saw the choreo, we were all gagged, and that really sold it to us. We’re just super excited to keep performing it. And now it’s in the Spotify Top Hits, so we’re super excited.
Lara: I feel like there was such a strong vision when it came to “Gnarly.” It served a very specific purpose, which was to introduce the new era and make a statement and grab everyone’s attention. When we were getting the negative responses on the day that it came out, we talked to each other. We were like, “We have to stand behind this. We knew when we first heard it that this song has a purpose for us. We have to stand behind it, no matter what people say. If they get it, they get it. And they will come around.”
Did you always know that “Gnarly” was going to be the introduction to this new era?
Sophia: What’s so special is that we felt all the emotions that all of our fans felt. We had fans who were, from the beginning, gagged. Some fans were confused, like “What is going on. What am I listening to?” We felt all those things at the same time. That’s what made us feel like this was our song and that we could truly make it our own, and use it as an introduction to this new era. It was easier for us to stand behind it because we had to remind ourselves that these people are listening to this for the first time. And we know that eventually people are going to get it. It makes us so happy that people do. We also had a lot of support from the team. They were like, “Guys your first performance is the day after the release. You have to have trust. The performance is going to change everything. Ignore everything and just believe,” and that’s why the performance skyrocketed “Gnarly” the way that we knew it could.
You all have been getting so much love. But Daniela, you’ve been getting a lot of love online. What has that experience been like?
Daniela: It’s been shocking and amazing to see the love online. I am super grateful. I didn’t think I was going to receive that much for “Gnarly” to be honest. I’m so comfortable with it, and the dancing is very authentic to me. It feels very comfortable. I’m glad that other people are also seeing that and are able to see my full artistry as well. It honestly warms my heart so much that I can inspire people.
I know you’re really close with your fans, but you’re also seeing commentary all over the whole internet. I’m sure it’s super overwhelming. How do you balance the beauty and the chaos of the internet?
Lara: It is definitely difficult. It goes through waves. Some months it’s super easy to tap out and just not listen to what people think at all. And then some months, it’s inevitable. We’re human. If you see something over and over again, it is bound to get to you and affect you. The way that we balance it is talking to each other and relying and leaning on each other. If I’m getting hate I will talk to the girls, and they’ll hype me up, or tell me to shut off my phone. They will always give me advice. And our team is super helpful. We find a really big resource and emotional support within each other, because there’s just nobody else in the world that can understand this specific experience that we’re going through except for the six of us, so we really rely on each other a lot.
Manon: I do fully agree, we support each other, but at the same time [our fans] the Eyekons, they’re like an army. They have our back. Whenever I do see hate, I usually see 20-30 replies of people being protective and defending us. I’m just really grateful for that and I try to focus on the positives
Lara: Eyekons are very smart people. Most often, our mindset aligns with the way they think. That is something that we got so lucky with. We’re so grateful for that, because they’re all just thinkers and they very much know what’s up. That’s such a blessing for us.
You guys are in such an interesting position. You’re a K-pop group, but you’re also a global group based in America. The expectations on K-pop idols is very distinct from the expectations of American pop stars. Idols usually don’t share as much about their own views whereas we expect to know everything about American pop stars: who they’re dating, what their favorite food is etc. How are you guys navigating that tension with your label?
Sophia: We got so lucky to be able to get the best of both worlds. There’s no side that we’re leaning a lot more towards. We get to find this perfect balance. We get benefits from it in how we promote our music, how we make our music and our performances. It just makes sense, because that’s who we are. We’re a global girl group who’s heavily inspired by the K-pop methodology and also the methodology of our Western side.
Lara: It’s been hard to find that balance when it comes to sharing things about our personal lives. Four of us are more Western and then Yoonchae and Sophia grew up in Asia. We all come from very different upbringings. But for me, I’m so used to sharing every detail … like you have to know everything about an artist. With my nature, I love to share and let people into my life. I want our Eyekons to know my authentic self. It’s been helpful to use the K-pop way to be a little bit mysterious and hold back a little bit and find the balance between both. But it’s definitely two very different worlds that we’re still figuring out.
For the Wango Tango performance, you’re working with Gigi Goode. Are you Drag Race girls?
Manon: I love RuPaul’s Drag Race. I love Gigi. She’s so amazing. I was honestly star-struck when I saw her. I was like, “You made those outfits for us?” So it’s definitely super exciting. I also feel like we’re living in such a scary time. We want to be on the right side of history and support the dolls.
Lara: Period.
Sophia: It’s been amazing to see how much support we have from the drag community. A lot of us are such fans. During the pandemic I fell into the Drag Race rabbit hole. I even got my mom on it. Every day I see a video of a drag performance of “Gnarly.” It’s insane how much support we’re getting and to work with Gigi is such an honor. It’s so amazing to have her style us. We felt like dolls the other day.
Before we wrap up, could all of you say something that’s not in the song that is gnarly? You don’t have to explain it.
Megan: My head is so empty right now [Laughs].
Sophia: I can go first … Lip gloss. Gnarly.
Megan: Pink hair. Gnarly.
Lara: Eyebrow slit. Gnarly.
Yoon Chae: I have one uni — [audio cuts out].
I lost you. Did you say unibrow?
Yoonchae: [Group Laughs]. Unicorn!
Sophia: Unibrow is gnarly! That is so gnarly.
Daniela: A skirt over pants. Gnarly.
Sophia: Wedges are gnarly.
Yoonchae: Wet socks. Gnarly!
Lara: That’s bad-gnarly.
Manon, I dont think you’ve submitted your gnarly yet.
Manon: I don’t know. Straight brows. Gnarly … also spreading positivity and being kind. Gnarly.
Beautiful. Okay. Just one last question: what are you guys most excited about with this new era?
Manon: Gaggery.
Daniela: For new things that no one has ever seen or heard before from us, a fully new sound that is different from “Gnarly.” There’s something for everyone on the EP, because each song is so different from the next song.
Manon: It’s a full rebrand.
Sophia: We’re really playing with our versatility as a group. It’s a new sound from us as KATSEYE.
Lara: I’m so excited and curious to see which one the fan favorite is gonna be because I feel like we all know, but you never really know. We have a song that we’re like, “This is going to be the fan favorite. It’s our favorite.” But when we’ve done listening sessions and ask everyone who listens to the EP about their favorite, every single person says something different.
Manon: There’s a common two.
Lara: Yeah, there’s a common two, which is really exciting. I feel it in my gut, but you never really know until it happens, so I’m really curious.
Photography: Rahul Bhatt