Of all of Okay-pop’s forays into non-Korean markets, Katseye have had the largest push and have probably the most potential to develop into stars exterior the business. Although they’ve solely launched one EP since their debut final summer season, they’ve achieved a good quantity of promotions and appear to have discovered a pure place inside the general pop music dialogue. With such a protracted 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 a whole sonic makeover. Gone is the breezy pop of their debut, changed with one thing way 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 keeping with the edgy hyperpop sound the music is focusing on. It seems Okay-pop businesses have taken a really gradual bus and are simply now arriving to final 12 months’s “Brat summer season.” I urge of you, Okay-pop … don’t tackle this explicit development. You’re not well-equipped to drag it off in any method that feels genuine.
On first pay attention, it’s laborious to tell apart Gnarly as a music in any respect. It feels extra like a parody, particularly given its laughable string of cuss phrases thrown round like youngsters desperately attempting to freak out their dad and mom. A beneficiant method of receiving this observe could be to name it “camp,” however camp doesn’t work if you’re attempting so rattling laborious to promote the gag. There’s an insufferable quantity of “attempting” happening right here. Gnarly strains so laborious to be leading edge 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 the whole lot from Tesla (actually?!?) to takis go down with a boring, eye-rolling thud. The spotlight (lowlight?) for me comes throughout verse two the place the women truly say “I’m making beats for a boring dumb b*tch” earlier than bragging about their “mansion.” I don’t understand how I’m speculated to interpret this, but it surely definitely seems 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 correct materials. Gnarly is certainly not that materials. I truly like my pop stars to be a bit prickly and misbehaved, however not in such a contrived method. This can be a large, obtrusive, deeply unclever cringe emoji all over. I’m truly embarrassed on their behalf.
| Hooks | 2 |
| Manufacturing | 7 |
| Longevity | 5 |
| Bias | 3 |
| RATING | 4.25 |
Grade: F