Katseye slides comfortably into a mold crafted by recent history’s most influential K-pop and girl groups, and yet they defy simple labels. Yes, they come with a K-pop sound, but they’re not K-pop. Their songs are primarily in English, even though the group has members from nearly every major continent. Founded on each member’s merging musical styles, Katseye offers listeners a global stew, offering several distinct flavors of pop music–with the word “pop” itself serving as a catch-all label for music that’s airy, nondescript, and more about the vibe than the content.
Despite only a handful of releases, Katseye’s influence stretches beyond music. The group often bases their fashion on late 1990s and early 2000s trends while designing their music videos around similar nostalgia. TikTok named the group as their “Global Artist of the Year” for 2025. Their appearance at the Grammys solidified their status as a power player in the global pop scene.
Supporting their sound are messages of sisterhood, self-confidence, and believing in yourself no matter what. As admirable as those themes may be, Katseye’s unfortunately primed for a spotlight to shine on what’s really behind these messages.
Between Katseye’s songs and music videos, few redeemable messages exist.
“Gameboy” uses a video game as a metaphor for playing each other in a dysfunctional romance. Katseye locates the exhausting nature of a back-and-forth relationship rooted in drama. They try to avoid it in singing, “You’re just a Gameboy/I ain’t tryna play boy/I ain’t thinkin about you.”
“Mean Girls” is a girl empowerment song aimed at uplifting any type of girl and as Katseye puts it, “And yes, God bless even the mean girls.” Their admiration for any type of girl continues with the line, “This is why I hate the internet, yes/But you’re not gonna kill my happiness/So I’ll forgive and getting closer to forget.”
“Gnarly” opens with the telling line: “They could describe everything with one single word.” That word (gnarly) is then echoed behind a growing list of things Katseye deems important. Unfortunately, the chorus shifts vulgar as the group adds f-words and claims like “I’m the s—” or “I’m making beats for a boring, dumb b—-.”
Katseye performed “Gnarly” at the Grammys which consisted of suggestive dance moves and inappropriate male/female choreography in a tight two-minute performance. Several dance moves mimicked sexual positions throughout the dance as well.
“Gabriela” describes the pattern of falling for a girl too quickly or not weighing the consequences. They sing, “You got everybody’s eyes undressing you…Hands off Gabriela.” There are a few suggestive references to sex as the group sings, “I bet you taste just like summer/Under the covers/Me in the middle.”
“M.I.A.” tells of how a girl is prone to ditch her relationship at the first sign of trouble. She sings, “No, ah, don’t be like this/No, you won’t put a leash on a b–ch/You want more, but you get what I give.”
“Mean Girls” carries a reference to transgenderism as the group sings, “God bless the T girls.”
On “Gameboy” the group claims to “love the drama.” There are also mild references to karma as well as heading to the club for a night out.
Katseye’s most popular music videos, “Gnarly” and “Gabriela,” each share an overwhelming amount of sexualized imagery covered with an air of violence and revenge. “Gnarly” opens with a decapitated head and “Gabriela” features a brawl with sliced-up fingers and bloody noses.
The two songs, like most of Katseye’s limited library, position superficial excess at the center of stories where relationships are competitive matches of beauty and desire.
Katseye’s debut EP, Beautiful Chaos, certainly lives up to one half of its name. Chaos reigns as each song cycles through alarming behaviors amidst a swirl of profanity.
The other half, as usual with beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. In their videos and performances, each member is prone to scandalous fashion choices while positioning sexual activity at the center of their dance choreography.
In our view, Katseye’s example is one to avoid rather than follow. The fleeting beauty attached to chaotic choices on display here is alarming and destructive when encouraged and untamed.
Jackson Greer is a High School English Teacher in the suburbs of Texas. He lives in Coppell, Texas with his wife, Clara. They love debating whether or not to get another cat and reading poetry together. Also, he is a former employee of Focus on the Family’s Parenting Department.
