When KATSEYE released their debut EP ‘SIS (Soft Is Strong)’ last year, it felt like exactly what you’d expect a girl group formed on a reality TV show – a solid first offering of songs that veered from cutesy to empowering, but was also quite safe. So when the six-piece dropped their first new music of the year in April, ‘Gnarly’ came as a shock. Maximalist, full of f-bombs and just straight up weird, it was a complete 180 from the world’s idea of KATSEYE.
“I didn’t expect such a crazy song,” Manon admits as the group join NME to discuss their second EP, ‘Beautiful Chaos’, two months after their bombshell return. “I was just super excited because I was like, ‘Oh my god, finally we can cuss!’”
“As artists and as people who are very inspired by artists who constantly reinvent themselves and try new things, we definitely want to put ourselves out there, even though it’s something that’s very different,” Sophia adds. “I think that’s something that’s going to set us apart and allow us to reach our goal of really making waves and making a difference in this industry.”
‘Gnarly’ certainly made waves when it arrived. The initial reaction upon its release was one of collective confusion coupled with negativity towards the group. But as the days passed, that response gradually shifted to people getting into the song and understanding it. “We expected it a little bit, just because it’s so different,” Dani explains. “We definitely were like, ‘OK, the people that get it will get it, and if you don’t get it, it’s not for you and that’s OK’.”
You were more involved in this EP than you were with ‘SIS’. What did you want to show and say about KATSEYE on this record that wasn’t present in that first EP?
Lara: “I think it was really important for us to show maturity and evolution from ‘SIS’, specifically ‘SIS’ being really feminine and it focused on our individual charms a lot because it was introducing us as a group and as individuals to the world. ‘Beautiful Chaos’ is a little bit more about our identity as a group and what all six of us together means and how that comes off. So this album is very much about our power and our strength. It’s a lot darker and a lot more grown-up.”
You’ve spoken about trying to embody characters while recording ‘Gnarly’ through things like Lara wearing a fur jacket in the studio. How would you describe the character and the attitude you wanted to get into for this song?
Lara: “I think it’s just about being really, really, really carefree and just fierce, owning your hotness but also your weirdness. ‘Gnarly’ is very much all over the place. Music has shifted so much, especially this year, to everything being about embracing your messiness and just dancing and doing things for the plot. That’s very much what ‘Gnarly’ is about. It’s word vomiting and just embracing the craziness that sometimes goes on in our heads and in our lives.”
Were there any artists you were taking inspiration from, energy-wise?
Sophia: “I remember when we did Jingle Ball in December, Lara and I ran backstage to watch Kesha perform her set and we were in awe. Our jaws were on the floor watching her and her energy. One of the magical things about KATSEYE and a lot of K-pop groups that we take inspiration from is they’re very clean [performance-wise] and there’s so much synchronisation, and that’s what’s so satisfying to the eye. It was also refreshing to see an artist like Kesha literally have not a care in the world, being herself and just having that carefree, almost messiness that Lara was just talking about. We were like, ‘That’s a raw pop star’.”
Lara: “She’s such a big inspiration for this whole era. But production-wise, obviously Charli [XCX] too, but I think SOPHIE is a huge, huge inspiration here.”
Charli co-wrote ‘Gabriela’ for this EP. She’s an artist who’s so bold and brave and just does what she wants. How has her approach to music inspired you?
Lara: “One thing that inspires me so much about Charli is she’s so versatile. She’s been around for so long. I recently went on this deep dive of all of her albums and the evolution of Charli XCX. What’s so special about her, whether it’s her artist project or what she’s written [for other artists], you can tell that she’s written it. In ‘Gabriela’, there are a lot of melodies where I’m like, ‘Oh my god, she did that. It’s Charli’. She leaves this imprint on everything she does, no matter how different the songs are. I just think that’s so sick. We all think that she’s the sickest person in the world. Excellent artistry and insane amounts of growth, but also very much staying true to herself and what she likes, which we all really want to be like [ourselves].”
‘Gabriela’ is very different from ‘Gnarly’ as well. What side of KATSEYE did you want to show there?
Dani: “The choreography is so fun, it’s one of my favourite choreos that we have. It’s sexier, which is a side that no one’s really seen yet. I am singing in Spanish, and it’s honestly so exciting because I’ve always wanted to have music out there with me singing in my native language. Not a lot of people know that I can speak Spanish, so it’s honestly really amazing that I get to show a bit more of my culture.”
With the rest of the EP, which song are you each connecting with most right now?
Megan: “Should we all just say it? We all have the same one. Three, two, one…”
KATSEYE: “‘MIA’!”
Megan: “It’s just a banger!”
Dani: “It’s like in the club, gets you pumped up. Or it’s like a song to [listen to when you’re] getting ready with your girls to go out. It’s definitely a song that gets you going.”
Lara: “It also hits in the car, driving down the highway at night. It’s so good.”
Where do you see the KATSEYE sound developing from here?
Lara: “Oh my god, I see a lot of evolution. I feel like soon we’re going to tap into more different genres, maybe like R&B, maybe even more dance-heavy. We’re gonna try a lot of different things. We’re all very inspired by Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and 2000s pop, so we’d love to experiment with that.”
Dani: “I feel like it’s all [about] keeping the KATSEYE vibe within exploring different genres, which is really exciting, and then also bringing in the cultural elements, different languages maybe, instruments and choreography. We are really, really musical as people so I think we’re very open to trying anything. So we will be doing that!”
Lara’s been sharing some songs and beats that she’s been making on Instagram and she remixed ‘Gnarly’ with Lancey Foux and Slush Puppy. How are you all developing as songwriters and producers?
Lara: “I’ve noticed that everybody has been starting to write on our own a lot in our free time, literally just for fun. When I go home, I make myself make something every day, even if it’s not that good, just because I want to make it and feel creative in some way. So either it’ll be a beat or I’ll write a verse in my journal, or I really will make a full song. All of us have been doing that so we’re very excited to do it together.”
Who is inspiring you and the individual things you’re writing at the moment?
Megan: “I feel like I’ve always been inspired by 2000s Britney and especially Lady Gaga – those dance-pop tracks. Similar to Lara, I try to make a song or just do something every single day, and it’s been so much fun just playing around even though it may not be good. I can keep developing it and developing that skill.”
Lara: “I love Brandy, Erykah Badu… I’ve been really inspired by Kwn, I love her, I think she’s so, so, so good, and Destin Conrad.”
Yoonchae: “For me, I would say Wave To Earth and AKMU. When I listen to AKMU’s songs, I get inspiration and I want to write a song.”
Sophia: “Personally, I’ve been an Ariana [Grande] fan forever. I feel like I grew up on her and I feel like her growth as an artist, being a vocal powerhouse and also writing from her experiences with her newest album, it’s really beautiful. Being a fan of her, knowing the things that she’s experiencing and how she’s putting it into her music makes it really emotional. I can also tell the way she writes, there’s such a big intention of sharing her story but also having a story that people can connect to. I think there’s so much beauty in that. I think a big part of being an artist is being able to listen to music and find your story in theirs.”
Dani: “For me, it’s always changing. But at the moment, I’m super inspired by Frank Ocean, I think his lyricism is insane. I’m very much in the R&B world, like Brent Faiyaz, Daniel Caesar. I’m discovering new artists right now too, like Casper Sage I think is really good and underrated. But it’s always changing – sometimes Latin music, sometimes 2000s, sometimes hardcore rap.”
Manon: “I honestly take a lot of inspiration from Beyoncé. She’s been my idol for life.”
KATSEYE’s ‘Beautiful Chaos’ is out now via HYBE x Geffen