Ever since BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, we’ve come to know KATSEYE as the it-girls that can never sit still, and WILD is a testament of how far their sound can stretch. Put it next to their first EP SIS (Soft Is Strong), where we watched the girls chase their dreams and the fame that came with it, WILD sits on the other end of the spectrum. WILD is an unapologetic statement of their newfound maturity and sophistication, and honestly, of their freedom to have fun and party.
There’s something thrilling about this EP because every track belongs to a different mood and a different version of KATSEYE. The ability to swing between chaos and vulnerability (like with ‘Pinky Up’ versus ‘Bel Air’) is something that the ladies use to their advantage. And now, WILD is here to push their global girl group ambitions even further.
As we dive into the album, we get to understand more about the direction that our girls are headed, and what an exciting direction it is.
Four months ago, when we first heard ‘Pinky Up’, we could immediately clock the signature chaotic sound that KATSEYE can so flawlessly execute. It was the perfect transition from BEAUTIFUL CHAOS’s ‘Gnarly’, the song that put them on the hyperpop map in the first place. The track had a sort of refinement that was reflected in the rest of the EP, something that BEAUTIFUL CHAOS didn’t have. It’s glittery and reckless, maybe even unhinged, but the message is clear: release all your inhibitions and dance like it’s the last night of the world.
‘Pinky Up’ was really the track for KATSEYE to show that they truly are unbothered, and will be messy and energetic and have fun when they want to.
As the years flew by, we watched KATSEYE grow from graduates of the Dream Academy to full-fledged pop stars on the global stage, and ‘Animal’ marks the exact moment where the girls arrive at a more mature sound. The track is sultry, smooth, and definitely seductive, as they touch more into the intimacies of relationships and what happens behind closed doors.
‘Animal’ leans more into R&B territory than it does into pop, putting focus squarely on vocals rather than catchy and repetitive hooks. And this paid off in the best way, as ‘Animal’ became KATSEYE’s highest rated track, ranking on No. 24 at the Billboard Hot 100.
Meanwhile, ‘Hootie Frutti’ is the playful party song of the EP. Where ‘Pinky Up’ was more about letting yourself go, and ‘Animal’ was about getting in touch with their more sensual and intimate personas, ‘Hootie Frutti’ is purely about dance and having fun. You could almost call it flirtatious, with a catchy beat that makes it impossible to stand still, and has enough influence of Latin American funk to keep things interesting.
But that energy is quickly contrasted by ‘Bel Air’, which is the moodier and glossier breakup anthem written more than a decade ago by Charli XCX. Here, our girls show the kind of vulnerability in love that you can only feel when you’re still trying to figure out how to live your life. ‘Bel Air’ was about losing the kind of love that you experience only after you lose your first love. And this track is proof that KATSEYE can do a party ballad just as well as they can do party songs. ‘Bel Air’ definitely lingers after the EP ends.
After the emotional high of ‘Bel Air’, ‘That Way’ gives us a much needed breather for WILD. It’s the dreamier, more laidback track that’s also a little more nostalgic than the rest, touching on the soft Y2K-inspired sound that we’re all familiar with. It’s not the loudest song in the EP, but it might just be the track that sticks with you weeks later.
Sophia, Lara, Daniela, Megan and Yoonchae (and Manon, we miss you!) keep proving that KATSEYE isn’t just a girl group with a great discography, but a group that genuinely loves performing and having their skin in the game. Their world tour is kicking off soon, and this era is only just getting started.
