With KATSEYE member Manon Bannerman on indefinite hiatus and member Sophia Laforteza on a temporary hiatus, the girl group released its third and newest EP, “WILD,” on Aug. 14 this year. The new record fails to effectively capture the talent of each member, resulting in a painfully mediocre pop album.
Bannerman does not make an appearance on this latest EP at all, but Laforteza does, leaving me to think that Bannerman isn’t returning.
KATSEYE originally debuted June 2024 with the purpose of creating a multinational girl group under the rigorous talent competition show, The Debut: Dream Academy. The group, consisting of six members from diverse ethnic backgrounds, released its first EP, “SIS (Soft Is Strong),” in August 2024.
This track stands out as painfully bad and repetitive in both its lyrics and instrumentation. For example, member Daniela Avanzini sings, “Hootie frutti on your tongue, hootie frutti all night long,” while an annoyingly loud bassline plays. The song revolves around the concept of physical desire, using tropical fruit as a lyrical metaphor better executed in Harry Styles' “Watermelon Sugar.”
To start the song, Avanzini sings, “Eu sei que tu gosta da fruta, mas essa e diferente.” While this Portuguese statement translates to “I know you like the fruit, but this one is different,” I can’t find anything making the track interesting or perplexingly unique.
I also felt it was quite random to add Brazilian influence on the song, because none of this global group’s members have any well-known ties to Brazilian culture. However, the influence gives the song its most catchy beginning line.
Charli XCX originally wrote this track and recorded it in 2013 for her sophomore album “SUCKER,” but ultimately scrapped it. The original recording was uploaded to YouTube by various users. After listening to her original version and KATSEYE’s, I prefer XCX’s rendition.
The original sounds 80s synth-pop inspired, an aspect significantly stripped down in this 2026 release.
While the group nailed vocal harmony during the chorus, resulting in the catchy lyric “When you were mine,” the song felt devoid of its original meaning: reminiscing on a past relationship and their broken promise of running away together.
The track is undeniably catchy with its repeated chorus singing, “Pinky Up.” Admittedly, the song’s lyrics aren’t the deepest nor do they make any sense, but I still find the rebellious lyrics enjoyable under each member’s deliveries.
For example, they members start getting philosophical, singing, “I kind of know nothing, just like Socrates / The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” Randomly mentioning this complex and deep idea feels out of place when just seconds ago the members were singing about shaking their butts in a parking lot.
However, I did enjoy the instrumental break at the end of the song, where the titular chorus got remixed as the song came to its end.
3. “Unloveu” (Target Exclusive)
To listen to this Target-exclusive track, you have to buy a CD or vinyl of the EP. With five variants available to purchase, you can choose which member of the group you want featured on the cover.
Written exclusively by member Lara Raj, this song had stronger lyrics than most of the other songs on the EP. Despite this, it was repetitive, leaving little room for each verse. It felt like the chorus took up the majority of the song, which got old quite fast.
Raj’s vocals are at the front and center of this track, proving to be her strong suit within the group. Overall, I just couldn’t get over the repetition, leaving me to place this song lower than the other less lyrically dense tracks.
After becoming a fan of the group after hearing the song “Gnarly,” Ed Sheeran offered to write a track for the girls. The resulting song, “Animal,” has proven to be one of my favorite KATSEYE songs.
The song attempts to discuss the juxtaposition between a perfect public image and the animalistic energy only present behind closed doors. During the catchy line, “I’ll be gone by morning / So getcha, getcha heels on the floor then,” sung by Daniela, I could hear the grit in her voice used to get the group’s “bad girl” aesthetics across.
I enjoyed each member’s verses, including the pre-chorus where Raj used a pretty falsetto tone in the lyrics, “You make the light and the shadows collide,” that leads into a catchy chorus.
1. “That Way”
This track was the best at representing each of the girl’s vocal talents. Being more R&B-infused than any of the other tracks on the EP, each member took turns at vocal runs and changing their incantations.
The song’s message is rooted in setting standards for romantic partners, outlining how each member must be treated like a princess. They list their standards while emphasizing that these needs must be met to become intimate with them.
I still think that KATSEYE has a long journey ahead of them to improve their sound and message. Their labels, Hybe and Geffen Records, undervalue the girls’ vocal talents, continue to give them pop slop that, despite being inherently catchy, isn’t musically interesting. I hope the girls get more opportunities to write their own songs, especially since it feels like Raj was snubbed, with “Unloveu” being the only member-written song but only appearing on the Target-exclusive EP.
