{"id":614248,"date":"2026-09-04T12:38:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/614248\/"},"modified":"2026-09-04T12:38:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T12:38:09","slug":"katseye-review-petulant-hyperpop-bops-from-a-girl-group-in-crisis-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/614248\/","title":{"rendered":"Katseye review \u2013 petulant hyperpop bops from a girl group in crisis | Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

It takes a certain amount of resilience to be a Katseye fan. Since debuting three years ago via the boot camp meets reality TV show The Debut: Dream Academy, the multinational K-pop hybrid girl band have put their so-called Eyekons through the wringer<\/a>. Last month alone they lost their second member to a \u201cpersonal health and wellness\u201d related hiatus, with Sophia joining Manon (who stepped away in more mysterious circumstances back in February) on the sidelines. Weeks later, they landed their first US No 1 album with Wild, a collection led by the carbonated dance-pop rocket Pinky Up<\/a> \u2013 a song referred to by the band\u2019s many online detractors as \u201cskibidi toilet music\u201d<\/a> (ie slop).<\/p>\n

Even as this debut arena tour arrived in the UK, there were fears the newly reshaped quartet might be reduced to a trio after Megan sprained her ankle. But if the fans are worried, they don\u2019t show it, their ear-piercing screams drowning out the opening Hootie Frutti<\/a>, a sonic melange that somehow makes Brazilian funk sound leaden. By the time petulant hyperpop bop Internet Girl<\/a> kicks in they\u2019re screaming lines like \u201ceat zucchini, eat zucchini\u201d as if their lives depend on it.<\/p>\n

Ear-piercing screams \u2026 Katseye at the O2 Arena<\/p>\n

A now healed Megan, Lara, Daniela and Yoonchae do their best to reward the enthusiasm. They lock into the featherlight early single Touch<\/a>, which recalls their K-pop peers NewJeans<\/a>, while last year\u2019s breakthrough single, Gabriela<\/a>, is given a delicious flamenco makeover. The choreography is frenetic throughout, aided by 10 dancers, but the minimalist staging \u2013 just a raised platform and a short runway \u2013 means the focus is very much on the songs themselves. That causes problems when the best they can muster is Animal<\/a>, a flaccid Ed Sheeran co-write, or My Way<\/a>, a song so dated it\u2019s essentially a refried X Factor winner\u2019s single.<\/p>\n

Things pick up when the band are allowed to unshackle themselves from the rigid choreography. The strutting new-wave of Bel Air<\/a> \u2013 a resuscitated Charli xcx demo from 2013 \u2013 offers up flashes of their individual personalities, while a chest-rattling Gnarly<\/a>, complete with its \u201cI\u2019m the shit\u201d hook, shows how well they can sell ludicrous bangers as long as they stay just the right side of goofy. Not that the fans care a jot; to them, Katseye can do no wrong and the skibidi toilet music is simply part of the charm.<\/p>\n

At the O2 Arena, London<\/a>, 4 September, then Co-op Live, Manchester<\/a>, 6 September<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It takes a certain amount of resilience to be a Katseye fan. Since debuting three years ago via…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":614249,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[93,61,60,278],"class_list":["post-614248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-music","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614248","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=614248"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/614248\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/614249"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=614248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=614248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=614248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}