KATSEYE’s pre-release single from their second album, “Gnarly,” captivated audiences worldwide with its bold lyrics, dynamic choreography, and the members’ colorful expressions and confident attitudes on stage. The lyrics showcase Gen Z’s unique way of self-expression through seemingly random words like “boba tea,” “Tesla,” and “fried chicken.” The multifaceted appeal of “Gnarly,” a word with various interpretations, sparked a Billboard Hot 100 chart entry and ignited a TikTok challenge craze. We asked KATSEYE, who continue to carve out their own new path beyond genre boundaries, about the preparation process and behind-the-scenes stories of their exciting new chapter, “Gnarly.”
Hearing “Gnarly” for the First Time
Megan: When I first heard “Gnarly,” I was like, “okay wow—we’re really going for it”! It was such a shift from our previous track, “Touch.” The beat was crazy, the vibe was raw. The lyrics didn’t hold back—like we weren’t afraid to say what we wanted to say. It felt super real and confident, and I remember thinking, people are gonna be shocked, but in the best way. It definitely brought out a different side of us.
Manon: I was a little surprised when I first heard it, and I think a lot of people felt the same. But after practicing and rehearsing, I really started to understand the song better and now I think it’s just such a great song. I love the choreography, and most of all, performing it.
A Chance to Show the Team’s Growth
Lara: We all had the dream of using this era to showcase KATSEYE’s grit, power, rawness, and even masculinity as a group. I think we are at a place where we want to show our maturity and evolution together and let the EYEKONS (the KATSEYE fandom) in on a more authentic, and developed version of ourselves!
Sophia: We collectively had a shared vision of showing growth and authenticity as KATSEYE. Everything ultimately comes from the season we are in now and how we can connect to our fans the best. We said we wanted to show some grit and sharpness. We pictured strong pops of primary colors with a touch of darkness and went from there.
KATSEYE’s Take on “Gnarly”
Yoonchae: The word “Gnarly” can be used to describe something awesome and cool, but also something intense or even a bit wild in a negative way. While preparing for this song, we really leaned into that duality, not just trying to look cool, but adding boldness and playfulness into every facial expression and gesture. That contrast became our focus, and we made sure to express it in our own way.
Daniela: The lyrics blend coolness and silliness, so I tried to show both sides—excited but also playful and sarcastic. Honestly, I just did what felt right in the moment. The song has this wild, confident energy, so I let my body follow that vibe without overthinking it. It was about trusting our instincts and having fun with it, while still making sure the emotion came through loud and clear.
Lara: I honestly think the facials and performance quality showcased in “Gnarly” came really natural to us. We didn't have to try too hard to pull it out of ourselves or anything, we feel very “gnarly” as a group and it felt like we were unleashing a different side of ourselves that we were all excited and eager to showcase. The rehearsal and development process for this project has been SO fun and chaotic!
Taking on a New Challenge through “Gnarly”
Megan: The “Gnarly” choreo was definitely a whole new vibe for us. It mixed those sharp, classic K-pop formations we’re used to with moves that are way more bold and expressive—like the twerking, which you don’t usually see in girl group routines. While practicing, I think what we focused on most was owning the attitude. The moves are strong, but if you don’t feel the energy behind them, it can fall flat. We wanted to make sure we looked confident and fearless, not just clean. We definitely had moments where we all pitched in ideas, especially when it came to facials! Our choreographer gave us a solid base, and we added our own flavor to make it truly “us.”
Yoonchae: “Gnarly” was a completely different sound from our previous track “Touch,” so it really felt like a new challenge! The vibe of “Gnarly” is much freer and more unapologetic, so it was important for us to highlight our individual styles without losing our sense of teamwork. While working on the choreography, we shared a lot of feedback with each other. Like, “Let’s go bolder with our facial expressions here,” or “Instead of making this part super synchronized, let’s let everyone’s personality shine.” That kind of collaboration really helped us bring the energy to life on stage.
When “Gnarly” Hits Big!
Yoonchae: We’ve definitely seen the “Boba tea (Gnarly) / Tesla (Gnarly) / Fried chicken (Gnarly)” part blow up like a meme on social media. It still blows our minds every time! It makes us so happy and grateful to see people all over the world enjoying “Gnarly.” Whenever someone posts a creative or funny take on the song, we always end up sharing it in our group chat. We’re like, “Did you see this one?” and just crack up or get impressed by how clever our fans are! Every single one of those reactions means so much to us. It’s what keeps us going!
Daniela: It honestly makes me so happy seeing people have fun with the song and put their own spin on it. It’s wild and exciting to see it become a meme. It reminds me why we love doing this so much!
Practice Makes Perfect
Sophia: When the music didn’t play at the start of our “Gnarly” performance at iHeartRadio Wango Tango, we actually had no idea that our music went out. Through our in-ears, we could still hear the music. We proceeded to perform and sing just like how we practiced. It wasn’t until 10 or 15 minutes after the performance was done when we heard about the incident. Best believe we were going to be performing the same with or without music!
Lara: I think because we rehearse so much, we are really prepared for anything. We put a lot of effort and work in to give our EYEKONS the performances they deserve, which is the best and only the best! Things don’t always go perfectly, and that’s just life. But sometimes, the unexpected can turn into something even better!
“Gnarly” Is Straight-Up Nalli!
Yoonchae: When I first heard it, I was like, wait, “Gnarly” sounds just like “난리 (nalli)”! So it was really fun seeing fans pick up on that and run with it after the song dropped. That whole wordplay thing took off, and we even got to do the “난리났어요~ (Things are crazy)” short-form video because of it. It made connecting with our Korean fans even more fun.
Megan: We actually made a TikTok about it, too—Yoonchae’s idea! She pointed out the “Gnarly” and “난리 (nalli)” pun and said the Korean fans would love it. It was super fun and chaotic, and the fans totally ran with it in the comments!
A Message to EYEKONS Who Have Been Waiting
Manon: It’s definitely beautiful to see our fans again and to finally perform this song live after working on it for so long. It brings out a completely different energy when you perform this song live, so that was really exciting.
Sophia: One of our favorite things about music shows in Korea is having our EYEKONS in the audience. It’s always extremely hard to resist interacting with them, even during the performance! Every time we meet our fans, it’s always comforting and we feel like we know them. We also heard that they come and wait for so long to see us, so we want to show our appreciation and love.
The Joy of K-pop Challenges
Megan: Doing the challenge videos with other K-pop artists was so much fun! Everyone was super friendly, and it felt like we were just hyping each other up and having a good time. We even sang some of their songs on a livestream later because we genuinely loved them! The whole “challenge” culture on Korean music shows is honestly such a vibe. It’s a fun, supportive way for artists to connect and celebrate each other’s work. We were so excited to be part of it. It made the whole promotion experience way more fun and unforgettable!
Sophia: It’s always such an honor and a fun time being able to collaborate with K-pop idols promoting alongside us. We do what we do because we love music and performance, and K-pop is no exception. We feel as though it brings together our fan bases as well, and the whole thing is a joint slay!
Sneak Peek at the Second EP “BEAUTIFUL CHAOS”
Manon: I think this EP was all about fun and chaos. It is very authentic to who we are as KATSEYE in this moment, so overall, it was such a fun experience. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!
Daniela: I’m really excited for this next chapter. “BEAUTIFUL CHAOS” celebrates chaos in the best way. It’s bold, messy, real, and full of energy. Fans should definitely be excited because we’re bringing new sounds and a totally different vibe from what we’ve done before. There’s a lot of versatility and variety in the tracks, and I think people will get to discover new sides of us.