When KATSEYE dropped their track “Pinky Up,” the group hit a mountain of netizens who debated it every closely. Actually, it made the “Gnarly” era look very good. While fans expected a big follow-up to their debut momentum, the initial reaction to the new sound seems to be disappointing. In fact, some folks wonder if the K-Pop group simply became a commercial vehicle. Read on for more.
Getting Too Commercial?
KATSEYE Spy (AKA @kpopspy) recently dropped a scathing monologue about the release. Harshly, the narrator called the track “something” that misses the mark entirely. You could argue that folks shouldn’t change what works. But, it didn’t work this time. Per the critic, the song simply brings a “generic slice of early 2010s Euro dance.”
But what they noted, and so many K-pop fans as well, is that it felt more like an advert than an artistic blockbuster. The critique hit hard on the chorus, which was labeled a “monotone lobotomized chant” designed for 15-second social media clips. In turn, there’s no way it brings a full listening experience.
What About Manon?
Of course, a discussion about the group wouldn’t be complete without involving Manon Bannerman. Perhaps you’re aware that she’s on hiatus. Actually, she recently removed all things in her bio about KATSEYE. These days she goes by “mademoiselle manzanita” per People.
Getting back to the critic comments by Spy, they noted that the conspicuous absence of Manon seems to be dragging in the other members of the group. Why is that? Well, in her opinion, the recent interviews where the remaining members referred to her as their “sister forever,” seems rather like a “nail in the coffin.”
From the point of view of the Spy, you don’t speak about an active member in the “eternal tense” unless the partnership is over.
‘Replacement Behavior’
The critic also noted that KATSEYE seems to be “feeding Daniela to the wolves” by giving her Manon’s original parts: not to mention most of the screentime. As you can imagine, that doesn’t go down with K-Pop fans too well. There’s even a term used for it: “replacement behavior.” In other words, it’s a sort of rage baiting exercise where controversy pushes engagement.
The adverts overtake the music quality – @kpop-spy YouTube
In the meantime, it seems that great vocalists like Sophia and Lara get “shoved to the back” to make room for repetitive slogans. And that’s not the end of it. KATSEYE pauses the visuals with a sudden stop in the middle for a commercial. Okay, and really that sort of thing deserves to be dubbed a “tumor on the video.”
Viewers React
There wasn’t a shortage of netizens who reacted in the comments section. One of them opined, “The song is shorter than Garam’s Le Sserafim days. I almost spit out my coffee.”
Here are a few more reactions from the discussion:
- Katseye feels like the entire TikTok app, and I’m saying this without even having TikTok.
- Someone said: yall let gnarly and internet girl get away with it, now they’re gonna skibidi toilet their way out of this.
- Pinky Up sounds like KATSEYE tried to serve luxury tea-party vibes but forgot the flavor more lukewarm tap water than high tea.
What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your K-Pop news and updates.
