“Eat zucchini, eat zucchini.”
Yes, those are real lyrics in the global girl group Katseye’s latest single, Internet Girl.
Managed by Hybe Entertainment, Katseye has been in a lot of drama lately after a shocking announcement. One of the six members, Manon, will be taking a hiatus while the group continues its normal activities. Though they have not said this break will be permanent, many fans are already speculating that it is, in fact, final. The news intensified when Manon shared a message on Weverse (a social media platform), saying “Sometimes things unfold in ways we don’t fully control,” causing many people to speculate that the hiatus was not entirely her decision. She was also found liking posts about the mistreatment of black girls in girl groups. To intensify the drama even more, Daniela’s dad made comments online saying things like “five is good,” insinuating that Manon should leave permanently. Many fans point out this behavior as racist. Other celebrities have been coming out with their support for Manon, and she posted on her Instagram story, “I love you all more than words can describe.” However, fans have been pointing out Manon’s mistreatment ever since her debut. In their first music video, “Debut,” she was placed in the back so she was not visible. In the early months of promotion, people noticed this same treatment in posters and promotional videos. Going even further back, Manon was called lazy on the competition shows “Popstar Academy,” which is how the group was formed. People harassed her online and said she didn’t deserve to be part of the group. It seems like Manon has never been able to catch a break. However, this recent announcement and drama is honestly not surprising given Hybe’s failure to manage the group effectively.
The tale of Katseye (coming from a fan) is honestly tragic. Their potential is so high, and it’s being wasted. Their lyrics are objectively cringe. Casual listeners and critics alike agree that the songs are not good. The choreography is really what makes the song iconic. But they’re musicians too, not just dancers. They spend hours every week in voice lessons just to have their singing overshadowed by clunky, random lyrics.
They are obviously basing Internet Girl off the Gnarly formula, believing that the random lyrics and viral hook will replicate the success. But they’re failing to realize what exactly made Gnarly so successful. It wasn’t the lyrics, as the lyrics in Gnarly are clowned on, too. It was the fact that it was a complete 180 from the soft, girly music on their debut EP SIS (Soft is Strong). The explicit lyrics and scandalous dance moves are what made the hit so viral. Speaking of which, what really made Gnarly viral was the dance. Katseye’s dancing is, no doubt, unmatched. Unlike many Western bands, the K-pop-oriented group focuses intensely on choreography. However, when you are a music artist, you have to actually make good music. Dancing alone is not enough. They could just go on and be a dance group, but they record and release their own music.
The main issue I have with Katseye now is how manufactured it seems. Obviously, the music industry is a business, and every artist is “manufactured” (especially with K-pop), but to me it seems even more obvious with Katseye. I hate the sheer amount of ad campaigns they are doing now. Of course, their GAP “Milkshake” ad was iconic, but again, it seems that Hype is trying to copy and paste every successful thing they do. They clearly have an “if it worked once, it’ll work again” mentality towards managing the group’s activities. The sheer amount of ad campaigns they are doing now makes me feel like they’re just a marketing ploy, not a valid musical group. They are using these girls to get people to buy things blindly. I don’t feel connected to the members now in the way that I did watching them be vulnerable in Popstar Academy. (Obviously, I don’t and will never know them, but parasocial relationships can actually be helpful for both parties, and make the artists more successful).
“Haven’t you heard I’m the internet girl” is an iconic hook – only to be followed by lyrics like “eat zucchini,” and “I’m getting out of here” in a baby voice. The potential for the song is so high, I mean, a song about the trials and tribulations of being an “it girl” online is something that is totally on-brand for Katseye. But because these old men in board rooms have no experience with what it means to be an “internet girl,” they once again fumble the bag and create a terribly written and produced song.
It feels like there is no soul in their work anymore. All their songs are written by old men in a boardroom just trying to make a hit, and thus, are written just to make money. It can hardly even be called “art.” It is all about strategy to do what is successful. And amongst it all are six real, incredibly talented girls, having their careers wasted on a project that does not take their potential seriously.
