Maybe you’ve seen them on your TikTok feed, dancing like the animations from Phineas and Ferb or dressing up as the Winx Club fairies for Halloween. Or maybe you’ve seen them competing on the hit Netflix talent competition reality show “Debut: The Dream Academy,” in which they tackled building full performances from scratch in just a few days.
Nearly a year after releasing their debut album “SIS: Soft is Strong,” Katseye is back with their EP “Beautiful Chaos,” which was released on June 27. Though the playlist consists of just five tracks, each has a widely different personality – a reflection of the group’s larger ethos. They embrace this diversity of sound as a celebration of self-expression, showing that there is strength in being fully and unapologetically yourself.
The first track on their new EP, “Gnarly,” catches the listener’s attention with hyperpop beats and lyrics that embrace the weird and the nonsensical. And honestly? That’s the charm of it. As the title promises, the track is rough and twisted. This quality is brought to life even more by the music video, which combines the allure of fame with absurdity in a way that is playful, confusing and genuinely fun to watch.
The second track, “Gabriela,” tells the story of a seductive woman, acoustically switching things up with Latin beats. The song even features Spanish verses sung by member Daniela Avanzini, who has Venezuelan roots, adding a personal touch. By embracing the over-the-top style of a classic Latin-American telenovela, the music video takes the drama to another level. It also includes a surprise cameo by actress Jessica Alba, who plays the leader of a company who is searching for her next successor. The plot follows the six band members as they sabotage each other in a comically exaggerated competition. At the end of the video, a character playing a television announcer declares that the whole thing is “more chaotic than a Katseye live” — a reference to the group’s popular live streams. This self-aware detail reminds us that Katseye’s members aren’t just their on-stage personas; their presence also exists in how they interact with their fans, play with their image and keep the conversation going beyond the music.
“Gameboy” – full of bright, video-game-like sounds – adds a playful note to the album. The lyrics compare love to a game: “Tell your friends that I love the drama / Play pretend, but you know it’s karma.” The music video reinforces this aesthetic once again. Five Katseye members dance on a colorful stage resembling a video game screen while remaining member Raj is shown opening the same music video on her phone at the beginning – as though she’s controlling the game, watching from the outside. This setup was also practical because Raj was recovering from an injury at the time of filming and couldn’t join the choreography. Rather than excluding her, this choice shows how creatively flexible and thoughtful the group can be.
“Mean Girls” shifts the mood with an energetic track that celebrates all women — not only the ones society conventionally roots for, but also those whom audiences often root against. “God bless the sweet girls / … / God bless the queen girls that turn the other cheek girls / … / And, yes, God bless even the mean girls,” band member Megan Skiendiel sings. Confident and unapologetic, the song feels like an anthem for owning who you are, no matter what version of womanhood you fall into.
The EP closes with “M.I.A.,” a track that feels like a final statement of self-liberation. The lyrics play with the idea that if a listener gets too comfortable, the Katseye girls could disappear at any moment. The melody leans into a more intense, beat-driven sound with a darker edge that contrasts with the earlier tracks’ playful energy. There’s something ironic about closing the album with a song where they say they could go off the radar at any moment. Yet with the way that their Spotify streams and social media following keep growing, it feels safe to say we’ll be hearing a lot more from them. “M.I.A.” feels less like an exit, and more like a playful wink — a way of saying they’ll show up when and how they want to.
The girl group has a somewhat unusual origin story. Geffen Records and HYBE — the labels behind stars including Olivia Rodrigo and K-pop group BTS, respectively — hosted an international audition process that brought the six members together.
Throughout their journey, Katseye has always been about celebrating individuality. Each member comes from a different place with her own voice, style and story, and they’ve never tried to hide that or adhere to one version of what a group should look like. In a recent interview with “Teen Vogue,” Sophia said, “What resonated with people so much about our visuals is how much we choose to enhance it and stay true to ourselves.” It’s this honest connection to who they are that makes Katseye stand out, and you can feel that in “Beautiful Chaos.” The album doesn’t try to make everything neat or follow one path. It lets in different sounds and stories, even when things clash a little. They’re showing that life — and being yourself — can be loud, messy and beautiful.
