Katseye was formed by HYBE Corporation and Geffen Records as a K-pop inspired global girl group, featuring the final six contestants of 2023 survival show Dream Academy: Daniela Avanzini (USA), Manon Bannerman (Switzerland), Lara Raj (USA), Megan Skiendiel (USA), Sophia Laforteza (Philippines), and Yoonchae Jeung (Korea). After their debut in 2024 and the release of their first single, “Debut”, Katseye began to garner a lot of attention. Their growing fanbase stemmed from their unique blend of K-pop culture and diversity in their members, linking them to popular K-pop groups through HYBE (such as LE SSERAFIM) but also allowing them to connect with fans across the world, especially from the U.S. But when Katseye dropped the hit single “Gnarly” in April 2025, the group began receiving criticism of the quality of their music.
“Gnarly” received a lot of backlash upon its release, mainly due to funky lyrics and suggestive sounds taken from adult content. Odd references to brands like Tesla were viewed as tone deaf by their audience, and lyrics such as “gang gang” and “hottie hottie, like a bag of takis” were seen as ridiculous and made fun of by fans and casual listeners alike. Fans also disapproved of moaning sounds featured in the song, since Katseye’s Yoonchae was still a minor when “Gnarly” came out.
Everything changed when Katseye brought “Gnarly” to the stage. A combination of eye-catching outfits, energy, and addicting choreography transformed the song from the end of Katseye’s career to the start of their popularity explosion. Just a few months after its release, “Gnarly” was hitting the No. 1 on Spotify listening charts and peaking at No. 90 of the Billboard Hot 100. By the end of year, Spotify recognized the song as one of the biggest hits of 2025.
“Gnarly” was certainly a risk that paid off for Katseye, and the group decided to continue down this unconventional musical path by dropping “Internet Girl”. Katseye’s newest song was performed live for the first time on November 15th, 2025, the opening night of their Beautiful Chaos tour. Similar to its predecessor, “Internet Girl” has a unique, experimental sound, and somewhat nonsensical lyrics such as the satirical “eat zucchini”. And just like “Gnarly”, the energetic fun of the song ended up outweighing any questionable lyrical choices while it was performed live.
But “Internet Girl” notably differs from “Gnarly” in the fact that it was only heard as a live performance for months before the studio soundtrack was actually released on January 2nd, 2026. Once the studio version of the song finally dropped, the “Internet Girl” hate train came in full force. The catch lyric “I’m getting out of here!” sung by Katseye members in the live performance was replaced by a sampling of a baby voice in the studio recording, which fans criticized made the line feel immature. Fans who watched “Internet Girl” live also responded negatively to the studio version’s more digital-sounding production, which was a drastic contrast to the rock-inspired instrumental performed live.
Amidst all of the hate and fans claiming that the Katseye girls are ruining their careers, I find myself to be one of the few fans who genuinely enjoys listening to “Internet Girl”. The electro-pop sound and the memorable choreography make the song incredibly fun to me. I often find myself singing along or mimicking Katseye’s dance moves while I listen. At the end of the day, “Internet Girl” and “Gnarly” were likely written to be entertaining rather than lyrically complex. To me, what really gives these songs their charm is the incredible stage presence of all six Katseye girls. Their singing and dancing skills leave a lasting impression on me every time I see them perform. When combined with what I believe to be an incredibly catchy beat and a fun electro-pop sound, “Internet Girl” is nowhere near as bad as the public is treating it. Although it isn’t Katseye’s best release, I believe that the song matches the essence of the group perfectly.
Haters of “Internet Girl” have stated on platforms like TikTok and Reddit that “Gnarly” was a one-hit-wonder, and this funky, experimental concept won’t work a second time. In my opinion, “Internet Girl” actually worked better. Compared to “Gnarly”, I found “Internet Girl” to be much more unforgettable, especially with the fun “emoji” style dance moves. I found “Gnarly” to have less direction lyrically, whereas “Internet Girl” has a much clearer message regarding Katseye’s experience as internet stars.
One argument amongst fans that I can agree with is that HYBE is not maximizing the Katseye girls’ full potential. Extremely talented singers such as Lara and Sophia are being somewhat held back by songs like “Internet Girl”, which don’t showcase their vocal skills as well as songs that Katseye have released previously, like “My Way” or “Gabriela”. An R&B style would still fit Katseye’s vibes while being more palatable for their audience and also demonstrating their immense talent as a group. Although I really enjoy “Internet Girl” and disagree with the level of hate the song is getting, I would love to see the group’s concept shift in a different direction as they continue to release new music.
