XXI.

While this might be true, some things are better left unsaid. Not every fan has the funds to travel to see an artist. Concert tickets are already expensive, and then you have to factor in airfare, accommodations, food, transportation, etc. Saying "I won" in reference to getting people to travel to see her comes across a bit weird to me. I completely understand that touring is a lot and puts a huge demand on the artist. If a residency is what works best for her, then absolutely do the residency...but there's really no need to frame it around what you "won" by making fans come to you. Sometimes it's better to just make the decision without highlighting the burden it places on the fans.

No shade to Tate because I love her, but anyone saying she inspired this forgets that Britney remains the original blueprint. This album feels feels Y2K inspired. I hear influences from artists like Britney, Christina, and Fergie. Honestly, this album is a bit of a bore compared to her EP. It's not even about the sound swap...the EP just had a clear vision, clever lyrics, and great storytelling. This new material feels very generic, like anyone could be singing it. Ain't In LA is definitely the peak of the album.

It's obviously contractual.. once the movie is out she'll likely be out of the public eye for a minute.

Hootie Frutti isn't brain rot, in my opinion. The song is literally about their puss tasting like fruit, but it's presented in a fun, less obvious way. It's the same kind of cheeky innuendo as "My Humps" by the Black Eyed Peas. Gnarly was literally a song about nothing. Also, I saw Swiftologist saying their music is like "A.I. slop" and that they're not "pushing the status quo forward," but I don't really understand that argument when there's clearly something distinctive about what KATSEYE is doing. You can argue about whether you personally like their music, but it's hard to call it completely derivative when you don't really have any other artists making pop music in this exact style right now. Their songs have a very specific sound, aesthetic, and performance style, and people are actually engaging with it... learning the dances, doing the challenges, and creating their own content around them. I don't think music has to reinvent the wheel to have value. Not every artist needs to be experimental or revolutionary; sometimes the goal is simply to make catchy, entertaining music that people enjoy.

I can't believe this was scrapped. I'm happy we finally have the full studio version. She should recut it and drop it.

I do think Manon recorded for this EP. In the Fallon interview they were talking about how excited they were for the new music and to perform. And if she was rehearsing for Pinky Up there at the very least is a version of that song with her on it.

I don't think Manon filmed the PINKY UP music video, but she did rehearse for it, and I do think she recorded the majority of the EP. So it's likely there are versions of these songs with her vocals that we just haven't heard.

Honestly, I think a lot of the conversation around KATSEYE being overly sexualized comes from the fact that we know how talented they are, but they're rarely given the opportunity to show any real depth or range. Going back to the earlier Britney example, the same album that gave us Slave 4 U also had Overprotected and I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman. There was a sense of dimension to her as an artist. With KATSEYE, so much of the pushed music is lyrically nonsensical, and on top of that, they're constantly being presented through sexualized choreography and imagery. Even the Pussycat Dolls, who were obviously a very sexualized group, had vulnerable songs like Stickwitu and I Hate This Part as singles. I think those two things compound the issue for KATSEYE. People want more from them because they know they're capable of more. It's not that people don't want them to be sexy it's that they want to see the full range of what these girls can actually do.

Honestly, I don't get these threads. Every artist cares if their album is commercially successful...no matter what they say to save face. If they didn't want success, they wouldn't invest time, resources, and money into releasing the music in the first place. Plus, petal has been successful.

Honestly, low key you kind of changed my mind. This is fair. Maybe it's just because Britney was really able to make me believe it, and it didn't feel so forced. But you're right.

I think the ultimate goal for KATSEYE has always been to get them out in the market and performing as consistently as possible, and that strategy has clearly worked for them. They've built a strong audience and kept themselves culturally relevant without needing a full-length album. In the streaming era, albums simply aren't as essential as they used to be. For a group like KATSEYE, EPs and singles are a much more efficient way to keep the machine moving: they're quicker and cheaper to produce, give the label more opportunities to test what resonates, and allow them to capitalize on momentum without committing to a larger body of work. At the end of the day, KATSEYE is also a product being developed in real time. The goal isn't necessarily to give us an album as quickly as possible; it's to figure out what works, build the brand, grow the audience, and keep the girls visible. An EP can accomplish that much more efficiently than an album.

I love the song. The video is… a lot lol. The close-up of Daniela's ass, them spanking one another, the single drop of water dripping into Megan's mouth, and some of the other scenes felt a little unnecessary. I think the video should've had a better balance of sexy and camp. The song is already essentially about their privates tasting like fruit, so they could've had more fun with it than just leaning into that warehouse summer rave concept. The song paired with the video feels like overkill. I'd also say Daniela is really the only one who can sell the sexy moments effortlessly, but as a group, I think they focus on her a little too much. I like her, but since Gnarly she's always center and gets the most camera time, and this song was no exception. Ironically, I think Yoonchae continues to be the real star here. There's just something about her in these songs and videos that continues to stand out to me. I think she could have a really successful solo career after this. She has that cute and funny personality, but she can also turn on the more "sexy" side when she needs to.

Song is a smash. But that album artwork is terrible. The alt cover is so much better.

I kind of hope they haven't started working on the album yet, because if they're starting recording... what about Sophia... and I know she's likely not coming back but Manon.

They outro on Hootie Fruti is the best part