Tweet by @mimizima_: "I can’t take Katseye seriously ever since I heard someone on here call them "baddieslop""

Pop music has always tried to be popular. As a "genre", being commercial is in its DNA. Even so, the most successful artists have been the ones with someone unique about them, whether it be their voice, their production or their lyrical ability. However, a new type of artist has gained momentum in recent years. One who relies on shock value - through both visuals and production style. One who does not have any musical identity at all.

I've mentioned KATSEYE in the subtitle, but this phenomenon is not limited to them. I believe it extends to a lot of new projects too. New releases from LISA and ADÉLA for example also fall in this category.

Brat and its consequences

Charli xcx released Brat in the summer of 2024. Undoubtedly her most successful project, Brat became far bigger than what anyone imagined an experimental electropop could be. Brat is also an outlier in Charli's own discography. It is her most emotionally vulnerable album. I would argue people connected with her vulnerability in at least equal measure as her music. And the music slaps too.

KATSEYE released their best song Touch in July 2024. The group was formed in the same year though a reality show-esque process1. Touted as a "global girl group", KATSEYE immediately tried to not be another K-pop act by releasing a bunch of music that did not sound like K-pop. The problem is that none of them sounded like each other too. From their early music, Gnarly is the song that feels most indicative of their future direction2.

Brat proved that harsh production can be commercially successful. Opportunists like KATSEYE swooped in the first chance they got.

Is there a right way to do hyperpop?

I've not yet mentioned hyperpop by name yet. That's because most of the popular records adjacent to hyperpop are in fact electropop albums with hyperpop elements. Brat has some hyperpop elements. Recent hits with a bit more hyperpop influence would be WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA by Slayyyter and I Love My Computer by Ninajirachi3.

A common denominator is raw honesty. Every artist in this space sounds like they want to convey some emotion. It could be love, longing, betrayal4, nostalgia.

I don't know what emotion Hootie Frutti is meant to convey.

KATSEYE clearly wants to ride the wave of success achieved by this largely female artist cohort. But it manages to infuriate their fans and haters alike by acting more like a billboard for brands rather than an artist we can take seriously. KATSEYE's reality is that it's best known for featuring in a jeans ad with a song not even their own.

What if KATSEYE is its own genre?

Baddieslop is a more accurate genre for KATSEYE's recent musical output. I characterize it by music that was clearly influenced by labels to be as generic as possible. Some features include:

  • Lyrics hyping up the artist but nothing about anything else

  • Production inspired by hyperpop and industrial hip-hop

  • No theme tying one song to the next in the EP/album5

This is not limited to KATSEYE though. This seems to be a problem especially in K-pop. Take this LISA announcement reaction for example.

that's why it's important to have a wattpad phase growing up, so you don't have it in the later age

LISA's latest single SaWaDiKa falls in this bucket of baddieslop. The delivery is clearly inspired by Slayyyter's choruses in CRANK and No Comma.

I KNEW someone from kpop was eventually gonna copy crank by slayyyter

ADÉLA to an extent too, but her case is weird. She has a good body of previous work. However, some songs on this latest album feel indistinguishable from the rest of baddieslop.

Where do we go from here?

It's clear what the aim is for K-pop execs: get some of that international market money. The post BTS era has not produced the same kind of cultural behemoths. K-pop is still a niche market.

KATSEYE naturally fits the bill due to their global nature and image. However I feel they're at the end of their road. The group is down to four active members (including one injured). They haven't had an album yet, and I don't think they're interested either. My guess is they will milk their popularity and fold within the next two years.

HYBE/YG need to reckon with the fact that international audiences will not put up with cheap facsimiles of the latest trends. Now that AI can perfectly copy existing styles, there will always be demand for an original voice and an authentic point of view.