The Pinkies are up and where tf is Manon — Initial Thoughts on Katseyes Pinky Up

Oui Oui the Semi-Comprehensive Review

✶ Song Aesthetics 

From the initial RSVP tea invite poster I was excited, especially because the title track itself is a reference to the "Pinky Up" tea practice— I thought it would pull from a lot of rococo or royal elements and would lean into the weird/absurdist elements in the actual song. I wanted the ruffles, I wanted pastels, I wanted frilly dresses and tea parties with the cake fight and swords Not this wannabe liminal spaces party city shit that makes the company looks it shells zero budget to the girls. Like what is happening with the color grading. 

It's essentially the same thing with Itzy's "Sneakers" concept way back but so so so much worse. It's the same royal/regal bait and switch but with x100 more controversies with a discount brat sample and producers called it a day. 

Cause atleast Sneakers and Itzy had an identity to stand on. The company still somewhat kept to its expectations in its mv and concept shoots and at the very least sneakers had some meaning. 

Gnarly despite its controversy was visually cohesive. Gnarly had the neon green, the sandwich, the limo, the nowhereland lore... which btw WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE NOWHERELAND LORE

The problem with Pinky up conceptually is that it looks recycled. The bright #FF2BB5 pink and luminal party city aesthetic have already been done by their contemporaries, therefore it looks soulless in comparison. 

Pinky Up attempts absurdity but flops because there's nothing absurd about it (which I will get onto in the song itself later). It's literally an imitation, like you fed every microtrend from late 2025 into an algorithm and copy pasted the first concept and published it. 

Pleas give them more saturation hype lets stop the 2018 filters for now pls.

What does HxG even want bro.

Did anyone remember SIS era? that just me?? I still mourn the missed opportunities from the global girl group branding. Like guys after the Gabriela Dance Break I was sure we'd get Bollywood Stuff next... pls. Plus they threw away the dream charm concepttttt

The thing with KATSEYE specifically is that they made their name with the "hot girl" gen-z rebellion energy to essentially yell "I'm different im more authentic" compared to their highly polished k-pop contemporaries. 

What drew alot of EYEKONS specifically to the Katseye as a group was their authenticity, yet it's so hard to be authentic when your lyrics and concepts are dictated by a bunch of execs rather than yours. Like I love the GAP jeans and Lanier campaign as much as the next person but HYBExGEFFEN please get a grip.

Adela was right someone pls yell at the machine 

✶   The Song itself

If Gnarly is the model eldest child that Hybe x Geffen Label wants to constantly recreate and pushes that model onto the rest of Katseyes track children. Internet Girl is the brain-rotted youngest sibling who everyone found annoying, then Pinky Up is the middle child with an identity crisis. 

In Defense of Gnarly and *gasp* Internet Girl

The major reason why Gnarly worked so well musically was that it was produced and had lyric credits to Alice Longyu Gao who has had a hand in the hyperpop scene before. I think internet girl despite its controversies isn't as bad as a song, the fact HYBE overhyped it as a single rather than on the OG Beautiful tracklist like they promoted was why it flopped cause lets be honest it is a mid-tier song at best.

Pinky Up on the other hand tries to argue that being "nonsensical" is the songs whole point, but let's be honest the song-writers really like rage baiting and being lazy. 

Every piece of art needs to have an intention to exist— unfortunately Pinky Up's main message seems to be "stream stream stream— look something pink and shiny to distract you from Manon Leaving".

Technically speaking, with KATSEYE recording and releasing an entire EP alongside an interstate tour; the chances of a top-tier album especially considering its HYBExGEFFEN  production is prioritized over quality (ahem ahem Big Girls Dont Cry by Enhypen). I am not at all surprised that the sound is watered down commercial version of actual EDM (which would have worked better if HYBE decided to put actual thought in PINKY UP). 

The Lyrics... holy balls you know I missed when songs knew what they had full sentences, I bawl my eyes out to "My Way" and "I'm Pretty" all the time. Like the entire motif of "nonsensical = relatable = sales" just oozes with every lyric. Fancy is a frequency is diabolical... 

WE OWE SIS AN APOLOGY 

 ✶   the EYEKONS are dying 

Where tf is Manon... like actually. The release of Pinky Up is a smoke screen for the controversy (because I really do believe Manon was kicked out) and it's just bad.

The Sexualization of the girls low-key is also getting out of hand... like Yoonchae's scene on a bed + the Coachella week 2 outfits were not it. Like I understand for members like Dana, Lara and Megan its voluntary but you cant tell me the entire Western Music industry had a play in it since they were young (but more on that in another post). 

Anw if you have finished this aimless rant and ur actually a member of the girls' media team PLEASE CONSIDER my suggestions for the next KATSEYE Comeback:

-  SUMMER SUMMER SUMMER Concept Please. Bini already blew up from Coachella and Pantropiko plus the exposure of the PH Market from Sophia. Bring back the 2015 summer vibes— nostalgia bait is EVERYTHING. I tell you we would eat this up

- release first in my bloodline! Career day concept (like BTS Dope) and add the neon colorful elements from BEAUTIFUL CHAOS or switch up and give us some Office Siren Shit like Gabriela Again

- Follow through with the royal concept but make it rap based track (this is for my princess rap battle dreams please)

- Bollywood, Colonial Filipino Harana Music. GUYS GUYS GUYS PLS GLOBAL GIRLGROUP FOR A REASON