KATSEYE – Gnarly Lyrics
KATSEYE is a multinational girl group formed through the HYBE x Geffen collaboration project The Debut: Dream Academy. “Gnarly” was released on April 30, 2025, as the lead single of their debut EP Beautiful Chaos. The song marks a bold stylistic shift into the hyperpop realm—featuring erratic vocal layering, chaotic production, and Gen Z-coded slang. The track went viral for its unconventional lyrics and hypnotic, almost absurd repetition of the word “gnarly.” It reflects both a playful embrace and satirical critique of pop culture excess, language reduction, and online virality.
🎤 Lyrics
[Intro: Yoonchae]
They could describe everything with one single word
You know? Like
[Verse 1: Daniela, Yoonchae & Megan]
Boba tea (Gnarly)
Tesla (Gnarly)
Fried chicken (Gnarly)
Partyin’ in the Hollywood Hills (Uh)
This song (Gnarly)
Oh my god, that new beat (Gnarly, fucking gnarly)
Oh my god, is this real? (Gnarly, everything’s gnarly)
[Verse 2: Lara & Manon]
Oh, we’re in a session tonight, gang, gang
Oh, we’re going out tonight, gang, gang
Oh my god, this song’s so lit, congratulations
Now you be like, “Gang”
Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang (Haha)
[Pre-Chorus: All, Daniela & Sophia]
Gnarly
Gnarly
Everything’s gnarly
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnar-gnar-gnar-gnar—)
Everything’s gnarly
[Chorus: Manon & Megan]
Hottie, hottie, like a bag of Takis
I’m the shit, I’m the shit (Gnarly)
Obvi, obvi, they be tryna copy
I’m the shit, I’m the shit
[Post-Chorus: All, Sophia & Daniela]
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly
I’m the shit, I’m the shit
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly
I’m the shit, I’m the shit
[Interlude: Daniela]
Gnarly
[Verse 3: Lara & Yoonchae]
Making beats for a boring, dumb bitch
Fucking gnarly (Gnarly)
Don’t talk to me
You’re gnarly, I’m not (Shit is gnarly)
Je-je-jealous of my mansion?
Yeah, the view is fucking gnarly
[Pre-Chorus: All, Daniela & Sophia]
Gnarly
Gnarly
Everything’s gnarly
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnar-gnar-gnar-gnar—)
Everything’s gnarly
[Chorus: Manon & Megan]
Hottie, hottie, like a bag of Takis
I’m the shit, I’m the shit (Gnarly)
Obvi, obvi, they be tryna copy
I’m the shit, I’m the shit
[Post-Chorus: All, Sophia & Yoonchae]
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly
I’m the shit, I’m the shit
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly (Gnarly)
Na-na-na-na-na-gnarly
I’m the shit, I’m the shit
[Outro: Daniela]
Everything’s gnarly
📝 Lyrics (Key Quotes)
“They could describe everything with one single word”
“Boba tea (Gnarly), Tesla (Gnarly), Fried chicken (Gnarly)”
“Hottie, hottie, like a bag of Takis / I’m the shit, I’m the shit (Gnarly)”
“Making beats for a boring, dumb btch / Fcking gnarly”
“Je-je-jealous of my mansion? / Yeah, the view is f*cking gnarly”
“Everything’s gnarly”
🔍 Step-by-Step Breakdown
Intro
“They could describe everything with one single word”
This opening line sets up the song’s entire concept: satirizing the way Gen Z and modern pop culture compress complex experiences into one overused term—“gnarly.”
Verse 1
“Boba tea (Gnarly), Tesla (Gnarly), Fried chicken (Gnarly)”
The girls list everyday things—from comfort food to luxury cars—using “gnarly” as a catch-all descriptor. It’s exaggerated, even absurd, illustrating the word’s diluted meaning.
Verse 2
“Oh, we’re in a session tonight, gang, gang”
“Now you be like, ‘Gang’ / Gang, gang, gang, gang, gang”
These lines amplify the feeling of in-crowd vibes, music-making, and youth culture rituals. “Gang” is another term reduced into a social chant.
Pre-Chorus
“Gnarly / Everything’s gnarly”
A looping, hypnotic chant—this pre-chorus transforms the word into a mantra, blending hype with irony.
Chorus
“Hottie, hottie, like a bag of Takis / I’m the sht, I’m the sht”
This brash, snack-inspired brag captures over-the-top self-love and confidence, fused with references from internet and snack culture.
Verse 3
“Making beats for a boring, dumb btch / Fcking gnarly”
“Je-je-jealous of my mansion? / Yeah, the view is fcking gnarly”*
Verse 3 intensifies the sarcasm and flexing, targeting critics while continuing to mock the superficiality of modern “coolness.”
Outro
“Everything’s gnarly”
A final stamp on the song’s message: everything is labeled the same, whether it’s trash or treasure.
📊 Song Details
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | “Gnarly” |
| Artist | KATSEYE |
| Release Date | April 30, 2025 |
| Genre | Hyperpop, Electropop |
| Length | 2:17 |
| Language | English |
| Label | HYBE x Geffen |
| Writers | Alice Longyu Gao, Tim Randolph, Kyle Buckley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Madison Love |
| Producers | Pink Slip, Hitman Bang, Slow Rabbit |
| EP | Beautiful Chaos |
| Chart Peaks | NZ Hot Singles: #2, Ireland: #99, SK Download Chart: #150 |
🎭 Theme
The song explores linguistic absurdity, social media slang, and cultural flattening. Everything is labeled “gnarly”—positive or negative, meaningful or meaningless. The theme mocks our overuse of words until they lose all depth and instead become viral tags. It plays with aesthetic nihilism, where only the vibe matters—not the meaning.
💡 Meaning
“Gnarly” isn’t just a party anthem—it’s a postmodern commentary dressed as a meme. By overusing and misusing a single word, the group calls out how pop culture strips words of their nuance. While the surface feels brash and funny, underneath it critiques how modern life reduces all experiences to something shallow, trendy, and consumable.
❓ FAQs
Q: What does “gnarly” mean in this song?
A: It’s intentionally ambiguous—sometimes it means cool, sometimes ugly, sometimes absurd. The song plays with that flexibility to expose the emptiness behind trendy buzzwords.
Q: Is “Gnarly” meant to be serious or ironic?
A: Both. It uses irony to highlight real themes. The chaotic, exaggerated tone is intentional and reflects the modern digital attention span and meme culture.
Q: Why does the song repeat so much?
A: Repetition here mimics how pop culture phrases go viral and lose meaning. It also creates a hypnotic, chant-like structure fitting for hyperpop aesthetics.
🎯 Conclusion
“Gnarly” is chaotic, clever, and consciously superficial—a song that wears its weirdness like a crown 👑. KATSEYE taps into meme culture, TikTok slang, and internet nihilism to poke fun at how society oversimplifies experiences through language 🧠. With electric beats and brazen confidence 💥, it offers both a banger and a satirical mirror. Whether you love it or hate it, one thing’s for sure:
Everything’s gnarly. 🤯🌀✨🔥🧃🚀
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