In this episode, Chris and Chantel Nicole go track by track through "Beautiful Chaos", the second EP from global girl group KATSEYE. With members handpicked through Dream Academy and trained under K-pop standards, expectations are high. The talent? Undeniable. The music? Well…We break down the production, vocals, lyrics, and group identity, and ask: is this project doing justice to the girls’ potential? Or does it feel like a missed opportunity for something truly fresh?
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- 0:00 - Intro
- 1:10 - "Beautiful Chaos" Info
- 1:38 - EP Cover
- 3:36 - "Gnarly"
- 7:11 - "Gabriela"
- 16:35 - "Gameboy"
- 26:13 - "Mean Girls"
- 32:47 - "M.I.A"
- 37:48 - Cut or Keep
- 38:35 - Overall Thoughts & Final Rating
References:
- “Gnarly” MV https://youtu.be/R2-yomhYAj4?si=deWX86Eimtzu6AQ-
- “Gabriela” MV https://youtu.be/CjnB56tSCQI?si=95SVsaP-hDNIkodY
- “Gabriela” Live at Lollapalooza 2025 https://youtu.be/CINpzyWIGoQ?si=C41v4SflV3XYFkEv
- “Gameboy” MV https://youtu.be/-bC4iak3kxg?si=5wImHDg2EC5cUOFp
- “Gameboy” Live at Lollapalooza 2025 https://youtu.be/l0ILpRPVn3Y?si=Kxi8X2ivL9kon4Du
- “Mean Girls” Live at Lollapalooza 2025 https://youtu.be/EGsXGDdrAXM?si=7xk3G9T8h8q0-UT6
- “M.I.A” Live at Lollapalooza 2025 https://youtu.be/QB5FOa0a7cI?si=VPHB6vyAU0JwG4xl
00:00:00 --> 00:00:26 Beautiful chaos, more like beautiful boredom. Ooh, that's right. We're going to talk about Cat's Eye's second EP, Beautiful Chaos. We have reached over 4 subscribers on YouTube. We're actually very close to 4 now. Yay. So thank you all so much for joining the CCTV crew. And if you're on a podcast platform, make sure to give us that rating and follow. Please share this episode with all your friends because it really helps us grow and get into the algorithm.
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00:00:52 --> 00:01:09 at bigchrann.com slash cctvpops. Yeah, all that good stuff. Yes. We've done quite a few Cat's Eye episodes now. We did one about the Netflix show where we talked about the first EP. Yes. We did a specific episode about Gnarly. But now, they finally released their next project. So...
00:01:09 --> 00:01:34 Let's talk about it. It was released at the end of June 2025. And as you said, is the group's second EP. But it was a huge success and hit the charts all over the world, including number four on the US Billboard 200. So now let's give our in-depth thoughts on the production, vocals, visuals, and performances. And we will drop our individual ratings. If your discretion is advised, your fave will be criticized.
00:01:34 --> 00:02:00 All right, so let's get into it. We're going to talk about the album cover. I mean, there's different versions, but I feel like our favorite is definitely the car. Yeah, that's the main one too, right? The other ones are more for the physicals. Yes. So we have the car, girls laying on the cars. I like it. I think it kind of does have like the whole beautiful chaos thing. I mean, I don't know if they could have gone for like an artistic route where it's like, you know.
00:02:00 --> 00:02:28 museum art. So I think this kind of fits the whole like youthful, fun, wild, edgy thing they're wearing. Yeah. Designer as well. They look good. It does kind of get like callback to like shut up and drive for me. Cause they're like in a junkyard. So, I mean, shut up and drive is from a great pop album. Good girl gone bad. But yes, if you guys are new here, we'd cover everything from like K-pop, Western pop, et cetera. So if you're like, we don't know what we're talking about. We do. Yeah.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:50 So, yeah, we're going to make a lot of comparisons, like, you know, crossover between American pop comparisons and K-pop comparisons, especially since Katzai is, I guess, funded by a Korean label. So we have to be really honest about how they're doing the marketing here. I do appreciate that everyone's on the cover because a lot of K-pop albums have done this whole, like, amorphous object or like their logo for cis, for cis, for cis.
00:02:50 --> 00:03:19 strong as soft or soft as strong excuse me they had like a marble and I was like I guess you can actually see their faces so thank you for the face reveal yeah I like the title beautiful chaos like I think that's already a very visual name and that could mean very many different things so I almost wish there was more chaos oh yeah I think this is a very beautiful cover is it giving chaos though I guess it kind of is because the cars are all kind of on top of each other some are upside down you know
00:03:19 --> 00:03:46 I know what you mean. I want more chaos. It's not giving chaos. Very beautiful, though. And I feel like given the Gnarly music video, I feel like it could have been more from something from that set. I don't know. Keep the theming going. I don't know. Make it crunchy. Give it to me gritty. Okay, so let's get into the songs. So first, we have Gnarly, done by Alice, Longyu Gao, Madison Love, Jacob Kasher, Tim Randolph, Pink Slip, Slow Rabbit, and Hitman Bang.
00:03:50 --> 00:04:09 And as you mentioned earlier, we do have an entire episode dedicated to Gnarly. So definitely go check that out if you haven't already. It definitely caused a little bit of chaos. This song in the pop world had listeners divided. But love it or hate it, it did get people's attention. And it hit number 90 on the US Hot 100.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:25 Hmm, 90. Yeah. That's pretty good. No, it is really good, considering that they're kind of like unknown to the American general public. And with such a divisive song. Right. I mean, I guess we're kind of in that kind of era of it. Yeah. So have your thoughts changed in the past few months?
00:04:25 --> 00:04:43 I mean, no, I mean, if you guys have watched the show or if you're new here, this is right up my alley. I like that. I like it. It's messy. It's loud. I get it. It's like really chaotic. I think this hyper pop cacophony is the track that made everyone go like WTF. But, you know, coming from Sis, this is good. Like, just...
00:04:43 --> 00:05:08 kind of just shattered the expectations. I mean, like, if you know Rina Sawayama, all of her stuff was, like, really low-key, and then she came out with SCFU, and it was, like, this, like, new metal song. It was very, like, jarring. So I think it's good that they, I guess, rocked the boat a bit, shook the table. But, yeah, I feel like it stuck up conversation. It caught our eyes. The performances are really electrifying. I think as a song... Again, watch the episode. Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:35 watch the episode that we dedicated but yeah as a song i don't dislike it my opinion haven't changed of it um and i feel like the girls have really gotten into it as they've been performing it so i think yeah nothing's really changed i don't think i don't think i think this is a lot to live up to though as the first single like regardless of how it sounds i think it sets the tone where it's like okay it's coming from a beautiful chaos album we have gnarly what's the rest gonna sound like and i think it's not set them up
00:05:36 --> 00:06:04 But for lack of a better word, it set them up to kind of not fail, but the expectation's high now. It's got crunch. It's got hyper pop. It's like, are you going to give us festival girlies? What are you going to give us? So I think it's one of those songs that really does set a certain kind of tone, regardless of if you like the tone or not. Yeah, I know what you mean, because I think it made such an interesting impact where it was so jarring that then it did make people curious about what else they had in the pipeline. And then the rest of the album or the EP...
00:06:04 --> 00:06:33 is more safe. So I think it was like, oh, you're going into this whole experimentation thing, and then it's like, oh, it was just like a one-off. So yeah, that's interesting. Yeah, my thoughts haven't really changed either. Do I ever listen to the song? No. But every time they perform it, will I watch it? Yes. And do I respect the song for kind of the whole satire of it and the commentary on current culture and stuff? I think that's still great. So...
00:06:33 --> 00:06:44 I don't like the song, but I think it's cool for them. Yes. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. I agree. So. Okay, so what was your rating?
00:06:44 --> 00:07:10 Oh, I think that the song, I don't know. I think I've grown on it because I actually do search up the song now. I go, hey, I don't want to say we're around AI and things. But I ask my, you know, my devices, my devices. Sure. Yeah, to play it constantly. So I'll give it, ooh, I'll give it an 8.5. Not much for a jump. I'll stick with an 8. Yeah.
00:07:11 --> 00:07:32 Up next is Gabriella, and this was done by Ali Tamposi, Charlie XCX, John Ryan, Watt, and Sarah Shell. And it was released as the second single from the project in June 2025. The music video features a cameo from Jessica Alba and an adorable fluffy cat, probably from Stuart Little. Not sure, but it's a white cat. And then the track has been floating around as a demo.
00:07:32 --> 00:07:59 but since like 2019 and now it has been unveiled on this album and it was recorded by Rita Ora and Anita as like demos. So now they kind of hear it. It's really exciting. But there's some differences between the Rita Ora version, Anita version, and finally where it ended up with Gabriela, which I think is kind of cool. So how do we feel about this song? Hands up, Gabriela. Gabriela. Hands up, Gabriela.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:27 Yeah. Do I like this song? Yes. I was really happy about it. I think, you know, I saw the music video first and I was automatically like, oh my God, but we'll talk about the video in a second. But as a girl group stan and historian, I would say I'm a girl group historian. I would say too. You know? There's something about the song that annoys me so much because I can hear the potential of the vocal arrangement that could have been there. Yeah.
00:08:28 --> 00:08:54 You know, like there are no harmonies, really. There are no background vocals. There's barely any ad-libs. You got Sofia kind of doing her thing in the back, very far back in the mix at the end there. And, you know, imagining Destiny's Child or Danny DeCaine or like these awesome Western girl groups of yesteryear. Or even now, like Now United. Yeah, Flo, Now United. Um...
00:08:55 --> 00:09:12 Imagine the extra oohs. Yeah. What they could do with that la la la hook. Yeah. There's so much you can do as a group. And they don't take any advantage of any of that. And that annoys me. So every time I listen to it, I just hear the potential in the song. And that adds to my annoyance and makes the rating go down. Ooh.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:27 Yeah. But do I like the song? Yes. I think as a bass, it's super catchy. The lyrics are fun. But yeah, as a girl group version of the song, they didn't change enough from the Anita and Rita Ora ones.
00:09:28 --> 00:09:58 Yeah, and I think that's what some people are not going to understand while we're saying this. It's like we don't dislike the girls. This is not like a reflection of them. And they didn't write the songs. I feel like when you have a group full of young artists, because that's what they are, they do have a lot more input that they are unable to contribute. Or like ideas, rather, that they're unable to contribute. So yeah, I think because this song was a solo track, it was kind of kept to the letter. I feel like the Rita Ora version featured like a male's vocal, which I think is hysterical. Yeah.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:26 Instead of the Spanish verse, it was a rapper. A rap verse. Yeah. But then also there was like some yeah in between too. And then Anita has a verse all in Spanish about Gabriela having blue eyes and then being so beautiful and things like that. So I think for them to then give it to the girls, I think on this album, Beautiful Chaos, I mean, I guess being in a mild love triangle is chaotic. Right. But I think, I guess. A stretch. It's a stretch.
00:10:26 --> 00:10:47 I'm trying to die, darling. The song does sound beautiful in concept. I love that they kept the Spanish, uh, verse, kept Daniela singing that part. Um, uh, I think the song itself, the girls are kind of excited about. They teased about it during live saying we don't like Gabrielle. I thought that was funny. Um, it's been about what? A decade of,
00:10:48 --> 00:11:05 like not releasing this on almost a decade. I'm not releasing it. So I feel like since it's been that, no, I'm serious. It's been such a long time that since it's been recorded, not that long, but for me, this has been written. So it's been written. Right. So for it to kind of like be written by like, you know, the brat queen and it has nothing but, you know,
00:11:05 --> 00:11:26 Nothing special going on. But I think the song was probably chosen because Charlie XCX does have the association. She wrote the song or had credits in the song. And last summer, she took over everything. So it sounds good. We have a song by Charlie XCX on our album. And that's what it kind of feels like for me. I have a single note about the harmonies and the ad-libs. It was okay. It's just a very Latin pop-inspired Jolene.
00:11:26 --> 00:11:53 So I'm not mad at it. I do like the video. I think the video definitely does elevate the song in a sense. But yeah, in terms of what you're saying with the harmonies, it does need a little bit of extra. You have a girl group. On the show, you made them harmonize left and freaking right. And now to come here and do these songs that sound like they're meant for one person. You're just splitting it up. It's a little bit kind of like, does the girls a disservice.
00:11:53 --> 00:12:17 Yeah, I think in that sense. But it's not a bad song. Yeah. The lyrics are interesting to me because I remember reading, I think, an Instagram comment or something that a fan made and was like, oh, I wish it was more of a, like, hands-off Gabriela. Like, talking to a man and telling them to, like, lay off a girl. It was more of a female empowerment kind of thing as opposed to a, like...
00:12:17 --> 00:12:40 woman versus woman kind of thing um and i was like oh that's interesting because i think one of the cat's i members liked it and i think that's why i was like oh okay that's that's interesting right because it goes back to what you were saying that they don't really have that much creative control here um but no i think the song is great and the video really does make it so much better and the dancer team too yes but the music video is perfect
00:12:40 --> 00:13:09 The whole telenovela thing. Even the Jessica Elba cameo, which is so random. But she does a great job. But every scene is just, it's so memorable. And so rewatchable. Yes, it is. I like the whole cat fight concept. You know, cat's eye and then the cat being Gabriella for real. So it's like, who's the next Gabriella? The cat. I think the Jerry Springer scene was, you know, we love that. An unnatural union between Daniela and the Waymo vehicle.
00:13:09 --> 00:13:27 Like, I think the video does a good job of encapsulating the personality within the group. Like, yeah, they all look smoking hot, right? They're like, we're beautiful. We're hot. We're wearing these dresses where it's like we're flowing. We're moving. And then it's just like goofiness. Cut off fingers. I don't know. Who ended up being like...
00:13:27 --> 00:13:49 But Gabrielle, I guess Daniela, because she got married to the Waymo? I don't know. I feel like... Cat. No, this is true. This is true by Cat. But who wants... The necklace. I feel like... Oh, that's hilarious. This is true. The cat does have the necklace. I'm trying to figure out who got their lick back in the video. None of them. Because Daniela got her finger cut off, but she got married to the Waymo. Lara, the cutting. Mm-hmm. Manon...
00:13:50 --> 00:14:05 She was on the... Yeah, I think... I think... I think Sofia got it the worst because she got her face shut into spaghetti. And Daniela got her finger cut off. Megan got her nose broken. Lara and Manon got out without a scratch.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:27 I think they kind of won that one. Oh, yeah. Dance routine as well. First off, have to shout out the Lollapalooza dance break that they added in because that was insane. But the normal dance routine, too, is perfect. It's such good choreo. The, what do you call this, the tornado hand situation? Yeah. However, they did...
00:14:28 --> 00:14:53 to make it look like they're doing more than they are. Yeah. Because they're not really doing a full turn. It's like a half turn to come back down, but it looks like they're doing something insane. Like, ah, that choreo is so, so good. And it's not just that. It's literally everything, like with the hips and the fingers, the throws and the smacks and stuff. It's such good choreo. This is actually my favorite Cat's Eye choreo that's out right now. Yeah.
00:14:54 --> 00:15:13 Yeah, that's okay. So I actually try to like slow it down, but I don't like really watch it. I'm just there for the vibes. I'm here for the... I would like to learn this one day. But yes, it's hard to do slow-mo because again, it's like really hard to see. Yeah, so shout out to them for actually doing it and like looking like they're all together.
00:15:13 --> 00:15:27 because it's difficult. I remember watching the music video of them dancing, and I was like, where's Manon? Where's Manon? But now that I see them all as a set, the Lalo set, I was like, ooh, yeah, it's good though. So it's nice to see them all together doing it. And also, I can understand why a lot of them got injured
00:15:27 --> 00:15:57 that, like, Lara being unavailable to perform for whatever reason. She had to do a split on the chair at one point at Lala. So I'm like, if they've been preparing for, like, months, let's just say, for this performance, and then they were recording and dancing and filming and doing all this stuff, I can see why she got hurt. Same thing with them and Lala. They got hurt because of dancing. I can see why, because that set, all the dance breaks were, dance, break your ankle. So, shout out to them. For sure. Oh, hang on. Can I just say it was giving Amigas Chia's
00:15:57 --> 00:16:26 Guys, it was getting Amigas Cheetos. You had Megan with her hat. You know, it was getting... These are my true Amigas Cheetos. You know, I was here for it. Amigas Cheetos. I wonder if they know that reference. They do. You think? They're hip. Sure. The girls are very hip. They are. Okay, so what do you rate it? Oh, I give the song a 7.5. I give the music video... I gave it a 7.5 before, but I think I want to give the music video an 8.
00:16:26 --> 00:16:54 No, the music video is definitely a 10. But anyway, the song though, the song I give an 8. Yeah, yes. Okay. Moving on to Game Boy. Done by Celine Palengi, Jacob Kasher, Morgan Jackson, and Killa Graham. This was released as the third single from the project the same day as this EP came out. In June 2025.
00:16:55 --> 00:17:19 And it did have kind of a basic music video. And this is the one where you mentioned Lara is injured for. Yes, what do you think of Game Boy? This one's so much fun. It's a nice pop trap with like the R&B influences. I feel like not enough. I can hear that it's trying to do a little grooving here and there. Even in the pre-hook, it gets a little like, okay, I feel some R&B vibes here. Yeah.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:34 But it needs something more. The song is simple, but the production is more complex than it appears. And I appreciate that you have like video game sounds and other production switches. It's very drum heavy. And I think I enjoy that. There's shimmers in there.
00:17:34 --> 00:17:52 And the percussion keeps me locked in for sure. This is the song, I feel like, that lets Manon shine a little bit more. She sings the verse, the bridge, like more than the average cat sidetrack. However, however, however, I am confused that for the bridge...
00:17:53 --> 00:18:06 It's the first verse that's repeated, and there's not a single harmony. That doesn't make sense to me. If you're going to repeat a phrase over and over again, you should at least try to build upon it as opposed to flying someone's vocals right over again. Because all you did was...
00:18:07 --> 00:18:34 copy paste yeah and maybe i'm wrong maybe it wasn't the copy paste maybe it was like hey get back in there and just do something again this is not like a slight at the girls it's the fact of like it's just you don't want to hear the same thing over and over again like say if we talked about the same song over and over again with no new notes you guys would probably hate us so we don't do that it's the same thing with the song um like i'm confused i don't understand maybe i'm greedy but i just feel like you have laura right there she could have just stacked herself sofia
00:18:34 --> 00:19:03 Megan, anybody else to kind of give it like a build, you know? Because even when you play video games, you get to the next level. And that bridge, that verse, that outro had no next levelness to it. Yeah. So, yeah, I feel like the vocals are silky. And I think the gay boy, that part is very catchy. So in the chorus, I do enjoy that part. That line and the subsequent rhymes after that had a great tone stuck in my head for sure. I feel like this would have been a great addition to Sis.
00:19:03 --> 00:19:31 but it does have a place on this album to kind of maintain what they've already established on SIS. So I feel like it does have a place on this album. But yeah, my notes were just kind of like, give me harmonies because the song is so simple already. Yeah, no, I agree with you with all of that. It's really like the song was written and just didn't change anything at the demo, from the demo. And I feel like,
00:19:31 --> 00:19:41 You can just, I don't know. There's a lack of catering to the artist that's singing it. Yeah. Yeah.
00:19:41 --> 00:20:10 You know? And you kind of get that with Gabriela, where if you listen to Rita Ora's version especially, which is quite to the letter, Cat's Eyes is very similar vocally. Yeah. They really didn't do much else to it. And same with Anita's version. But it's like, you can add some little trills here or there. You know, like, Lara is such a huge fan of Ariana Grande. Like, Ariana, if you listen to the way she does her vocal arrangements and stuff, the way her chorus is changed as the song builds, the way she layers into ad-libs and stuff, like, it's so intricate. Yeah.
00:20:10 --> 00:20:37 And so it does annoy me. And again, I don't think it's the girl's fault. In this case, I do blame, I guess, the A&R or whoever's just overseeing the actual music direction of it. Because it just feels a little lazy. Because we know they are capable of so much more than this. And honestly, this is kind of the state of music right now anyway, so...
00:20:38 --> 00:21:04 the larger conversation but like there's a laziness to the way songs are produced i think now uh but i think the instrumental for this is really cool actually like i love how light it is um i feel like the game sounds i'm glad they don't overdo the game sounds they come in strategic moments so they stand out to you um and yeah it feels like this this instrumental could be played during like a scenic portion of a mario kart you know um course
00:21:05 --> 00:21:28 Yeah. Oh, Rainbow Road. Yeah, I like the verses of this. Rainbow Road is not chill. But yes, I like the verses of this more than the chorus. Yeah. I like the melody of it, especially the pre-chorus with all the sparkles in the back. I love that. I don't love the chorus. The Game Boy hook is catchy. But I feel like kind of like what you're saying before, it just doesn't really go anywhere. Yeah.
00:21:28 --> 00:21:56 Like I would want like a post chorus swing Just to take it up another notch In energy And then the way the song ends I feel like Again there was just so much potential to do something more interesting Than just repeating the first line Again Yeah Could have been something harmonized It could have been something with a bit more of a run To it I mean you don't like the Tell your friends a lot of drama No
00:21:56 --> 00:22:19 I mean, yeah, I think for the sake of the song, if I was trying to play Devil's Advocate, maybe it was giving, like, game over vibes as opposed to, like, you beat the game. Here's the start. Nope. Okay, I'm trying, guys. Oh, yikes. All right. What do you think of the video? Okay, the video consists of the girls looking beautiful as usual. So...
00:22:20 --> 00:22:42 The whole video screams, what waist? Body coffee. Honey, because of the little torsos and the little skirts. I was like, yes. Y'all better go on and twirling them little things. So I sound like my old dance teacher. She's like, y'all better do it. Y'all better get it. She's from Detroit, y'all. But yeah, no, it was interesting looking at them.
00:22:43 --> 00:22:59 Like if you look at their video now with Game Boy, just simple Game Boy compared to like Touch. Touch, they look like almost like sweet girls. This one has a little bit more feist in the styling. I think it's really important to kind of reflect that. They all look like they really like what they're wearing.
00:22:59 --> 00:23:26 It looks like it's all personalized to each girl or like what their personality is in the group, which I appreciate. This is a lot more focused on dance and the performance, which they are actually committing to, which I appreciate. You can see that they have settled in a little bit more in terms of how they work the camera. It doesn't feel so much like Hype told me to look at it as opposed to I know where to look. I know the eyes are focused. The eyes are trained on something. You can see the growth in each member. I do...
00:23:26 --> 00:23:56 hate that they have Lara kind of plugged in as like a feature as if she's a rapper I think what they could have done I think what they could have done was at least give everyone else a solo shot too or at certain points just say listen guys I know there's a full dance version that we're supposed to do but can we just dance around in a circle or like kind of just be in one scene together kind of singing toward the camera as we go along the line like if you pan across each girl going gang boy the
00:23:57 --> 00:24:20 The chorus repeats enough and the choreography doesn't change enough for y'all to have fit that in. So I didn't feel like Lara was just like, hi. I usually sing with my sister, but like today I'm singing with Cat's Eye. That's what I was giving. I just hate the edit, but it's okay. I like the videos, colors, styling. They looked great. Like I'll never take that away from them. But just certain traces in terms of how they filmed it. I was like, oh, that's awkward.
00:24:20 --> 00:24:47 Yeah, I mean, I find it interesting how with these K-pop style videos, I know Cats Eye are not K-pop, but their entire team is modeled after how K-pop works. Like, they build their music videos around choreography, mostly. Yes. And the fact that they can't pivot at all from that, if, you know, one of them is injured or something, and then they have to do something awkward like this...
00:24:48 --> 00:25:12 You can just tell, you know. And I feel like in the past with some K-pop groups, they've navigated it a little bit better when there's a member that's injured. But this one, if you didn't know what was going on, you'd just be questioning the whole time why Lara isn't dancing with them and why she's not in any scenes actually with them. And I feel like that's actually quite distracting. So I feel like it just, yeah.
00:25:12 --> 00:25:37 It was just, I agree. It was a bit oddly done. At least she was in it, I guess. No, it's true. Yeah. It's true. Like, people who are listening to this are, you're probably a Cat's Eye fan. You're like, well, that's why it's like this. And they're in this. But think about it. If I was a complete stranger, I had no clue who these people were. I'd be like, yo, that girl is hot. But who the heck is she? Right. Oh, my God. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I do like the dance routine, though. Like, yeah, the skit thing. Yeah.
00:25:37 --> 00:25:59 All the kind of, it's cute. It's very, very cute. And it kind of is more reminiscent of what Touch was. So I think if you're a fan of Touch, this makes sense. I think if the other two songs kind of threw you off a bit, this one kind of brings you back if you liked Touch. Yeah, I think the song is just okay, honestly. I'll give it a 7.5.
00:25:59 --> 00:26:29 I actually was thinking about giving it an eight, but I feel like it's tough because Touch already did what the song does, but it's... So I will give it a 7.5 as well. I'll match you. Yeah. Up next is Mean Girls, and this was done by Sam Home, Dan Green, Justin Tranter, and Kiddo AI. And yes, God bless even the mean girls. All right. So Mean Girls. Oh, wow. You were quiet.
00:26:29 --> 00:26:58 Care to share? Well, the production, I think, is actually quite cool for this. I think at first I was kind of like, I don't understand the affected violin and stuff. But as I kept listening to it and you kind of hear the way it builds and the way the energy kind of grows quite subtly in the instrumental, I think it's actually quite cool. And from listening to it a few times, I actually paid attention more to production than the vocal. Yeah.
00:26:58 --> 00:27:17 Because the vocal for me, not my favorite. Not my favorite. Like the melody of it. It's just not for me. It feels a bit lethargic. You know, they're all saying in this really kind of breathy, just kind of like unemotional, just kind of like it's like I think they're supposed to sound kind of warm.
00:27:19 --> 00:27:40 Oh, yes. But I think they're also supposed to sound kind of nonchalant because they're trying to say, like, look, we know you're going through something and, like, it's okay. Like, we, you know, still respect you, I guess. But it comes off lethargic to me. That's the way the vocal execution is done. And the lyrics feel...
00:27:41 --> 00:28:10 They feel like a really young person trying to sound mature, even though they don't actually feel that way yet. Ooh, okay. That's valid. You know, like, God bless the mean girls. I get that, right? Like, especially now that we're a bit older, it's like, yes, everyone's kind of going through their own thing. And there might be more to some. If someone's mean to you, like, there's maybe something more under there that you can kind of give them a bit more grace. But I feel like when you're really young, which they are.
00:28:11 --> 00:28:35 You don't really feel that. So to me, this feels a bit kind of sarcastic a little bit. Oh. Because if you mix the execution of the kind of laziness of the execution, mixed with the way the lyrics are written, it just feels a little sarcastic. I don't know. It feels a little disingenuous to me. But again, I am not the audience for this song at all. So that may just be me not getting it.
00:28:35 --> 00:28:51 I don't think it's just that. I mean, okay, let's be real here. If you guys weren't fans of the girls, I think the melodic approach of this is like... Nothing about that is...
00:28:52 --> 00:29:09 really drive me to be like, wow, this song means something to me. Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, as opposed to having maybe again, I love Laura when she harmonizes with anyone. Cause she understands the concept of freaking blending. I think all of them do, but like Laura's the first one I kind of tap into. Um,
00:29:09 --> 00:29:26 Let's just say Megan. You use Megan. Why wasn't Megan utilized to harmonize with more of like a... The song, like you said, is metal... Metal... Metal... Metal tone? Metal... Monotone. Monotone, not metal tone. Monotone. And unfortunately, when you have a song that's very like a...
00:29:26 --> 00:29:53 like one note there it is it's one note having harmonies supplementing that helps like um tell me what you think about me about my own time about my own ring question something like that pops up it's harp is harmonies it's um something that makes your ears go oh what's that this song was just straight up one note maybe some sweetener vocals here and there um
00:29:53 --> 00:30:17 I feel like this is possibly the worst song on the album because it's not because the girls can't sing because they the meaning is not lost on us. I think we both get it. But tonight I might in my way do the same thing that the song is trying to do. Like this is something from the SIS sessions for sure. I feel like this is something from the first album. This doesn't feel like, oh, yeah, this is a step up from either one of the songs I just mentioned. Laura's part vocally is the best.
00:30:17 --> 00:30:40 at the end um the trills at the second verse it gives them something to do when you have a vocal that is so like and you don't let the artist singing actually perform in their own personality it's kind of whack um like shout out to them you know allowing all girls to shine like the t girls and the in between girls it represents cat's eyes ethos but it's not great sonically um
00:30:40 --> 00:30:57 I think the whole girl power concept is great, but like you said, melodic approach is lackluster and does nothing to develop their song as a group, their sound as a group. Like if you're a fan, I get it, but could you honestly say you want to listen to the song acapella? I'm not even trying to...
00:30:58 --> 00:31:18 But it's true. Could you listen to the song acapella and say, wow, this is amazing. Now, if they decided to do like a little acoustic version of it where they're actually harmonizing with each other, like flow. Flow would have harmonized. I think that's the group. I think the group's called Now United. Not Now United. Yeah. Are they still together? I don't hear her thinking of them. Are they still together? No. There's a British girl group.
00:31:18 --> 00:31:29 Oh, Say Now. Say Now. Oh, Jesus. I said Now United. Okay, so Say Now is another modern girl group. Yeah. And it's like, they will harmonize. Yeah. I think that's what's lacking. Because a song like this is...
00:31:29 --> 00:31:48 Yeah. I will say, Laura actually did call out flow in one of the Lollapalooza interviews. And she mentioned the vocal arrangement and the harmonies. So we know that they're aware of this. And we've seen them do little Instagram reels of them singing a cappella with harmonies and stuff. So I know we keep complaining about it. But again...
00:31:48 --> 00:32:08 They have so much potential vocally, and it's not being taken advantage of at all. And we haven't even mentioned Sofia. Sofia's such a good singer, and she and Laura would do such a good blend together. They could both do some ad-libs together, too. And it's just so underused. Their vocal ability is so underused. And yes, they're great dancers. Yeah.
00:32:08 --> 00:32:33 But at the end of the day, they're supposed to be singers first. But like, again, K-pop style is gravitating away from that. So, yeah. Anyway, this song, again, it does have potential. Because, yes, if the vocal grew a bit, that would change my mind, I think. But in its current state, I will give it a five. I think after watching the live performance and seeing that nothing was added to it,
00:32:36 --> 00:32:56 If you guys are on our Patreon, I actually did give it a higher score. But for now, I'm going to give it a six. Not great. But not terrible, I guess. The final track on The Beautiful Chaos Project is M.I.A. And this was done by P.H.I.A., David Alexander, Kristen Carpenter, and Risk.
00:33:02 --> 00:33:14 This is the sole energetic response to Gnarly. Honestly, this is the only response to Gnarly that we have on the album. And I'm not saying the whole album has to be this, like, hyper-pop moment. But it seems like...
00:33:15 --> 00:33:40 And she's like the whole I'll pay you in dust and then leave you to eat it is perfect for their concept. They all have a little bit of sass in them. Even with Yoon Chae being like Korean and coming over here and kind of just getting used to the whole cat's eye Western girl personality. She's also very sassy. She doesn't put up with their crap. She's always just like, ugh. She doesn't like, you know what I'm saying? They all have a little bit of...
00:33:40 --> 00:34:06 you know, bite to them. No one's shy. So I feel like this song energetically, lyrically kind of fits them. Even in terms of delivery vocally, I think it's fun, it's young, it's like hot, sassy and things like that. I don't want to say the other S word because you can change like five. But yeah, I feel like this is where the fans who liked debut where it kind of had a little bit of sass.
00:34:06 --> 00:34:23 But this doesn't sound so like walking down the halls of school. It sounds like we're going to the club. It's fierce. It's confident. I think the crunchy bass line is great. The post-chorus mini dance break moment. I do wish that this album had more moments later.
00:34:23 --> 00:34:53 like this on the album, but what can you do? I think it's interesting that the lyric, like one of the lyrics talk about someone's ring on their finger. I'm like, who in the world is approaching y'all at y'all little itty bitty age? I mean, go off, whoever wrote it and then change the lyric. But that goes back to what we were saying about, here's a track, here's how it was written. We're not changing it to fit the girl group. Why are married men approaching 17, 19, 20 year old women?
00:34:53 --> 00:35:16 I'm not saying you can't get married then, but my point is, just to kind of support what you were saying, it does not match them. Doesn't mean it's a bad song. I'm just saying things like that kind of ping in my head, like, oh, Chris is definitely talking the right thing. I feel like this song could have been good with A Bridge. A lot of their songs do not have a bridge. I totally get it. Like, the bridge is dead because apparently... TikTok. TikTok.
00:35:16 --> 00:35:31 Oops. Yeah, TikTok. I would be so insulted if the music business thought I was dumb because I couldn't digest music. That'd be crazy. I think you guys can digest music. I think people can handle it. People can handle a bridge because they like the little...
00:35:31 --> 00:35:52 the little Manon, Lara moment. People love that part. But then after the song just ends, that could have been your bridge. Like that slow down, leave us to like a halftime chorus before revving back up until a full burst of energy. Like it would feel even more like a festival or a concert. So I feel like that could have been a bridge. Give me one more chorus and then just, you know, pull the plug. It was giving pull the plug.
00:35:52 --> 00:36:11 Yeah, I mean, I thought the same thing, like I was missing one final explosive chorus, because it almost feels like there's like an ah, like leading into, and then it just ends. So I agree with you in that it's missing an ending. Anyway, I really like this one. This one definitely caught my attention the first time I heard it, and it's grown on me more and more since.
00:36:11 --> 00:36:38 Love the chanty chorus. Super catchy, really fun to sing along to, fun for a live show. I do wish it was a fuller gang vocal, though. Because at least when they were performing at Alala, it was just one of them, one at a time, with the backing track. But I feel like it would have gotten so much power if it was the six of them doing the chant together, and then you add some harmonies throughout. I'm going to keep saying that. Add some harmonies throughout just to build it more. I feel like it'd be even more powerful that way.
00:36:38 --> 00:37:06 But the overall vocal execution is great. Just enough attitude. It feels authentic to them, like you said. And the production is great. Very metallic. It has such a cold energy to it. I do hope this does get a dance routine on tour. I was a little sad it didn't have a proper dance routine at Lala. It was kind of them dancing around or jumping around. We got some... Sitting on it going on. Some sexier moments in it. Lala. Between some members.
00:37:06 --> 00:37:20 Laura Haggy and Spidget. Yeah. But this song is so cool. It deserves a really awesome dance routine. So I hope that's being prepped. Yes. And yeah. Okay. So what do you rate it?
00:37:20 --> 00:37:44 All right. So I actually didn't give it like a high score on my Patreon review. Again, go to patreon.com slash CCTV Paws. I know I keep talking about it, but it's true. I actually changed a couple of the scores here. So for this one, I'm actually going to give it not that much higher of a score, but I'll give it an eight. Okay. Yes. Yes. I will also give it an eight.
00:37:45 --> 00:38:14 If only they had finished the song. Okay, so that's the end of the Beautiful Chaos Project. So, Cut or Keep. Ooh, yes. If you're new here, Cut or Keep is where we would, if we could save one song, we would save it. If we could cut one song off the album, we would cut it off. Simple as that. I'm pretty sure you guys have one. And it's okay if you do. And if you don't, that's also okay. But don't be mad at us if we cut your favorite song. I mean, I think my cut is pretty obvious. Maybe yours, too. Mean Girls, not for me.
00:38:14 --> 00:38:37 Yeah, Mean Girls can go. Yeah. They can go. Keep... I would... Ooh. I would keep M.I.A. My God. Me too. But okay, let me see. Yeah, I feel like M.I.A. is like... M.I.A. and Gnarly were the songs that they should have kind of just leaned more into. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, overall thoughts.
00:38:37 --> 00:38:53 You know, I feel like they have a global girl group situation going on, but they're not utilizing the girls in their group. Hyde needs to push the envelope a lot more. Like, the fan base is built in, and when I say it's built in, I guarantee there's going to be someone like...
00:38:53 --> 00:39:12 oh my God, you guys don't know what you're talking about. They're not K-pop. They're not, but you guys are what I'm talking about. You are the people I'm saying that they could do no wrong with. So which my thing is, why not take the risk? Let them really play with like the concepts and give them a sound that isn't Ariana Grande light. Love Ariana Grande, but Ariana Grande is because it's Ariana Grande for a reason.
00:39:12 --> 00:39:29 So let's like kind of get away from the like the little whisper singing and the whole like airy vocals because I get it. Everyone kind of like likes that. But you have different textures, different tones in that group. You could lean a little bit more toward R&B. I just feel like it's Ariana Light or Basic Brat.
00:39:29 --> 00:39:53 You know, I feel like there's a happy medium and that's utilizing the production, songwriting and vocal skills in the group. Give us something that Lara mixed or produced, like let her do a remix. She can do that. Allow more harmonies. That's Manon at the bottom of a harmony would be so delicious. She has a great lower tone. Sometimes I'm like, what is her vocals doing here? I don't know if I like it, but...
00:39:53 --> 00:40:17 hearing it in a harmony, I can hear the potential there. Everyone stacked above her, oh my god, would be heavenly. And then even maybe give them an opportunity to actually sing about being heartbroken. Girls that are young are unfortunately getting their feelings hurt. Like I know a little 17, 19 year old girl too. And she's talking about this guy that she was like, I went out with him and my parents didn't want me to go out with him, but we just wanted to go out with him.
00:40:17 --> 00:40:35 went to a water park together and it like broke her heart because her parents were like, you're grounded. That's something that little girls go through. It doesn't have to be anything like, you know, physical. Just be like, wow, my feelings were hurt. It didn't work out. I feel like it would make them feel a little bit more real as opposed to like everything's perfect in girl land because not everything is perfect in girl land. And I also feel like lastly,
00:40:35 --> 00:40:59 They should take advantage of the international aspect in this freaking group. Take influence from Latin, Indian, the Philippines. Like, use their languages. I'm not saying you have to hold, like, you know, Bangra, like, freaking track because Lara's there. But why not make usage of some type of production or let her sing in whatever language? Is it Tamil? I think it's Tamil. Something. Let her do a little bit of, like...
00:40:59 --> 00:41:24 some scales the phrygian scale in the back you give it something because she can hit these runs she's super clean let her do it let sophia belt a little bit especially at mia oh my goodness so there's so many moments that they're not being allowed to really shine as like individuals what makes their whole group stronger as a whole because daniela alala this is part of my culture and i was just like you singing in spanish is beautiful
00:41:25 --> 00:41:42 But like this demo landed in your guys' lap and they're taking advantage because you are Latina. But there's a whole group of different women here that I feel like is not being utilized. I'm hoping the next project will give us experimentation, give us risk because again, the fan base is built in.
00:41:43 --> 00:41:58 Well, so they've mentioned that they want to reference the cultures of all the girls before. So that's not like a new thing. I think Gabriela is like the first of that. No, what I'm saying is not that they haven't talked about it. It's do it more. You know? I know. They only have like eight songs. Like, yeah. Eh.
00:41:59 --> 00:42:23 Yeah, yeah. So I think that is in the pipeline, at least. Yeah, I think for me, it's just very clear that they don't have much creative input right now. Yeah. And I think that's normal, you know, for a young group or for a young artist. But I think, and I think I said this in our very first Cat's Eye episode, when they...
00:42:23 --> 00:42:41 Mentioned the concept of the kind of global girl group with K-pop training, right? That's kind of the, I don't know if it was that exact phrasing, but that's kind of what they implied with the support of both a Korean label and an American label.
00:42:42 --> 00:43:02 It's not fully where I want that whole idea to be. Because all this feels like to me right now is a girl group made up of people from all over the world. But everything else is very K-pop styled.
00:43:03 --> 00:43:30 And that's the music, that's visual, that's dance, that's everything. And I want more of a mix of the Western style. And I think that would actually help with their popularity as well. Because I think right now the majority of their fans are still more K-pop fans than anything else. And I think they have the potential for way more than that.
00:43:32 --> 00:43:59 So yeah, I think for me that that's really what it is. And I think the songs just don't feel... They feel like someone went through a bunch of demos and picked out the five best ones for them. None of these songs feel like they were specifically chosen or written for them. Yeah, totally. And again, if you have the backing of two major labels, you should be able to do that. I think. Yeah.
00:43:59 --> 00:44:23 Word up, yo. Yeah. Okay, so final rating for this project. I'll go with a seven. Yeah, I think I gave a seven as well. Yeah. Yeah, there's so much potential. And I will support them. Like, that performance at Lala was so good. They have so much potential. And I think that's why we're kind of frustrated. Mm-hmm. Because the material is just not matching it. I agree. Yes. Yes.
00:44:24 --> 00:44:44 All right, guys. Icons, listen. Let's be honest here. How do you feel about this beautiful chaos project? Let us know in the comments below. And also, again, we go live on Patreon every month. So if you want to kind of discuss it and hash it out, come on over. We'll see you there. And don't forget that you can hang out with us and the crew on Patreon in a normal, nice setting.
00:44:44 --> 00:45:01 And you can message us at CCTV Pops on all social media. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and turn on the notifications for our YouTube channel. And if you are enjoying the show on a podcast platform, please give us a follow rating and a review. Until next time, that's Chris. That's Shan. And we're signing off from CCTV, the nonstop pop show.