Recently the members of KATSEYE sat down and shared, in quiet candor, how far they feel they have already come after such a brief period. Daniela Lara Megan and Yoonchae looked back at the harrowing years preceding the recording of their new EP Wild, and the documentary Wild Hearts which chronicles a portion of the band’s journey, unseen by most fans; their ascendancy has been rapid, almost alarmingly so. What started as a high-profile search for new stars became a hit on the music charts, a slew of awards nominations and an increasingly frantic international tour in the space of a few months. Reflecting on it now the four women say it has been an exciting, exhausting experience.
They say that watching themselves in the new film and watching how much they have changed has been humbling. The new documentary, they say, is less polished and more honest than anything seen before. It exposes them of having to work hard and rehearse past midnight, to continue adjust the choreography, the little quiet moments when they wondered how long they would last.
In talking we keep circling back to the idea of strength. One band member summed it up: ‘We’re far stronger than we ever thought we were’. The last two and a half years has challenged that strength over and over again. Lineup changes, public criticism and juggling the demands of writing and recording an album while still exploring who they were forced them to mature in the public eye. But through the process they learned what they wanted their music to do and sound like. It made Wild more personal.
The tracks are filled with parts of their current real life, unlike the airbrushed aspic of what a girl group should be. Lara told us that one of the songs on the project came from her pen and was produced by her, something that fans had been eagerly asking for. They all agree that they are really talking about freedom when they are in the studio. They are nervous about experimentation, but balanced and aware of the Eyekons’ connection, and how the music still relates to them.
This balance is now more inherent, more deliberate. Keep in mind they call the EP an evolution, a chapter, an advancement; the music feels more emboldened; it is more certain. Coming at a time when two people are taking a break, the documentary seems to signals the time when Sophia is focusing on taking care of her health and well being while Manon is on an indefinite break.
Those four currently featured in recent interviews and walking the red carpet all reaffirmed support for both giving high regard to how the group has maintained its connection and noting the inclusion of scenes with Manon as significant to their story. The scenes played during the interview feels like completeness rather than loss. The focus on the fans has predominantly shaped how the members perceive their roles. The young women express being burdened by really they are role models for an entire generation that observes their every action. They strive to find balance through several ways including staying connected with the work itself, the continually evolving choreography, studio time that is more liberating than ever, and the minute everyday routines that help them find equilibrium. Self-care no longer seems to be just a catchphrase.
