The infamous “I’m getting out of here,” vocalized by the infantilized and rejuvenated toddler, has run its course throughout the internet. Regardless of the digital hemisphere of content you reside in, those five words have, at some point, graced your mobile device. Love it or utterly despise it, you cannot deny the extensive impact the song has had on music. Its virality has opened doors to conversations about the limits of “camp” music, as well as the separation between the art and the artist.
To contextualize, the lyrics of this hit song are from the sensational global girl group KATSEYE. The groups’ six members had been the result of a survival show, where they’d been trained daily to excel in both vocal and visual performances. A year after their debut and two mini-albums later, a large and loyal fanbase has been established. The main reason for the group’s increasing popularity is due their company they are signed under, HYBE Labels. The agency’s marketing of KATSEYE follows the traditional K-POP methodology, which benefits from a passionate fandom culture. These promotions demonstrate HYBE’s perfection in creating an immense loyal following by heavily relying on the members to attract attention; however, the expected success of simply having the members on a song prompts the agency to neglect producing lyrical and groundbreaking music. This downplaying of KATSEYE’s musicality is evident in their latest single, Internet Girl.
If you’ve been online and seen the responses to this song, you already know the general opinion: it’s not good. The main complaints from internet users focus on the poor lyricism, especially in the chorus, and the baby voice. Sure, “eat zucchini” isn’t close to the eloquence found in a Shakespearean sonnet; however, the intense criticism directed at the KATSEYE members seems a bit exaggerated. Apart from the lyrics, you can’t deny how captivating the choreography is and its energetic instrumental. Internet Girl isn’t intended to be the most innovative song ever, nor is it terrible. So, the widespread disapproval isn’t really about disliking KATSEYE themselves; instead, it’s because HYBE saw success in the campy style of songs—like Gnarly by KATSEYE—and decided to stick with that because it’s likely to be successful. This naturally results in less effort going into the songs, leading to zucchini being sung seventeen times. Rather than producing music out of genuine desire to make impactful and groundbreaking art, it’s gradually being replaced with half-hearted cash grabs disguised as a fun stylistic approach.
HYBE Labels can produce such superficial songs because of the assumption that anything made under KATSEYE’s name will automatically be successful, leading to bold lyrical choices. But, they’re right. Even if the general public claims to dislike Internet Girl, the song has still achieved great success and popularity. And why is that? HYBE’s marketing succeeded. By building KATSEYE’s brand around the members themselves, rather than the music—the loyal fanbase cultivated is conditioned to unconsciously enjoy and consume whatever they release. Therefore, it’s clear that the guaranteed success of their music isn’t based solely on the music itself; instead, it’s the fact that the members are part of the equation. This contributes to how the passionate fandom strongly associates the artists with the art they produce, leaving little room for criticism, as they see an attack on their music as an attack on their favourites.
Internet Girl might not be the most innovative track on Spotify, but the song isn’t the terrible piece of media that some netizens are making it out to be. However, labels like HYBE should not continue to strip their artists of their musicality just for a quick profit. Broadly speaking, all music artists should be supported by their companies to create songs that highlight their talents and show their love for music. This especially applies to the highly skilled members of KATSEYE, who deserve to be able to compose songs that reflect their abilities, not have “I’m getting out of here” voiced over by a baby. And if you disagree, eat a zucchini!
