KATSEYE’s ‘WILD’ New EP: All Six Tracks Ranked

KATSEYE's WILD may only be six songs, but they're filled with flirtation, heartbreak and chaos. 8/14/2026 KATSEYE Julian Song EYEKONS, EYEKONS, EYEKONS, the moment y’all have been waiting for is finally here: Grammy-nominated global girl group KATSEYE has entered its WILD era. The group’s third EP, WILD., arrives Aug. 14 through HYBE and Geffen Records, following 2025’s Beautiful Chaos, the project that took KATSEYE from one of pop’s most promising new groups to a legitimate global force. Beautiful Chaos debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, giving the group its first top 10 on the chart. And KATSEYE isn’t slowing down. Led by the Billboard Hot 100 hit “Pinky Up,” which has peaked at No. 28, WILD. sees the group pushing even further into its pop ambitions. The set’s second single, “Animal,” debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard Global 200, giving KATSEYE its first top 10 on the chart. Co-written with Ed Sheeran, the track is another sign of just how quickly these six women are becoming fixtures in the global pop landscape. But WILD. arrives at a complicated moment for the group. KATSEYE’s biggest year yet has also brought some of its biggest challenges. Manon stepped away from group activities earlier this year to focus on her mental health — and just last week, Sophia announced her own hiatus. As a result, WILD. becomes the group’s first project promoted without Manon and now also Sophia, with Lara, Daniela, Yoonchae and Megan carrying the promotional run. That makes this era feel a bit different. And maybe that’s fitting, because WILD. is all about the group embracing change. Across the EP, KATSEYE plays with freedom, flirtation, heartbreak and desire. The girls are growing up — and you can hear it. The release also comes alongside the theatrical documentary KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS, which gives EYEKONS an intimate look at the group’s journey, featuring never-before-seen footage, fan videos and interviews with the members. In just two and a half years, KATSEYE has gone from six girls competing on a reality show to one of pop’s most exciting emerging global acts. And hours before WILD. arrived, the group added another milestone to the list, breaking Spotify’s record for the most pre-saves for a project by a girl group. Not a bad way to start a new era. As a supporter, I’ve watched KATSEYE grow from SIS (Soft Is Strong) to Beautiful Chaos, and now WILD., and it’s clear that this group refuses to stay in one lane. The music is good, but the bigger question is where exactly KATSEYE goes from here. So, with that in mind, here’s Billboard’s preliminary ranking of every track on KATSEYE’s WILD. “Hootie Fruity“ “Hootie Frutti” is a playfully flirtatious track built around temptation, confidence and indulgence. KATSEYE uses fruit and food imagery as a cheeky metaphor for something irresistible, the kind of attraction you know you probably shouldn’t keep craving, but can’t help coming back to. The song immediately establishes that with the Portuguese opening, essentially saying, “I know you like fruit, but this one is different.” That sets up the central joke: “Hootie Frutti” isn’t just something sweet, it’s a special kind of temptation. From there, KATSEYE leans into the song’s cheeky double entendres, turning desire into something playful rather than serious. “Pinky Up” “Pinky Up” is a celebration of living loudly, embracing your friends and choosing to have fun even when the world feels completely chaotic. Rather than taking life too seriously, KATSEYE turns the song into a carefree manifesto: if everything is temporary, why not make the most of it? “We’re screaming from cloud nine/ No one could touch us if they tried/ Ooh, but it’s a state of mind.” The idea that the world could end one day becomes an excuse to stop worrying about rules, expectations and what other people think. The girls want to “live large, right before it all burns down,” surrounding themselves with their closest friends and creating memories that feel bigger than life. “Pinky Up” is all about letting loose, enjoying the moment and making sure you actually live before you die. “Bel Air” “Bel Air” captures the complicated feeling of being caught between wanting someone back and finally accepting that the relationship belongs in the past. The song opens with the girls stuck in their own memories, replaying what happened and wondering what could’ve been different. The track rewinding time reflects that long-lingering regret, if they could go back for just one day, maybe they could change the outcome and avoid becoming “the ones who got away.” The song is in a bittersweet space between nostalgia and acceptance, where you can still miss someone while knowing that moving forward is the only option. “Unloveu” “Unloveu” is a Target-exclusive sixth track, with Lara Raj serving as a writer and co-producer alongside Amy Allen and Ross Golan. The song explores the slow, messy process of emotionally detaching from someone who hurt you. Rather than pretending the relationship never mattered, KATSEYE captures what it feels like to gradually reclaim your mind, confidence and peace after a toxic relationship. The phrase “unlove you” is what makes the song truly interesting. You don’t simply stop loving someone because you decide to, it’s presented as an active process, almost like learning how to remove someone from your emotional routine. Every repetition of “I do” feels like another step toward acceptance, as they slowly begin letting go. It’s great to see Lara get into her bag and show the EYEKONS what she’s truly capable of. We need more of this moving forward. “That Way” “That Way” is a flirtatious track about knowing your worth, setting the terms of attraction and making someone prove they deserve access to you. The line, “You could be mine, if you’re lucky,” frames romance as a privilege rather than something that’s automatically given. The ladies are being pursued and know they have options, making it clear that simply wanting them isn’t enough, you have to earn your place with them — possibly leaving a lesson for all the baddies out there to learn from. “Animal” “Animal” is a confident track about revealing a more uninhibited side of yourself that most people never get to see. The song plays with the contrast between a person’s public image and what happens behind closed doors, with the idea of “light and shadows” colliding representing two sides of these people coming together, the versions everyone sees and the private sides they reveal to each other. There’s also a sense of secrecy throughout the track. This is a side of the relationship that exists away from everyone else, making “Animal” feel like a glimpse into something intimate that isn’t meant for the public. Co-written by Ed Sheeran and produced by Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin, “Animal” debuted at No. 24 on the Hot 100, giving KATSEYE its highest-charting debut to date. With its layered harmonies and sensual production, this is definitely one of KATSEYE’s strongest songs yet. Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox Sign Up