Right here’s a little bit secret in regards to the rankings on this weblog, and it could appear counterintuitive. I not often enterprise under a “6” on my total scale, however any tune that hits under this mark has a particular place in my coronary heart. Actually, I are likely to “like” them greater than most of the songs rated within the 7’s. I’ll not ever need to pay attention to them once more, however at the least they made me really feel one thing. Such is the case with Katseye’s now-viral hit Gnarly. I nonetheless suppose that tune reaches for a quirkiness it doesn’t totally attain and feels overly manufactured to create virality, however it’s definitely not boring. I’ve to understand the sheer nerve even when I don’t love the precise tune.

So, in a humorous twist Katseye’s new single Gabriela will earn the next ranking although I discover it boring compared to its predecessor. For this tune, the group scored a Charli XCX co-write, which is smart since Gnarly bent over backwards to copy a sure Brat vitality. Nonetheless, the quirkiest factor about Gabriela is its cleaning soap operatic video. By itself, I don’t see the tune turning many heads. The ladies have added a Latin twist to their sound, married to a moody mid-tempo groove that by no means develops into something extra. It’s all a bit ‘Camila Cabello circa 2018,’ which I can’t say is a pop model I miss.

Mainstream pop music has slowed to such an inert tempo over the previous decade and Gabriela matches proper in with that development. I’m certain I sound like a damaged document, however the tune may do with a significant kick within the butt. Think about if its vitality matched the madcap mugging within the music video. The considered a brand new international woman group like Katseye is so thrilling. I want their music would seize that pleasure in a means that feels distinctive to them. Gabriela merely trudges alongside, carried out properly however biking across the identical repetitive hooks with out the payoff I crave. Within the grand scheme of issues, Gnarly can nonetheless put on its “4.25” ranking like a badge of honor as a result of a “7.5” is way extra widespread and far more forgettable.

Grade: C