Global girl group Katseye once again showcases their versatility in their latest single, “Gabriela.” Hot off the heels of the polarizing “Gnarly,” (which, for better or for worse, is still stuck in our heads), the new track takes on a different sonic direction, this time leaning more into a Latin-inspired sound.
Here, we get to appreciate the powerhouse group’s vocals better. “Gabriela” plays off like a modern-day “Jolene,” as the girls plead to the eponymous character to keep her “hands off” their man. Plus, Daniela, who is ethnically Venezuelan Cuban, sings the bridge in Spanish.
While the song generally alludes to bemoaning the loss of a lover to someone else, the music video touches on another form of competition for someone’s attention and favor. The music video is all sorts of sultry while cutthroat and fierce at the same time as the girls are seen fighting against each other (quite brutally, at that) to become the next CEO of Gabriela Enterprises, taking over the role portrayed by Hollywood actress Jessica Alba.
In an interview with Teen Vogue, the group talks about the song as “commentary” on those who are bent on pitting the Katseye members against each other.
The music video sees Sophia, Lara, Manon, Megan, Daniela, and Yoonchae trying to upstage each other oh so dramatically—like scenes out of popular telenovelas of the 2000s. (Another cheekily subverted Y2K throwback!) And as the second single of their upcoming “Beautiful Chaos” EP, the “Gabriela” music video also carries some gnarly imagery—chopped off fingers, glass shattered against heads, bloody catfights between the girls.
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Among the track’s writers are Charli XCX, credited under her real name Charlotte Aitchison; producers Andrew Watt (who’s worked with artists like Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and Jungkook) and John Ryan (who’s written and produced for One Direction and Sabrina Carpenter); Ali Tamposi (Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Shawn Mendes’ “Señorita,” and most recently, Le Sserafim’s “Hot”); and Sara Schell, who’s been called a rising talent in the Latin music scene.
The five-track “Beautiful Chaos” EP comes out June 27.
