Sometimes I debate whether I should be covering Katseye at all on this blog. Despite emerging from HYBE, they’re not really “K-pop” in any sense and I haven’t enjoyed their music enough to ever feature it on a “global round-up” post. Yet, you can’t deny the influence they’ve had on a certain type of K-pop, as their brasher, more rage-bait tracks satisfy the industry’s need for global engagement. And with a song title like Hootie Frutti, how could I not write about this?
One thing I’ll confidently say about Hootie Frutti is that you’ll never forget what song you’re listening to while it’s playing. Katseye open with… well… a half dozen “hootie fruits” and go on to offer dozens more over the next two minutes and twenty seconds. We’re in the Green Eggs and Ham style of songwriting here. Hootie Frutti on your tongue, Hootie Frutti every day, Hootie Frutti pandemic 2026. It’s all patently silly and stupid but could be fun-silly, fun-stupid if the songwriters opted for an actual chorus.
Of Katseye’s gimmicky songs, I actually think this might boast my favorite production. The beat is cartoonish in a garish way but at least it has a resounding lower end. I love the weird synth that comes in for the pre-chorus. It reminds me of how an accordion accents the bass in a polka. Remove the godawful, cringey lyrics, give us a widescreen Red Flavor style chorus and we’d be talking about a serious guilty pleasure. Of course, that would be a different song entirely so for now *this* Hootie Frutti is a skip. But, I’ll be bopping my head and maybe even dancing a ridiculous jig as a I skip it.
Hooks
5
Production
9
Longevity
7
Bias
7
RATING
7