The possible setlist is at the core of the criticism.
19 minutes ago
Amid the ongoing chaos surrounding Manon‘s hiatus, KATSEYE is still pushing through for their upcoming Coachella debut.
KATSEYE
However, a recent fan-taken video of the group’s stage rehearsal for the event has sparked massively divided reactions from fans. In the clip, KPop Demon Hunters star EJAE could be seen on stage with the five KATSEYE members, singing the global hit from the movie, “Golden.” Lara joined in as soon as EJAE finished belting the iconic high note of the song.
katseye rehearsing golden !! #katseye #coahella pic.twitter.com/o7jK9nGydQ
— Kim (@_kkiimmm__) April 10, 2026
This clip, which has racked up nearly two million views on X (formerly Twitter), has been met with quite the pushback from fans who felt that a song like “Golden” didn’t sit well with the brand image of KATSEYE. Critics argued that while the global appeal of the song is undeniable, it also remains true that the song’s predominant target audience is children. On the other hand, KATSEYE has a bold and provocative image, and some of their more recent releases were not appropriate for a younger audience. Some fans also felt that a more appropriate song to cover would be “Buttons” by the Pussycat Dolls, since it carries more relevance for the group.
this would’ve been the time to do ot6 buttons but no, they’re doing fuckass golden. you have to laugh atp pic.twitter.com/YPsOyybWEU
— L 🎉 (@ldvtwt) April 10, 2026
their team is full of the dumbest people ever https://t.co/fFXfpG7B4g
— cats and june (@sugastri) April 10, 2026
my question is. why would katseye be singing golden, no offense, but this marks them as a kids market, when they were just shaking ass in the parking lot? wouldn’t be more “professional” and profitable if they collaborate on buttons? pussycat girls were just talking about them
— raquel. (@meiyokstage) April 10, 2026
Wait golden for Coachella ??? Not buttons?? Not like a HOT gg song..??? Hxg just stop … is ur audience kids or adults.. how are we at shaking ass in a parking lot to golden.. free these girls bro
— 🖤 (@kalahswrld) April 10, 2026
hxg really got them covering kpop demon hunters at coachella i’m ctfu, how does that even correlate please LMAOOO pic.twitter.com/EuMNfaeIe7
— jojo esta celebrando🎉 (@XPones) April 10, 2026
Another set of criticism against this performance has been that KATSEYE is being used to make K-Pop “digestible” to the general public, and hence the group’s original musical identity is being sacrificed.
it’s clear that katseye’s goal is to make the general public more receptive to k-pop/korean entertainment, which then funnels them into other groups, especially under hybe. that’s why they keep getting those kpop-adjacent songs. don’t expect good music. #freemanon #weloveyoumanon https://t.co/pO57rp6exM
— ✯ (@kerryonwithlyf) April 10, 2026
they got rid of the black girl and said we can finally be kpop now https://t.co/wxYg6Sx7DV
— jussssstin (@breakjustincase) April 10, 2026
However, many fans defended the decision to include “Golden” in KATSEYE’s Coachella set, pointing out that it presented the group with a great opportunity to showcase their vocal prowess in a way their own discography wouldn’t.
I was thinking they should have sung takedown because I like it more and because it’s more for shows than golden but I realized that they probably do it because they want to highlight the musical talent of the girls since golden is a very difficult song in musical notes
— M.I.A ☆|| meiyok swift abrams gf|| ☆ (@meiyokstar) April 10, 2026
Fcking huge 😭 and solarz about to eat so bad omfg https://t.co/U7ZZfmn1zm
— M is in a state of mind (@runskindeep10) April 10, 2026
katseye rehearsing golden !! #katseye #coahella pic.twitter.com/o7jK9nGydQ
— Kim (@_kkiimmm__) April 10, 2026
Meanwhile, the members recently broke their silence about Manon, furthering the backlash from fans.
KATSEYE Members Finally Speak Up About Manon, Invite Fury