Teahouse and rave aren’t often talked about in the same breath, but at the American Music Awards, Katzei brought a hyper-pop dance party to an ultra-brightly colored tearoom set with a quintet rendition of “Pinky Up.”
The rousing number was announced just before the group won the Best New Artist award on the CBS/Paramount+ telecast.
Kate Eye’s performance was one of the most anticipated performances of the night, given the enthusiasm of the group’s fan base, so it was no surprise that “Pinky Up,” which appeared two-thirds of the way through the three-hour telecast, featured some of the most elaborate production values of the night.
Before the group appeared, a group of extras held up their little fingers and mimed eating pastries while drinking tea. The song essentially mimics the etiquette typically associated with drinking tea. And maybe pinky wasn’t the only one getting high in this environment. The number exploded further in a riot of EDM rhythms and pink hues. The five members popped out of giant pink teddy bears, and their costumes were decorated with tiny bear faces, as if the Grateful Dead’s mascot had suddenly invaded the world of girl groups.
The acceptance speech for the group’s new artist of the year was primarily in English, but also included other languages due to the members’ different backgrounds. “We have always had a mission to value diversity and represent our people and culture. Thank you so much for giving us the platform to do that,” said Lala Raji.
EJAE and Lei Ami of “KPop Demon Hunter” fame introduced the performance, and Katseye added a booster of star players to the lively performance. “Tonight already feels golden, and it’s going to get even better,” EJAE promised in the intro. (The relationship of mutual admiration between the “Demon Hunters” singer and Kazzi was already established when both ensembles came together for a performance of “Golden” during Katsy’s Coachella set in April. Rey Ami described the collaboration at the festival as a “beautiful encounter of girl power.”)
“Pinky Up” will be included on Katseye’s third EP, Wild, which will be released on August 14th. But fans have already gotten their hands on a good deal of the song, first when it was released as a digital single in early April and then through live premieres at back-to-back Coachella weekends that month.
Catze Eye entered the night with three nominations: New Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Pop Artist, and Best Music Video (for “Gnarly”).
This was the group’s first awards performance since the Grammys and, at least for now, the last major performance as a six-piece. Shortly after, it was announced that Manon Bannerman would be taking a hiatus from the group, and remained absent from Monday night’s AMA performance.
