STAYC (which is an acronym for “Star To A Young Culture”) was formed in 2020 by High Up Entertainment, rap duo Black Eyed Pilseung’s company. They have six members: Sumin, Sieun, Seeun, Isa, Yoon, and J.

Here are my credentials: Like everyone else who was a kpop fan in the early 2020s, I of course remember when STAYC debuted and made a pretty big splash. I think I’ve heard a good number of their title tracks, especially the more popular ones, but as I’ve learned on this blog, title tracks can only tell you so much. This deep dive has been on my list for over a year now, and I’m not going to lie, I’m excited. So, let’s get into it!

Single #1: Star To A Young Culture

So Bad wasn’t only the birth of the “STAYC girls it’s going down!” phrase but the birth of STAYC themselves, smack dab in the middle of Kpop’s synth pop phase. And you can tell; So Bad’s got a really good beat, glitchy and glitzy with verses that do a good job setting up that chorus. And speaking of the chorus, it’s much less contained than the snippets I’ve heard led me to believe, which naturally I’m always here for. I also really enjoyed that bridge and the way it led into the final chorus; together they elevate the song beyond a lot of similar ones. All in all it’s a pretty good debut and I liked it much more than I expected.

From the single, I also enjoyed the vocals in b-side Like This, though I think So Bad was definitely the right choice for promotions.

Single #2: STAYDOM

While So Bad has a very 2020 sensibility, ASAP feels more firmly in the 4th gen. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, but it’s not really my style. The song overall is pretty good (its specific brand of pep reminds me of TWICE’s Likey), but I think the chorus actually limits itself with its catchiness, since it ends up being most of what you remember after the song is done despite being its weakest link. I’m also not sure about the motivation behind a somewhat sadder-sounding, slowed-down bridge; I feel like it kills the momentum the rest of the song has, and then the transition to the final chorus ends up being somewhat jarring. So, mixed but on the whole, positive feelings.

(Note: I’ve listed both STAYDOM and Star To A Young Culture as “singles” but STAYDOM is actually 4 tracks, twice the length of its predecessor, operating on the assumption that 1-4 tracks is a single, 5-8 is an EP, and 9+ is an album, but honestly there’s conflicting things around the internet. I know that probably no one but me cares but it was driving me up the walls so I had to put this in).

So, from the…single, EP, whatever it is, I enjoyed the peppy choruses (especially the last chorus) from So What, and the remix of So Bad, but my hidden gem was Love Fool. I was fairly ambivalent about it when it started, but that excellent, chanty bridge really won me over. I really am predictable, I guess.

EP #1: Stereotype

I had a vague recollection of having heard the song Stereotype before I relistened to it for this review, but the second the chorus started I went: “OH I HAVE SEEN THIS”. So, there you go; I really do have the memory of a goldfish. But onto the song. It’s bright and colorful, one of those tracks that makes you smile even before you watch the music video, which is just on the right side of cartoonish and cute. And adding to that, it has such a great message.

I’m an absolute sucker for super poppy songs that spread a message of self-empowerment and lifting other girls up: “I know what I look like, but I’m a different woman; don’t judge me with your prejudiced eyes.” I have my gripes, sure: I wish the chorus was a little more sprawling (but I definitely prefer it to ASAP), and I’m not the biggest fan of a schoolgirl concept (but I can recognize when it’s done well). And this one absolutely is.

(Note: Stereotype is also 4 tracks but it’s classified as an EP so— [I’m dragged off stage with a cane])

So, from the EP, I enjoyed the sweet lyrics and laid-back beat of I’ll Be There and the tropical pop Slow Down.

EP #2: Young-Luv.Com

You’d probably have to have been living under a rock in 2022 to not have been absolutely inundated with Run 2U. In your TikTok FYP. On YouTube. In every kpop edit ever. Oh my god, it was like living through Dynamite all over again. Hilariously enough, though, I don’t think I ever sat down to listen to it all the way through before. I have to hand it to them, that hook really is one-of-a-kind catchy. A stronger underlying beat than their last few songs have had. It gets you bopping your head right away.

With all my old lady complaining about anti-drops, you might be expecting that here. And, funnily enough, you’d be wrong. I actually really like this chorus, and I’m not sure why I feel like it works when I don’t feel that way about several similar ones. Maybe I’m so desensitized to the song that it’s tougher for me to dislike; maybe it’s that the chorus takes pains to make itself stand out beyond that eminently catchy hook or the fact that it’s a very vocal-heavy song. I honestly don’t know. Whatever the reason, despite everything, I still think Run 2U holds up pretty well.

From the EP, I enjoyed the slow groove of Butterfly and the light touch of the vocals in I Want U Baby, but my hidden gem was the acoustic guitar-led, anthemic Young Luv. I love songs that tap into this very specific sound of nostalgia-meets-bad-decisions-meets-driving-home-at-night and this song ticks all the boxes. And that final chorus? Perfection. (“My love’s so YOUNG, I’m YOUNG” is going to be stuck in my head for the next 3-5 business days)

Single #3: We Need Love

Beautiful Monster is probably the first STAYC song I out-and-out loved. And though it’s been years since I last heard it, that feeling hasn’t died. (Within a minute I was singing “yes I knowwww, yeah, you’re a beautiful monster!”; it was slightly embarrassing, but so be it.) The song may not be as out-and-out catchy as ASAP or RUN 2U, but something it has going for it is just how unique it is. It’s something special; the acoustic guitar, the handclapping-led pre choruses, and especially the vocals. I think that vocals are often what take a pop song from good to great, and Beautiful Monster doesn’t skimp on the high notes or the harmonizing, or the drama that they provide. And so, you end up with what’s arguably still one of their best title tracks.

From the single, I enjoyed the call-and-response bridge of I Like It and the instrumental chorus of Love.

Next time, we’re onto Part 2. Tschüss!