Here are my credentials (again): 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!

(Part One)

EP #3: TEEN FRESH

To Bubble’s credit, it definitely has STAYC’s best opening: first those strings, then that name-drop, and finally the lead in to the first chorus are all really great. I realized about halfway through that I’d heard parts of the song before but never the song in full. It’s bubbly (sorry) in all the best ways, with an irrepressible sense of joy and fun, and the MV is just the right kind of crazy to keep you engaged. I think Bubble’s popularity was a bit eclipsed by their Japanese release Poppy from around the same time and that’s a damn shame, because I think it’s one of their best titles.

From the EP, I enjoyed the confident groove of Not Like You and the peppy hook of Be Mine.

Album #1: Metamorphic

I often have issues with groups suddenly switching concepts, especially when it’s one that’s made a name with cute concepts suddenly feeling like they have to “mature”. And Cheeky Icy Thang is just that in spades. I’m sorry, but god those lyrics are cringey, and they don’t even have the decency to make sense. What the hell does “On the rocks, whisky, ring a ding, ding dong” or “Cocktail on the rainbow, yo, easy on the ice, though” mean? And that’s not even getting into that title. It sounds like a drunk teenager trying to order at a bar. Why? Just why? My apologies, SWITHs, but I’d be perfectly happy never hearing this song again.

With Cheeky Icy Thang comes STAYC’s first full album, which I’m always excited to see in an artist. The talent that goes into making a good EP isn’t always the same for an LP, and I like seeing the transition. I enjoyed the chanty chorus and brassy background of Troublemaker, the soft rock-pop sound of Fakin’, and the solid beat (and honestly pretty funny lyrics) of Flexing On My Ex. I had trouble choosing a hidden gem between the vocal-heavy, synthy Twenty and the certified rock-EDM crowd-pleaser Stay WITH Me. Overall I thought it was pretty good, though I do think it could’ve been compressed into a really great EP.

Single #5: …I

After the 180 of Cheeky Icy Thang, I wasn’t sure what to expect from GPT, and especially with the way AI [mostly through Chat GPT] is sneaking into kpop lately, I was pretty wary of what it might be. Going for a spacey, off-kilter sound reminiscent of a lot of LOONA’s early work, the song is disjointed and just feels..off, with an electronic beat underpinning it that works pretty well. And it turns out that my fears of an AI-riddled track were unfounded, because GPT uses the metaphor of an AI to talk about unrequited love (the chorus goes “baby I love you!” with the response being only “dot dot dot”), someone who will answer your questions but never ask any of their own, which is really clever. So, kudos, STAYC, you proved me wrong.

I didn’t have a hidden gem from this single, but I liked the acapella version of GPT. It really adds to the eerieness by focusing on the girls’ vocals.

Single #6: S

My relationship with the song BEBE is honestly two-fold. On the one-hand, it’s the thing that got me to rediscover STAYC and start thinking about doing this review again. On the other, I don’t like it. And it makes it even more annoying that it’s not the whole song I don’t like. In fact, I really love most of it. The pre-chorus is such a great set up. The verses are slinky and light. Most of the chorus is catchy in the best ways. But that hook, oh my god, I hate it. I just don’t understand why the decision was made to deliver it the way it is; I can’t even describe what exactly it is that drives me up the walls. But it does. Couched in the rest of the song, it’s slowly growing on me, I admit it, but I don’t see myself going out of my way to listen to BEBE, which is a shame.

From the single, I enjoyed the fast-paced Pipe Down.

Single #7: I Want It

My first thought when I Want It’s music video began was “this reminds me of 9Muses’ Gun”, and then it just kept happening. The songs themselves are different, but the car wash setup, the specific dance moves they’re doing, and especially the somewhat uncomfortable way the camera lingers on the girls leaned over the cars is Gun to a T. As for the actual song, it’s pretty tailor made for summer, bubbly and bright, but something about it feels a bit tempered to me, like its being held back from something better. It’s most clear during the bridge, which feels like it belongs to a different, stronger song that was allowed to grow and become more unique. It’s definitely a “close but not quite” situation.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I honestly had a really good time checking out STAYC and learning about the members, especially watching how much fun they seem to have performing. As always, I tried to find some good behind the scenes content, and I settled on their Killing Voice medley, their Pictionary game with DIVE Studios, and their adorable Stay WITH Me performance with SWITHs behind them.

My Top 5 songs were Beautiful Monster, Bubble, Stay WITH Me, Young Luv, Run 2U, with Twenty as an honorable mention. STAYC gets an 8.5 out of 10 from me., which was higher than I expected. I thought that I’d feel similarly about them to how I felt with IVE, but actually, I ended up with a lot of new songs to enjoy and a new appreciation for the powers of bubblegum pop. If it ends up working out that they’ll be in my area during their world tour, who knows? Maybe I’ll end up in their audience yelling “My love’s so YOUNG!” at the top of my lungs. Time will tell.

Next time, we’re onto a boy group, and then a roundup of this summer on the blog. Tschüss!