STAYC Breaks Stereotypes in Their Newest EP
STAYC returned on August 6 with their second comeback, a mini-album titled STEREOTYPE. The girls are currently promoting their title track named “STEREOTYPE” as well, alongside three other songs, “I’LL BE THERE,” “SLOW DOWN,” and “COMPLEX.” STAYC has always released many catchy tracks, including their viral hit “ASAP” that garnered millions of views and introduced new fans to the growing girl group. They also fit in with the realm of popular fourth-generation idols such as ITZY, EVERGLOW, and (G)-IDLE that gravitate towards more “girl crush” concepts. However, they still add their own colorful spin to their tracklists by bringing emphasis to their powerful vocals while still maintaining a bubbly dance vibe.
STAYC debuted in 2020 with their single “SO BAD,” which was a wonderful introduction to the flexibility of the girls’ concepts. They can pull off girl crush-themed music videos with intense choreography and extremely unique stylistic choices such as camp outfits while also achieving maximum “cutesy” concepts with catchy choruses and school-girl uniform outfits. This is exactly what “STEREOTYPE” is all about. It is more mature than the brightly-colored “ASAP” theme but can still stand on its own as the next big K-pop hit. High Up Entertainment, the girls’ entertainment company, has been releasing teasers for this release since the middle of August. At first, the concept photos were slightly misleading, making audiences believe that their storyline would follow something similar to Red Velvet’s “Psycho” due to their similar costume choices and mysterious outdoorsy theme. As more and more information was being released, they finally exposed the bright-sounding pop track that is in existence today.
Many companies lead fans down a similar confusing path with concepts that are unrelated to the song or the whole idea for the tracklist. In this case, however, STAYC racked up audiences that were expecting great things from this comeback. The founders of High Up Entertainment are also award-winning producers for groups like Twice, SISTAR, Apink, CHUNG HA, and many more. Black Eyed Pilseung, the producing duo, has a great understanding of how each group functions and what songs would make them great on the charts. Every single STAYC title track released up until now has been able to draw the best attributes out of the girls, and for “STEREOTYPE” specifically, showed audiences the beauty of Isa’s voice.
This mini-album brings many new shades of music to the K-pop table. The song has an extreme range of high and low notes that J and Sieun ace perfectly while swerving away from the ballad route. It also captures the elements of a catchy dance song while maintaining a mystical feel that sweeps listeners off their feet.
“STEREOTYPE” presents a teen fresh concept to their past cutesy and girl crush songs. It brings something unique to the table that adds a splash to their range of flexibility in the K-pop industry. This song deals with another romantic endeavor, but resembles a “pick me” theme as the girls go on and on about being unique, special, and “not like the other girls.” Throughout the music video, the girls show off a mix of basic and bold looks that pulls the song together. It expresses the fluctuations and rebellious attitude of teens—Generation Z being their targeted audience. As members of that generation, their music appeals to the youthful fans who prefer bubbly, pop tracks, unlike fellow 4th Generation group ITZY who is more acquainted with hip hop and R&B tracks.
stayc yoon and her new bestie pic.twitter.com/TDFGILh2JK
— hz (@_staycgirls) September 17, 2021
Although short, STAYC’s whole tracklist includes songs with a variety of unique sounds. Each song is completely unlike the other such as “COMPLEX” compared to “SLOW DOWN.” The latter song relies more on percussion with a groovy beat and calmer pre-chorus build-up. It references dance-hall sounds that add to the familiarity, and some would call it “danceability” of the track. On the other hand, “COMPLEX” sticks more to STAYC’s route with dream-pop accents placed throughout.
They have currently been winning many awards on Korean music shows such as M Countdown, The SHOW, and Show Champion. To keep up with more of STAYC’s work, follow their Instagram, Twitter, and VLIVE accounts.
Columnist | K-pop Stan | Tweet me @senaho5
