STAYC Discusses Growth in YOUNG-LUV.COM Online Media Showcase

When you think of STAYC, it is easy to think of the doe-eyed intergalactic space models from “SO BAD,” or the high school comic book protagonists from “ASAP,” or school girls from “STEREOTYPE.” They are always wearing vivid outfits inspired by y2k fashion and similarly trendy hairstyles. Their style is very high teen— emphasis on the teen due to the group’s general young age. They sing of crushes, love, and self-confidence with bubblegum K-pop style tracks—a fusion of cute with hints of rap. The six-member group— consisting of YOON, J, ISA, SUMIN, SIEUN, and SEEUN—break these expectations with their second mini-album. 

Ahead of the album drop, STAYC held an online media showcase on February 21 at 2 PM KST. The girls not only got to tease YOUNG-LUV.COM with a performance of their “RUN2U” single, but STAYC also discussed their desire to grow and try out new genres as a group.

STAYC Showing up in Style

Aside from their catchy tunes, what STAYC are known for is their fashion. They know how to accessorize and add a refreshing twist to bold fabrics. They dress up paying close attention to the smallest details, including their usually graphic eye makeup and unique cuts in their hair. Their showcase looks were no different. The girls wore cool-colored outfits with similarly flashy makeup— familiar if you saw their teasers. 

The cool colors vastly contrasted with the pink heart-themed stage. Their name, “STAYC,” was written out in giant letters. The stage was something close to a Valentine’s Wonderland dedicated to STAYC.

On the “RUN2U” Single

The theme of the afternoon was growth. STAYC emphasized that throughout the night as they shared the differences between their current project and past singles. “RUN2U” is a song they described as a more mature and intense sort of love that their previous singles did not express.

“We wanted to present a new image of STAYC with this album and the public can realize what we have shown is not all we have. The key message is the passion for love based on our daring spirit. ‘SO BAD’ showed immature love, ‘ASAP’ craving for someone to love, ‘STEREOTYPE’ showed building our ego, and ‘RUN2U’ shows the actions that we will run to our love without worrying about what others think,” SIEUN shared. 

The lyrics not only present a more mature idea, but there is also a greater maturity in their singing than previous singles. There is less of a cutesy undertone in “RUN2U” and they flaunt more of their vocal prowess. This sort of change does not come as a surprise— their ages range from 18 to 21 (19 to 22, if you want to go by Korean age). They have grown in the 14 months they have been active since their debut in 2020.

STAYC Style Choreography

Even with growth, what doesn’t change is their unique and synced choreography. Even from the get go, they started strong. Their performance was triggered by the word “run” and a series of synths that orchestrated a ripple effect as the girls twirled one by one in a line.

Their next killing part was their point move. As they sing “a little bit, a little bit” in the chorus, each member holds her arms out in a defensive stance, both palms facing the audience. They move each arm back and forth in alternating motions.

Their choreography is topped off by their end pose. They lined up in two rows and formed an “S” with their palms, reminding fans who they are. While they don’t say, “STAYC girls it’s going down” in their song, this point in the choreography makes up for the line.

On the Luxurious Music Video

To suit the theme of growth, the video for “RUN2U” featured many scenes depicting motion. STAYC were using various modes of transportation to break free and reach their nameless lover. They danced in a train station, rode a train, used a motorcycle, and ran. 

One notable scene is ISA’s escape from a snowglobe. She destroys the glass with an arrow. Similarly, each set used in the video is elaborate. Some have beds of flowers, icy jewels hanging from the ceiling, and intricate graffiti hearts. 

Even with all of the small details and scenes, STAYC shared that all scenes didn’t make it in the final cut. While filming, SIEUN described a scene where she tried wire-flying for the first time. She had lots of fun filming and trying to maintain balance, but she was later told it was removed from the final product. In response to this revelation, the host Park Kyungrim joked that they should release a director’s cut version with unseen footage.

“You can tell we are all very poor at acting,” J laughed about one scene she filmed. “There is a scene where we kicked the sand and it looked beautiful in slow-motion with the sand spreading. We tried really hard to kick the sand to get that picture without being noticed as much as possible.” 

Love at First Listen

Even though they experimented with a new concept for the album, STAYC all felt like the songs were a perfect match for them. “The producer did not choose among several songs,” ISA recalled. “But wrote the title based on the concept and direction of this album. I had goosebumps 3 times when I listened to the song for the first time and thought nothing could replace it.” 

ISA was eager to record with her members after hearing the title track. They maintained this level of earnesty throughout the development of the six-song mini-album as well. SIEUN’s love at first listen was “SAME SAME.” The guide song drew her in. 

On the topic of songs, YOON said her favorite track was “YOUNG LUV.” An avid fan of heavy metal, YOON was excited to take a stab at the genre herself. J and SEEUN also chimed in, adding that they were glad to show off new images with this song. 

As for ISA’s favorite song, she chose “BUTTERFLY.” It aligns with her love for R&B. SUMIN seconded this choice, expressing her love for the atmosphere. She also expressed excitement for her new vocal ability that she got to show off.

A Mark of Growth 

It should be noted that throughout the showcase many journalists regarded them as leaders in the “fourth generation” of K-pop. After all, STAYC have had a number of accomplishments under their belt since their debut in November 2020. Their debut single alone landed them an entry on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales Chart. After releasing “STEREOTYPE,” they received their second entry at number 16. 

“We are always happy and grateful that many recognize our efforts and love us for that. We will bring you many new works,” J promised.

In addition to global charts, STAYC has also won ten awards within Korea in the last year as well. Among the awards, STAYC won “Digital Song Bonsang” and “Rookie of The Year” at the Golden Disc Awards and “Best Performance” at Seoul Music Awards.

In response to this milestone, SUMIN said, “Even if you plan what to say after receiving the awards, you tend to forget when you are actually on the stage. It felt like a dream and I thought of so many people that I wanted to say thank you to.” This recognition also motivates them to reach past their comfort and show new sides of themselves. YOON said, with the YOUNG-LUV.COM album they hope to show off a wider variety of genres with never-heard-before vocals.

STAYC are hopeful that fans abroad and at home will enjoy the new album. However, SIEUN expressed an even greater goal than fame or awards can buy: good health. “My personal goal is to do our work without anyone getting hurt or sick.”

Hope for the Future

With many accomplishments and a new mini-album out, STAYC were sure to express their effort preparing for the album. They maintained an air of gratitude and appreciation for SWITH, their fans, and other onlookers. 

When asked what they hoped to be called in the future, they said they wanted to be recognized as “All-Rounder STAYC,” “Growing With Every Album,” and “This Album Is So STAYC.” This comeback was all about showing off their many talents. 

Although STAYC have never performed for their fans, they are motivated by SWITH. The six-members look forward to the day they can meet with fans globally. For now, they have the desire to connect with and satisfy their fans through the Internet.

Read our review of STAYC’s latest mini-album here.