STAYC fans have had a bit of a rollercoaster ride over the past year, with the girl group starting off their career with inventive and forward-facing releases that breathed exciting new life into the K-pop industry. However, they then released a couple of controversial singles, ‘Teddy Bear’ and ‘Bubble’, which made use of a silly bubblegum sound. With their new album, ‘Metamorphic’, the sextet returns to the energy that caught their audience’s attention, but now with a renewed sense of identity.
The record begins with some of STAYC’s strongest songs to date, setting their intentions for this new era. On the smouldering and powerful opener ‘Twenty’, the group shows a new-found confidence to take life on their own terms. They have not lost their talent for crafting exuberant pop earworms, evident in the title track ‘Cheeky Icy Thang’ which is reminiscent of 2022’s ‘RUN2U’.
“Metamorphic” features STAYC’s first unit and solo songs, providing a platform for the group to find their own voices and explore personal territory. Isa stuns with the sensual R&B gem ‘Roses’, while Sumin and Yoon contemplate their fear of love in ‘Fakin’, a vulnerable mid-tempo pop track. STAYC’s new approach to matters of the heart is bolder than anything that the girl group has released before, and their music signals a shift into a more mature and assertive direction.
The album is not without some pedestrian moments, however. Despite containing sweet messages of self-love, ‘Beauty Bomb’ and ‘Flexing On My Ex’ add little to the big picture of STAYC’s musical palette. Nonetheless, the album proves STAYC’s timeless charm and staying power, and “Metamorphic” showcases the girl group’s impressive range, exploring a myriad of new soundscapes and subject matter.
True to its title, “Metamorphic” is a celebration of STAYC’s coming-of-age, both personal and musically. The record highlights their newfound creative freedom and impressive growth, proving that they are more than just a bubblegum pop group. “Metamorphic” is a sonic journey that showcases STAYC’s monumental shift from young girls into powerful young women
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