Track Analysis: STAYC – So Bad

Out of all of the girl group debuts this year, STAYC proved to be the one in which I was the most interested in, including SM’s new girl group ‘aespa’ which is set to debut next week. The reason for this is that they are under Highup Entertainment, which is founded by quite possibly my favourite Kpop producers – Black Eyed Pilseung (BEP), responsible for Apink’s ‘big 3’ (I’m So Sick -> Eung Eung -> Dumhdurum) as well as multiple TWICE and Chung Ha tracks. Therefore, as to be expected, STAYC’s debut title track ‘So Bad’ is filled with permeating synths composing the main melody in BEM fashion while presenting a new take on the retro wave that is currently taking over Kpop. On initial thoughts, it’s an extremely pleasant track to listen to, however with the abundant amount of magnificent retro-styled tracks over the last two months, I’m still not entirely sure about it’s longevity, replay value and ability to stand out in a currently saturated market – all quite important factors for debuts to ace to give a group some good momentum going into a first comeback.

Off the bat the track starts off by layering synths – the foreground going for stutter synths for dynamic melody buildup while the background goes for tenuto synths for more stability and atmospheric buildup. In a sense, the intro is actually split into two parts, with an electronic riser transitioning into the second portion. The instrumental adds a percussion pattern giving the track some momentum going into the first verse, but my favourite part has to be the scattered effects of bass distortion. Synths can only do so much for differentiating a track to others, but the bass distortion really puts added emphasis on the overall instrumental making it more catchy and unique relative to other Kpop retro-styled openings. Going into the first verse, the tenuto synths and hi-hat pattern are removed to make way for the topline, which immediately packs a punch (more on that shortly). The second half of the verse reintroduces the hi-hat pattern to continue to build power into the pre-chorus. The use of ad-lib and reverb in the verse works really well with the vocalists timbre (sorry, I don’t know the members names yet…) and adds to the catchiness appeal of the track – particularly with the vocalist in the first half of the verse who absolutely oozes charisma. In fact, I was actually was a bit taken back by the immediate burst of charisma that I felt from the delivery of the vocals, and it is already clear just from the first verse that STAYC as a group have a wide vocal range, hitting relatively low notes compared to most girl groups. This is really good since it gives them a ton of options for the future while still sounding organic. In terms of the verse overall, I loved it and actually think the first 45 seconds of the track are highlights.

One of the major parts that I feel let down with track however is the pre-chorus, and in some aspects the chorus. This isn’t necessarily saying that those sections are poor, rather they don’t live up to the hype created by the intro and preceding verses. For a retro-style, the first verse actually builds a really good amount of momentum due to the bassline and percussion, and the pre-chorus starts off fine by removing the percussion from the instrumental, opting to go for a simple stutter synth pattern with a clap on every third note, while the topline transitions with perfect fluidity. By removing these power instruments such as drums however, the intensity and momentum of a track takes a step back with the purpose of being reintroduced at an increasing rate of intensity over time such that a crescendo is reached before a chorus culminates with both the instrumental and topline with a hook. The disappointing part for me is that the instrumental is never reintroduced and a buildup never occurs, except for an electronic riser in the final bar. All of this can be achieved in 8-bars (the length of the ‘So Bad’ pre-chorus), given the popular 4-2-1-1 buildup structure (which I’m sure has an actual name) – where a power instrument doubles in tempo during each of the sections, with the final bar as a break. Other techniques could be to omit a pre-chorus entirely, instead going for a quick burst of dynamic buildup in one bar before the chorus – typically done with a high note or instrumental addition which then continues into the chorus, or to even go for a 16-bar pre-chorus with an 8-4-2-1-1 pattern, although I think this definitely isn’t the solution. You could argue that the final line of the pre-chorus here actually does contain a high note which therefore is meshing two different structures together to create something unique, but my rebuttal would be that the structure isn’t the forefront issue – it’s the buildup of power. If the power can be built in one bar, then go for the structure, but in this case where my opinion is that it doesn’t, I think that a more regular structure would’ve paid more dividends.

It’s kind of a shame too when you hear the chorus as well, since it somehow meshes together the retro-influenced synths in the background with an extraordinary dynamic and powerful DNB PERCUSSION. I have waited for this day, with the intense tempo of DnB percussion being a field I feel is extremely underutilised in modern pop. Mixed with the bass distortion effects, the chorus of ‘So Bad’ feels as if I’m getting a crossover between retro and 2012 Rudimental which is kind of mad to think about. The amount of respect I have for this is huge, and actually shines some more light on the lack of intense buildup in the pre-chorus. The main reason is that for a track aiming to go for a retro-style, the overwhelming intensity of a 4-2-1-1 pre-chorus into a DnB percussion pattern is insane, and would practically turn the track into an electronic Jungle/DnB song. At the same time, no buildup into a 170+ tempo percussion pattern can also be a massive change in sound which may be off-putting, and so to mix the styles together, the pre-chorus then becomes a really delicate section. This doesn’t mean I like the pre-chorus any more after hearing the chorus, but I can definitely better understand what BEP were going for, and honestly pulled off pretty damn well. Other aspects of the chorus I love is how dynamic the topline is in being able to match the intensity of the instrumental. The subtle variances in the topline make the chorus memorable and really stick, whether you like it or not. Overall, it’s kind of crazy how well the topline and instrumental compliment each other here given the mesh of styles, so mad props to both the STAYC members and BEP.

The final bar of the chorus breaks down completely such as to act as a transition period for the percussion to be phased out for the first section of the second verse. A similar structure as the first verse is used for the second, where the first section is sung in a lower note complimented mainly by the bassline and background synths for depth and atmosphere, whereas the second half is in a higher pitch with the reintroduction of the percussion for dynamic buildup. I really like how BEP sustained the DnB percussion for the second verse rather than reverting back to the percussion pattern used in the first verse – one since it differentiates the verses further but also keeps the momentum of the track flowing. The following pre-chorus follows the same structure, as does the chorus, except as is now quite common, the chorus cuts off the final 4-bars, instead going into the bridge.

And this is a bridge. Opposed to most standard Kpop bridges, which typically last 8-bars and immediately take a step back from the intensity of the chorus for a more reserved and emotional moment before rebuilding to a final crescendo, ‘So Bad’ has a 16-bar bridge which sustains the instrumental of the chorus for the first 8-bars and is peppered by some brilliant vocals including tenuto high notes. However, the use of tenuto synths in the background for bars 4-8 are that of the emotional type, mixing together the two styles brilliantly and works brilliantly as a transition into the 8-bars of emotional bridge since when the percussion is dropped, it still feels fluid having only the synths. These 8-bars then buildup to the final chorus in spectacular fashion by having a 3-bar oscillating electronic riser as well as some sparkling electronic sound effects that goes into a ‘double break’ – that is a one-bar instrumental break followed by another bar with only a kick on the first note. This lets the topline shine during the transitional period but also lets musical tension rise to its peak before the final culmination that is the the last chorus. The final chorus delivers as well, mainly though the addition of vocal harmonies in the background which really help to bring everything together.

Verses	8
Chorus	7.5
Production	9
Longevity	7.5
Bias	8
Overall Rating	8

I think this is the girl group debut of the year. I can’t wait to see what STAYC and BEP put out next – my main hope is that BEP continue to produce for them (which you’d expect considering they founded the company). With BEP production being such a hot commodity in the Kpop market, it could be huge. As much as I love Brave Girls, a future similar to their experiences is what you’re trying to avoid here.

Overall, I’m really impressed with this debut and think it’s definitely the best girl group debut for 2020 (sorry Secret Number), pending aespa. I think the big question for the future is do Black Eyed Pilseung continue to produce for them, and do they keep their best ideas and material specifically for STAYC. BEP are obviously one of the biggest and best Kpop producers at the moment, and so I would only assume their production is in high demand from a wide range of groups. We sort of saw with Brave Girls that some of Brave Brothers best material ended up being for other groups rather than his own group, and so I think that STAYC would want to avoid that occurring in a large capacity if they are to buildup a big fanbase. In terms of fanbase though, I think ‘So Bad’ is an extremely solid foundation that can be built upon and I can’t wait to hear what’s next in store for them. I’m actually quite interested in what you all think has been the best girl group debut this year, since previous to this I was quite underwhelmed with all of them, so let me know! As always, I hope you have a wonderful day! ^^