Star to a Young Culture
Shining a spotlight on inspirational K-pop girl group STAYC
By Jack Ives, Arts Staff Writer
Being one of the most successful new girl groups on the scene, STAYC knows what it means to be extraordinary. This six-member team has found unprecedented success during a time that most artists have found challenging. Not long after the final lineup for the group was released across various social media platforms, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Most South Korean acts put all promotions on hold, but not STAYC. Their determination to show the world who they are needed to happen and the output has been truly prolific.
With that, they released their debut album along with the music video for title track “SO BAD.” This bright synth-pop song offered a glimpse of what people believed would become a very promising discography. Critics and fans alike were blown away, with some predicting STAYC to be the next big thing. This kind of success shocked many people, as the K-pop industry is primarily dominated by the wealthier, big-name companies like YG (home to BlackPink) and Big Hit (home to BTS) (K-pop and Big 4 Entertainment Agencies in South Korea, n.d.).
Despite being a smaller company, High-Up Entertainment continued to develop STAYC, with every release being more successful than the last. While the majority of their music leans toward what some call “bubblegum pop,” they’ve explored many concepts including “teen crush” and EDM. In the last two years, their two extended plays and two single albums have been received incredibly well: STAYC has won numerous Rookie of the Year Awards, as well as record-breaking album sales and music show wins (Girl group STAYC Bags sixth music show win for 'run2u', fans say 'this feels unreal,’ n.d.).
Their loyal fan base SWITH, which stands for “STAY WITH,” is one of the strongest fandoms in all of K-pop. With over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, STAYC recognizes their fanbase as their motivation to keep improving and growing in their music. The group’s aim in everything they do is to instill self-confidence in the younger generation. They hope to create a brighter future by inspiring the youth of today. In an interview with Elle, main vocalist Sieun described how getting to know SWITH fans has changed the way she sees herself (Bailey, 2022). “Rather than a change of perspective myself, I feel my affection for our fans growing day after day.” Lead vocalist Yoon also stated, “I try to become a better person, especially for our fans who care so much. I work on becoming a better person internally, not just externally.”
With their unexpected rise to prominence and powerful inspiring messages, the future looks bright for STAYC. Many fans are already making predictions as to what concept they’ll try to tackle next. One thing’s for sure: whatever it is, it’ll surely blow us all away.
Sources:
K-pop and Big 4 Entertainment Agencies in South Korea. (n.d.) Statista.
Girl group STAYC Bags sixth music show win for 'run2u', fans say 'this feels unreal'. (n.d.) MEAWW.
Bailey, A. (2022, April 7). STAYC on Young-Luv.com's meaning, their dynamic as friends, and loving Disney and 'Twilight'. ELLE.