''Staydom'' (stylized in

all caps In typography, text or font in all caps (short for "all capitals") contains capital letters without any lowercase letters. For example: All-caps text can be seen in legal documents, advertisements, newspaper headlines, and the titles on book co ...

) is the second Korean-language

single album In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album ( LP), typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standa ...

by South Korean girl group

STAYC STAYC (; , acronym for Star to a Young Culture) is a South Korean girl group formed by High Up Entertainment. The group is composed of six members: Sumin, Park Si-eun (entertainer), Sieun, Isa, Seeun, Yoon, and J. Mainly produced by K-pop duo ...

, released almost five months after the group's debut. It was released on April 8, 2021, by High Up Entertainment and distributed by

Kakao Entertainment Kakao Entertainment Corp. () is a South Korean entertainment, mass media, and publishing company founded in 2021. A subsidiary of the Internet company Kakao, it was established subsequent to the merger of the latter's two subsidiaries KakaoPa ...

Background

High Up Entertainment announced on March 24, 2021, that StayC would be having their first comeback on April 8 with their second single album. Two teasers for the album were posted on the group's social media accounts on March 23 and 24. The first teaser opens with the phrase "I hope someone to show up as soon as possible" with a tight shot of members' lips. Simultaneously, a mysterious voice messages came out in both Korean and English. The second teaser displayed the particular voice messages in texts, unveiling the release date and the album's name in the last scene. The album's track list was revealed on March 26 and "

ASAP ASAP usually stands for " as soon as possible". ASAP may also refer to: Arts and media Music Performers * ASAP (band), a hard rock band fronted by Adrian Smith * ASAP Mob, a recording group from Harlem, New York ** ASAP Ferg (born 1988), Americ ...

" was announced as the lead single. The album contains three new original songs and a remix of their debut single " So Bad". Concept photos for the album were released in the following days. The final teaser for the music video for "ASAP" was released on April 7. In the teaser clip, the six members rock different vibrant hair colours and dance on a pastel film set. "I think I'm really cool" member Yoon says to the camera before the beat kicks in.

Composition

The production on the album is more mellowed and stripped-down compared to that on their debut single album. The lead single "ASAP" was noted to be considerably "low-key" compared to its predecessor. The instrumental hook of the song is laid-back, with its twinkly 8-bit-inspired ringtone melody. The song is trapped between a cutesy

bubblegum pop Bubblegum (also called bubblegum pop) is pop music in a catchy and upbeat style that is marketed for children and adolescents. The term also refers to a more specific rock and pop subgenre, originating in the United States in the late 1960s, th ...

production and a sensual summer jam. "Love Fool" is described as a delicate and cruisy song where the group members aren't forced to sing outside of their comfort zone, instead, they're allowed to bring their distinct persona to the song. "So What" is a bouncy

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song with some

auto-tune Auto-Tune is audio processor software released on September 19, 1997, by the American company Antares Audio Technologies. It uses a proprietary device to measure and Pitch correction, correct pitch in music. It operates on different principles ...

. The last track on the album is an unplugged remix of their debut single " So Bad" titled "So Bad (Tak remix)". It is a dark pop song with influences of EDM and

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

Black Eyed Pilseung Black Eyed Pilseung () is a South Korean music production and songwriting duo made up of Rado (Song Joo-young) and Choi Kyu-sung, formed in 2014. They have produced hit K-pop songs such as Sistar's " Touch My Body"; Miss A's " Only You"; Twi ...

co-produced "ASAP" and "So What" with Jeon Goon and solely produced "Love Fool". Production credits for "So Bad (Tak remix)" were not revealed.

Critical reception

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

's Sofiana Ramli called the album a low-key, summer-ready comeback that manages to hit all the right notes. She noted how the album showcased the group members' range, showing us that they're also equally great in a more stripped-down setting as they are in delivering

dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...

bangers.

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number nine on the

Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Koreabased on their Record sales, physical sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, ...

becoming the group's highest debut on the chart and their second consecutive top ten album. The single "ASAP" has peaked in number 9 on Gaon Digital Chart as of 6 June 2021.

Track listing

Charts

Certification and sales

Release history

References

{{STAYC STAYC albums 2021 albums 2020s Korean-language albums Single albums High Up Entertainment albums Kakao Entertainment albums