Across their past few singles, fromis_9 have refined a light, groove-driven pop sound. The songs don’t have the personality that defined their earlier work, but they’re sturdy and insistently pleasant. From We Go to Talk & Talk to DM, the group feels established in both style and confidence. You know you’re gonna get a solid bop from fromis_9. New single Stay This Way is no different, though it lacks a bit of impact.
Maybe the fromis_9 template is just getting too predictable. The group has worked with the same series of producers on this recent string of singles, and that continuity is a great thing. But, the sound and composition of these songs plays things right down the middle – inoffensive to a fault. Because of this, Stay This Way is unlikely to repel any listeners. Like I said, it’s insistently pleasant. The synth-laced beat has a steady pulse and the arrangement lifts in all the right places. Rhythm guitar adds a bit of funk as the track climaxes in its earworm of a chorus.
However, when I look for moments to become obsessed over, Stay This Way comes up short. With pop songs like this, it’s important to develop hooks or melodic turns that listeners will anticipate each time the music plays. Instead, Stay This Way’s melody wafts in like a warm summer breeze. I enjoy the vibe – and fromis_9 sound great — but nothing about the track makes me want to instantly reach for the replay button.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 8 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Couldn’t agree more.
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fromis is one of my favorite groups and i like the song, but i cant believe this is the actual mv. the teasers were so interesting and almost surreal, while the mv looks like behind the scenes shots color graded by a mistuned ai. if theyre gonna keep the streak going in terms of music (which i want them to cause i love this vibe), theyre gonna have to use the mv to give the song some type of individuality…. but at least they look amazing 🙂
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Personally, I loved the MV and its “mutedness” and its subtlety. Inasmuch as I enjoy big and bold kpop, I love subtle MVs better. There’s something so sleek and mature with this type of MV (or maybe it’s just so different from the big and bold style that’s a dime a dozen). The muted palette, the nature shots, the beach, and the neutral hair colors and casual wear, all give a refined, polished look to the MV. It’s also similar to the libidO MV by OnlyOneOf, whose cinematography is so simple yet so aesthetically pleasing.
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I agree, I also loved the MV, the whole vibe truly feels like summer and its simplicity works in my opinion.
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Sounds like every girl group summer song ever. I kept waiting for the chorus to morph to Twice “Fancy”, and it did not.
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(june 27, 2022 – midnight)
i went inside my room for my daily prayer to the AI gods, thanking them for giving us the glorious Eternity. i lit up my candles, sprinkled the powder on the floor to create a pentagram, and knelt in front of the shrine to pray.
“oh dear lord of AI, thank you for giving us the glorious group Eternity. may you cherish this group and rest assure it enters my life and makes me dedicated 24/7. aemen”
suddenly, i heard shaking inside my house. i looked inside my house to see if they felt it, but they were sound asleep. i felt the shaking again, realizing im the only one that can feel this earthquake. i ran outside the house and ended up seeing eleven random girls in my frontyard
“who are you!?” i shouted from the porch
i heard no answer. all the girls did was step closer towards me. i was frightened for my life. i continued to step back and tried to open the door, only to realize it was locked. i tried pounding on the door for help, but nobody came. it was as if my parents couldn’t hear me.
“what’s wrong, little boy?” one of the members asked as they stepped up to me
“leave me alone!” i shouted
“but we want to live in you forever,” said another member. “what’s wrong with that?”
i had no answer. after all, i had accepted Eternity into my life and was ready to have them enter me. i allowed the girls to enter my spirit, so all eleven transformed into one big force and entered my body. at first i felt no change, but when i opened my mouth, i realized it was all warped and robotic, just like the girls when they sing. i also now had an uncanny looking face and proportions. i was officially an AI
———
anyway after showing that dumpster fire of a story, lets get into my thoughts of the actual song. its alright and i love the key change, but i wish the melody was better. rating’s just about right
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Your profile pic being one of the eternity girls 😭😭😭😭
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Definitely agree with you, I like the direction fromis have gone with over the last singles but there’s no reason I wouldn’t go listen to We Go over this one.
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I guess you could say they’re probably gonna… stay this way
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100% agree with Nick here. There’s nothing world-shaking about the song, and this sound has already got generic. Also, I find the “stay with me, my baby” hook in the middle of the chorus to be cloying, so I don’t expect myself to return to this often.
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Well said, the song is pretty much a less impactful rehash of the superior Feel Good from 2020. Rewind seems like a pretty solid b-side though.
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I quite prefer this to “Begin”— not saying it’s better or more original at all, it’s just more my style of song. I added it to the summer girl group playlist right away. But I can see the criticism that it’s not terribly impactful. As a matter of fact, after a night’s sleep I can’t remember the melody of either of these songs. No, the one stuck in my head right now is “DM” with its fabulous hook. Doesn’t matter~~~!!!
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I definitely agree with the general consensus – A sweet song that is both enjoyable & pleasant but lacking a touch of that special sparkle they usually have.
This mini is still solid at least! Crossing my fingers for ‘rewind’ to be a buried treasure:
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For a while Fromis’s new sound was a breathe of fresh air and really brought new life to the group overall. I feel that’s even more evident by the increased success they’ve seen within the period they’ve opted for this type of sound. BUT i think it’s about time they move onto the next thing.
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After their Escape Room performance from earlier this year. I wouldn’t mind something along the lines of like Girls Day – Something.
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There’s such a gap in the market for that kind of style.
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Fromis would body that type of concept too. Especially Saerom
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Well said. I have nothing to add lol. DM had such a great climax and whistles to look forward to, this doesn’t have those peaks
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Spot on. DM had a great climax and whistles to look forward to. That’s all this song is really missing
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Thought my first comment didn’t go through so I made another….. I hate having bad connection
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