It’s been almost three years since I wrote about Saturday, which is practically a lifetime in K-pop. The group is down to four members and has substantially changed their sound for new single Stay (있을게). Along with ILY:1, they’re the second act to mine old Gfriend sounds today.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a very welcome development. I’ll always cheer on robust instrumentals and melodies. Where ILY:1’s track opted for a more reserved, ethereal version of the style, Stay embraces a punchier, guitar-led sound. The track scores major points for that, but it could have gone even farther in this direction. Its production wants to soar, but the song holds it back. And though Saturday give a solid performance, the group lacks the full-throated vocal power needed to match Stay‘s ambition. I would have played around with layering and harmony to distract from this fact, but the arrangement plays things pretty safe.
With that in mind, I’m giving Stay the same solid-but-unspectacular rating I gave ILY:1’s track. Maybe if we were to combine the two, we’d have a sum that’s greater than its parts?
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.25 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Yeah, the verses sound a lot like GFRIEND’s “Mermaid” (which, incidentally, is probably one of my least favorite GFRIEND songs).
Overall, it’s kinda forgettable. The bridge is almost interesting, as is the final chorus, but by and large it just doesn’t grab me. Maybe if the mix were different? The instrumentals sound a little fuzzy or soft. Could be sharper.
Glad to hear this sort of sound again, though.
If only CSR came back, too…
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Also, Cotton Candy’s “White Day” has to be mentioned.
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Oooh yeah, usually when a good song goes good but not great, it starts with construction > production > mix > something else > something else else > theme choice > performance > talent. Here, yes, their voices are just not punchy enough to match the material. They have, or were coached to have, the typical aegyo baby girl group voice from another subgenre of kpop when this song requires something more full throated.
It’s OK, but could have been better. Let’s call it a bad song choice.
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This vocal performance is sleepy as hell… it feels like the last three years were tough for them.
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