STAYC’s had a pretty strong year, though their music has shifted toward poppier sounds. For those unsure about this transformation, new Japanese single Lit references an energy more akin to their debut year. It’s subdued and quirky, eschewing the bright tones of tracks like Teddy Bear and Bubble.
The group pull off this sound well and could easily compete in the NewJeans era of cool understatement if they’d like. I hope they don’t go down this route, as every other K-pop girl group seems to have their eyes on the same prize. Lit is an interesting pop bauble, but there’s not much about it that grabs me. Its pulsing chorus has potential if the producers had gone weirder with the vocal effects and synth tones. It would be fun to hear a group like STAYC attempt Perfume-esque electro pop — especially for the Japanese market. Instead, Lit feels like a half-measure. Its hooks aren’t sticky enough to draw attention and the downbeat nature of its instrumental makes for an oddly subdued groove. It’s the opposite of “lit,” actually!
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 8 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
Disappointed with the low rating (as a Swith, i consider this is one of the best of STAYC/BEP) but agree with the references. The song & MV wouldn’t be the same without the NewJeans effect. And the work on voices (they openly experienced vocoding since Teddy Bear) actually gives some electro-pop influence. Anyway, it sounds totally STAYC and -like POPPY- is an excellent point of contact with their universe.
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About the coolness of the song, i think this is intended to bring an X-mas vibe. STAY has always sounded slow & melancholic. In addition to the great beat, melodies are their strength for sure! LIT has at least 4 different melodic themes that blend perfectly. The post-chorus is excellent.
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1.1x speed is far better.
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This sentence and “I’m waiting for another So Bad” became like old memes. I’m very tired of them tbh.
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Not a fan, but very much in line with their music since Beautiful Monster (tame Disney channel pop). So props to them for being very consistent. Definitely a big market among young and pre-teens
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Also the major hook of the OG electro-pop group Perfume is not the cutsey singing, but the delicious electronic instrumentals, which I haven’t gotten from Stayc for quite a very long while
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Your comment sounds ignorant about STAYC’s works and very comtemptuous in general. Don’t forget many people say the same about kpop listeners.
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