For as popular as Cha Eunwoo is, I’m surprised it’s taken so long for him to make his solo debut as a singer. I guess with so many acting and promotional jobs coming in, he probably doesn’t have much free time on his hands!

Despite Stay being his first official title track, Eunwoo has recorded plenty of OSTs over the years. This gives a hint as to how his solo career may sound, and Stay feels very much like the soundtrack to a drama. As talented and well-loved as Eunwoo is, he doesn’t have an immediately identifiable artistic style. As expected, Fantagio gave him a pretty mid-tempo that suits his voice and relies more on mood and sentiment than big melodic showcases.

With this said, Stay‘s chorus is quite nice. It’s not very ambitious, but well-placed percussion gives it unexpected heft. The melody is memorable from first listen, effective in its simplicity. I don’t see myself listening to this often (or at all), but it does everything it needs to to keep Eunwoo’s turbo-charged career in the spotlight.

Grade: C+