Around this time last year, BTOB left their longtime agency Cube Entertainment. They’ve since established their own BtoB Company to manage activities for most members, presumably giving them more creative freedom. As their first group effort since this transition, Please Stay (불씨) doesn’t reveal much change. The emotive ballad sits well within their established discography.

This style of song is BTOB’s bread and butter. Their voices excel in this realm, able to squeeze every last ounce of melodrama from its OST-like frame. Apart from the occasional standout, this approach isn’t usually for me. I tend to be exceptionally picky when it comes to ballads, demanding either a stellar melody or inventive production. Ballads are more likely to deliver the first criterion, but Please Stay skimps on the melodic goods. It follows most expectations for the form without delivering any knockout punches. Because of this, the song’s success rests on BTOB themselves. They give a reliably stirring performance, especially effective when their voices come together for Please Stay‘s multiple climaxes. It’s not quite enough for me, but the track should please lovers of this sound.

Grade: C