AB6IX are like K-pop’s “little engine that could.” They’re far past their commercial peak, yet keep churning out new music with regularity. And, that music often carries an upbeat energy that makes it feel as if the group is just getting started. New single Stupid takes an emotive approach, recalling K-pop’s early efforts in pulling rock music into its orbit.

If you told me this was a long-lost demo from 2012, I’d believe you. Stupid has the surging, polished sound of early-2010’s classics like 2NE1’s Ugly — effortlessly anthemic even as its edges are smoothed into a fine pop product. I’ll always enjoy this sound because it’s so easy to enjoy. It’s melodically catchy, effusively produced and carries just enough energy to jump around to. So even if Stupid is the very definition of “generic,” it’s generic in the way comfort food is.

The song is also refreshingly complete. At almost three and a half minutes, it gives itself space to include all the necessary ingredients to make a track like this work. Its verses harness multiple levels of energy while the extended pre-chorus offers a nice sense of build. The chorus feels a bit rote by comparison, but that’s where the “comfort food” analogy comes in. You know where Stupid is headed at every turn and are happy enough to go along for the ride.

Grade: B