The official start of summer may still be a few days away, but we’ve already entered the summer season of K-pop music. At its best, this means bright, buoyant fare that conjures images of beach days and sunny nights. My number one wish is that this summer somehow brings back the K-pop producers synonymous with the season (Duble Sidekick, Brave Brothers), but today we’ll have to do with one half of another summertime production team. As with much of their material, STAYC’s 2 L0VE is co-produced by Black Eyed Pilseung‘s Rado.

2 L0VE wastes no time revealing its trump card. The song opens with bright,fizzy synth that goes on to underline the song’s central hook. This “2 L0VE” refrain has a breezy appeal that’s just retro enough to remind me of K-pop classics like Wonder Girls’ So Hot. It’s instantly catchy, employing a simple melody to maximum effect. The rest of the song isn’t quite as sticky, as it feels like we’re constantly trying to navigate our way back to that chorus. However, even in these moments I appreciate the consistent nod to pop melody. 2 L0VE remains giddy and exciting all the way through, which isn’t as common as you might think for modern K-pop.

As much as I complain about songs being too short these days, I actually think 2 L0VE‘s verses are too long and could benefit from some tightening. On the plus side, with a song like this we always know we’ll jump back into its loveable centerpiece eventually. 2 L0VE may not grow to the ranks of “summer classic,” but it’s a strong enough opening salvo for the season.

Grade: B