Asian Junkie Asian pop. Without discretion.
STAYC‘s careers got off to a great start, with their fandom and recognition quickly growing, setting them up to potentially be the next mid-tier company* group to reach the upper echelons in K-pop. They saw a bit of stagnation with their last comeback, but nothing close to being worth fretting about, and are now back with “Teddy Bear“. While they’re likely looking to take their next step up, musically this is more at risk of falling back a bit.
*Granted, one founded by Black Eyed Pilseung and under CJ E&M.
One thing about STAYC releases is that whether I enjoyed them or not, they usually made an impression, but that’s not something I can say for “Teddy Bear”. The electropop song with a bouncy beat is sweet and inoffensive, with the most notable thing being the rap-heavy second verse, complete with vocal effects that make minimal sense. While the chorus could’ve redeemed it, and the first part definitely tries its best, the repetition of “teddy bear” and the “ooh-oohs” as the hook didn’t do much for it. Honestly, it frequently sounds like it could be a Build-A-Bear jingle or something, and while not bad it is rather forgettable, which may be even worse for a pop group.
