STAYC released their fifth single album, “S” on March 18, 2025. The album consists of three new songs ranging from crushes and love to confidence and resilience.
Last year was big for STAYC, with their first full album of 14 new songs having come out in July. Since then, they’ve continued on their grind with a digital exclusive comeback in November with “GPT”. Only five months later and we get another comeback from the iconic group of six. “S” has three tracks that are definitely worth the hype.
“BEBE” is one of their best title tracks to date. The song is very poppy and has a bit of a disco/house vibe. It’s about the giddy and exciting feelings one might get from a crush. The concept is very fashion-focused and goes with the song so well. I absolutely love the green outfits. If the song wasn’t good enough, the concept and music video completely sell it.
The line distribution and vocals are so refreshing. I typically think that Sieun gets too much attention, even as a main vocal, but I loved hearing her in both the first and second chorus. The way she sang it was almost lazy in a stylistic way, and I absolutely love it.
Sumin is still taking a backseat as leader, but what she does sing is really good. Her nasal tone has become more rounded, so I almost didn’t recognize her voice. I always love to see Seeun get more screen time, so that was a plus. Like the song, the choreography is just as catchy. I think everyone shined so hard this title track. “BEBE” is probably my favorite title track since “Teddy Bear” in 2023.
2. “DIAMOND”
The second track on the album is “DIAMOND”. I really like this song, it’s another classic STAYC b-side. Like “PIPE DOWN”, it’s a short song at only 2 minutes and 22 seconds. This song brings about a message of self-confidence. With diamonds being a symbol of strength and resilience, this song is about how you can be strong and break through any obstacle you come by.
3. “PIPE DOWN”
The final track on this single album is “PIPE DOWN”. This song has more of an assertive tone with an R&B vibe. The song encourages you to stand up for yourself and to ignore those who try to bring you down. It reminds me a bit of “Not Like You”, as it’s chill compared to the title track of the album.
As the other choreographed song, it’s pretty nice. It’s also pretty short at just under two and a half minutes. I had a moment of déja vu listening to it, as the first verse starts off exactly like “GPT”’s first verse; their previous digital single. Both songs were written by the same three composers, so that may be why. That aside, it’s a decent track. Nothing groundbreaking, but not the worst.
All in all, “S” is a great single album that dropped some really good tracks. “BEBE” is one of my all-time favorite STAYC songs, and I can’t stop replaying it. I cannot wait until their next comeback, most likely later this year!