StayC makes cheeky return with 'Metamorphic'

StayC is back, and full of confidence and charisma.

The group's first full-length album "Metamorphic" was released Monday. It follows "Teenfresh," a mini-album that came out in August last year. The new album features 14 tracks, including unit and solo songs.

"We have been preparing for this full-length album for a long time. As the album's title suggests, listeners will see a transformed version of StayC. We were worried about whether we could pull off all 14 songs, but the more we worked on it, the more fun it became," said Sumin during the press conference held on Monday.

Until now, StayC had defined its identity as "Teenfresh," delivering refreshing and positive energy. However, with the latest album, the group has adopted a more rebellious and confident persona.

"We kept delaying the release of the full-length album because we wanted to make a perfect album. We want to thank the composers and lyricists who wrote such great songs," said Seeun.

Sieun expressed the comeback as a "transformation from kitsch to cheekiness."

"Up until now, we have released songs that offer positive energy and healing moments to the listeners. This time, we have prepared songs that are bold and rebellious, showing our ambitions. We hope the public will see the growth of the six of us," said Sieun.

"Cheeky Icy Thang," the album's featured track, is an impressive synth-pop song with a repetitive and addictive hook.

"Since there were no occasions to make a cheeky expression in StayC's previous music videos, it felt awkward. I had to shoot more than 10 times to get the look right," said Seeun.

"Although we have mostly presented melody-focused songs, this title track emphasizes rhythm and features many repetitive sections," noted Yoon.

Another candidate for the feature track, "1 Thing," also reflects StayC's growth, with lyrics expressing a strong determination to never miss out on what they desire.

Unit and solo tracks also pepper the album. Sieun, Seeun, and J sang the dreamy-sounding "Find," while Sumin and Yoon sang "Fakin." Isa’s solo song "Roses" is also included in the album.

Sumin highlighted that "Stay WITH me," a song for their fans, was particularly meaningful because all the members participated in writing its lyrics.

"Initially, we tried to write the lyrics about the story of Alice in Wonderland, but then we decided to shift our focus entirely and write the lyrics with our fans in mind," said Sumin, adding that they wrote the lyrics while on their world tour.

The sextet opened a pop-up store at cafe Scene in Seongdong-gu, Seoul, Friday to celebrate the release of its new album,