STAYC is back with their third single album WE NEED LOVE, an album consisting of three tracks that delve into different types of love: mixed feelings about a relationship, love, and self-love. The final track of WE NEED LOVE is a remix of their last title track “RUN2U.” The album was produced and composed by FLYT, B.E.P, Jeon Goon, Rado, and TAK.

Tracklist:

1. “BEAUTIFUL MONSTER” (title)

2. “I LIKE IT”

3. “LOVE”

4. “RUN2U” (TAK Remix)

The album begins with the title track “BEAUTIFUL MONSTER,” and we hear the return of their iconic, “STAYC girls, it’s going down,” line. The muted strings, claps, and woodwind instruments complement each other in this song. The slight trill of synths throughout the track tell you this is still undeniably STAYC despite this title track feeling less intense. “BEAUTIFUL MONSTER” feels like summer, the tones and melody feel bright, and having the whistles and claps as substitutes for a heavy bass help bring the lighter tones out. This is the first title track without a rap verse from J, but her vocal tone is very pretty when she starts the song as well as her parts later on in the track.

The lyrics talk about how love is difficult to navigate like a puzzle, as the actions of their partner—which are supposed to make them feel warm—end up with them feeling blue. The person that they’re with leaves them with conflicting feelings, and their emotions are taking them on a rollercoaster that allows them to come to this conclusion: they’re a beautiful monster.

“Love is the name of the courage I need.”

The music video consists of each member going through their own turmoil and love stories while surrounded by nature. The forest scenes are gorgeous, and the stylists and makeup artists incorporated flowers and neutral colors to their looks extremely well. The members unveiled new hair colors and different styling through this comeback, with hints of ruffles and cowboy boots, which are trendy for 2022.

Seeing the members watch their own clips at an outdoor cinema creates a pretty scene, and the clips of them all together make me think their friendships with one another help to distract them from their conflicting feelings from this beautiful monster.

The guitar vibes from “BEAUTIFUL MONSTER” are present in the second track of WE NEED LOVE, “I LIKE IT.” This song is filled with more percussion instruments, but elements in the beat such as the water drip-drops, the sound of maracas, and the synth all play a part for why “I LIKE IT” is fun to listen to despite it only being two minutes and 38 seconds long. The, “I got my shades on,” line is so catchy and the song just feels like summer all around. If you miss hearing rap in STAYC tracks, then this is the one for you. The way they sing the second pre-chorus line, “Not everything goes your way / It's alright, it's not your fault,” is so bouncy and the outro part was simply made for a crowd to sing along to in a live setting.

Seeing as the topic of love is the main focus of this album, the third track, “LOVE,” stole my attention right away. The melody is definitely different from what STAYC usually does, and the first verse feels like it's the younger sister to a track off of the Wonder Girls’s Why So Lonely single EP. “LOVE” is my favorite track on WE NEED LOVE, as the lyrics tie in with the ideologies of “BEAUTIFUL MONSTER.” They understand that they have to let go and are accepting it now. All throughout STAYC’s discography, they’ve been able to show off their vocal capabilities, but this song specifically highlights their tones in the main melody, to the quieter harmonies which sink into the track. 

“The flower petals that wavered

This road I'm walking back from meeting you

Above the blue ocean

Our story that we built, is breaking away.”

We’re all fans of “RUN2U,” so hearing a remixed rendition of it by TAK was something different. This new version feels fuller than the original. It's always a given that people’s initial reactions would be to think, “Hm…this is different,” when something is not what they’re used to. Some of the added instruments overpower the vocals in certain parts, taking your attention away from the members’ voices and redirecting it to the beat instead. However, the purpose of a remix is to alter the beat to the DJ’s style. I do prefer the original “RUN2U,” but the EDM elements in the final chorus were a really nice touch. The TAK remix provides another variation of the track for the internet, just like the nightcore versions we hear on apps like TikTok. This was a fun switch up. 

WE NEED LOVE is available now on all streaming platforms.

Edited by Omani