"So Bad" (stylized in all caps) is the debut single released by South Korean girl group STAYC. Co-written and produced by Black Eyed Pilseung, the song was released on November 12, 2020, as the lead single from the group's debut single album Star to a Young Culture. A remix of the song titled "So Bad (Tak Remix)" was released on January 10, 2021. The remix was later included on the group's second single album Staydom.

"So Bad"
Single by STAYC
from the album Star to a Young Culture
Language
  • Korean
  • English
B-side"Like This"
ReleasedNovember 12, 2020
Recorded2020
Genre
Length
  • 3:32 (Original version)
  • 3:25 (Remix version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Black Eyed Pilseung
STAYC singles chronology
"So Bad"
(2020)
"ASAP"
(2021)
Music video
"So Bad" on YouTube

Lyrics and composition

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The song has a genre that combines drum and bass with synth-wave.[2] Described as a whirlwind of retro synth arpeggios, distinct vocal tones, staccato verses, a hyper rhythm that keeps things moving and aglow with glistening synth arpeggio and sprightly drum-and-bass, the song expresses feelings of someone who really likes the person who has stolen their heart, and hopes that person will accept her feelings.

Music video

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The music video for the song was released on the same day and the song and amassed over 2.6 million views in its first 24 hours of upload. The video was directed by Minjun Lee and Hayoung Lee.

Plagiarism accusation

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On November 16, 2020, Korean netizens noticed that aspects of the "So Bad" music video appeared similar to the music video of "Midnight Sky" by Miley Cyrus. A few days after the accusations, Legend Film, the music video production company, issued an apology.[3][4]

Commercial performance

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The song debuted at number 90 on Billboard's K-pop Hot 100 later peaking at number 82, and number 21 on the World Digital Song Sales chart.[5] The song also entered the Korean Gaon Digital Chart peaking at number 159.

Live performance

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To promote the song and the album, STAYC performed "So Bad" and B-side "Like This" through a VLIVE debut showcase.[6] The group made their music show debut on November 13, 2020, at KBS Music Bank,[7] and then at Show Champion, Inkigayo, and The Show.

Track listing

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Download and streaming
  1. "So Bad" – 3:32
Streaming (Tak Remix)
  1. "So Bad (Tak Remix)" – 3:05

Accolades

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"So Bad" received a nomination for New Artist of the Year – Digital at the 2021 Gaon Chart Music Awards.[8] Paper ranked it number 23 in their list of the 40 Best K-pop Songs of 2020.[9]

Charts

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Chart performance for "So Bad"
Chart (2020) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon)[10] 159
South Korea (K-pop Hot 100) [11] 82
US World Digital Song Sales (Billboard) 21

Release history

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Region Date Version Format Label
Various November 12, 2020 Original
  • High Up Entertainment
April 8, 2021 TAK Remix Streaming

References

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  1. ^ "STAYC's 'STAYDOM' is a low-key, summer-ready comeback that manages to hit all the right notes". NME. April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  2. ^ Dewi, Chintya (November 12, 2020). "Black Eyed Pilseung's Girl Group Officially Debuts As "StayC" By Releasing "So Bad" MV". cultr.com. Retrieved 2020-12-18.
  3. ^ Ham, Na-yan (2020-11-16). [전문] 스테이씨 뮤비 제작사 "표절 논란 인지…부끄럽고 죄송" [[Full text] STAYC music video production company "aware of the plagiarism controversy... We are ashamed and sorry"]. Sports DongA (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  4. ^ Kim, Chang-ryeon (2020-11-17). 걸그룹,스테이씨(STAYC)의 뮤직비디오 표절논란 제작업체 사과 [Girl group, STAYC's music video plagiarism controversy, producer apologizes]. News Touch (in Korean). Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  5. ^ McIntyre, Hugo (November 26, 2020). "BTS, Aespa, STAYC, Nicki Minaj And Beyoncé: Notable Moves On This Week's World Songs Chart". Forbes. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  6. ^ "STAYC(스테이씨) on VLIVE". VLIVE. VLIVE. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  7. ^ Dewi, Chintya. "Black Eyed Pilseung's Girl Group Officially Debuts As "StayC" By Releasing "So Bad" MV". CULTR. CULTR. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  8. ^ "2021 GCMA New Artist of the Year - Digital Nominees". gaonmusicawards.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2020. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  9. ^ Bell, Crystal (December 18, 2020). "The 40 Best K-pop Songs of 2020". Paper. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  10. ^ "Gaon Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart.
  11. ^ "Billboard Korea K-Pop 100". Billboard. Retrieved December 7, 2020.