Girl group STAYC to release Japanese single 'Teddy Bear' in April

Girl group STAYC [HIGHUP ENTERTAINMENT]

Girl group STAYC is set to release its second Japanese single "Teddy Bear," on April 5, its agency High Up Entertainment announced Thursday.

The single, as the company calls it, will include two tracks: the Japanese version of "Teddy Bear," the group's latest lead track released in Korea on Feb. 14, and the Japanese version of "Stereotype," the lead track from the group's first EP released in 2021.

The agency also revealed plans for promotional launch events: a "STAYC Japan 2nd Showcase 2023 'Teddy Bear'" is set to be held in Osaka and Tokyo, though the exact dates of the showcase have not yet been revealed.

STAYC's latest Korean release, "Teddy Bear," marks their return to "teen fresh" music — an upbeat teenage pop beat coined by the girl group and its fans. The song aims to comfort people in the modern era with its cheering lyrics, said the members during a press showcase for the release earlier this month.

STAYC stands for "Star to a Young Culture," meaning the group strives to be stars of K-pop that lead the culture of younger generations. The six-member girl group — Sumin, Sieun, Isa, Seeun, Yoon and J — debuted in 2020 with "So Bad," achieving notable music video views for a group produced by a relatively smaller K-pop agency. Since then, STAYC has released multiple hits, including "ASAP" (2021), "Stereotype" (2021), and "RUN2U" (2022). "RUN2U" earned the group its first win on a public TV network's weekly music program.

BY CHO YONG-JUN [cho.yongjun1@joongang.co.kr]