THE BOYZ announce that even gibberish can be stylish, then spend two minutes and thirty-nine seconds testing how much swagger a list of sound effects can carry. Sometimes the answer is a lot. Sometimes bubble gum is still just bubble gum.
Release File
- Artist: THE BOYZ
- Song: “Stylish”
- Released: July 28, 2025
- Album: a;effect, the group’s tenth mini album
- Active comeback lineup: Jacob, Younghoon, Hyunjae, Juyeon, Kevin, New, Q, Sunwoo, and Eric
- Lyrics: San Yoon
- Composition: Jerome Dillard, Dominique Butler, Daniel Worthy, Yonatan Watts, and Tyler Hinkson-Ward
- Arrangement: Daniel Worthy, Yonatan Watts, and Ty Leon
The Song Is Deliberately Empty in the Middle
“Stylish” uses minimalist hip-hop as an excuse to leave holes in the beat. A low pulse, clipped percussion, and small electronic noises give the members room to speak, rap, and drop single words into the silence. The arrangement does not chase a large melodic payoff.
That space can sound confident. Sunwoo knows exactly what to do with it, tightening his delivery until the beat feels busier than it is. The lower vocal lines also benefit because their texture is not competing with six layers of synth.
The Hook Is a Dare
The chorus repeats “stylish” around “guap,” “shot,” and “bubble gum pop.” The song openly calls the language gibberish, which is funny once and accurate every time. San Yoon writes confidence as the ability to make any noise sound intentional.
The problem is not that pop lyrics must be serious. They do not. The problem is that a joke about empty words still needs a second joke. By the final chorus, the track is asking the members’ delivery to create development the writing never supplies.
Nine Members Find Different Corners of the Beat
This was a nine-member comeback while Sangyeon served in the military and after Ju Haknyeon’s June departure. The distribution keeps the group from sounding smaller by moving quickly among distinct tones. Kevin and Jacob give the English phrases a natural rhythm, New cuts through with a brighter vocal color, and Sunwoo supplies the sharpest rap attack.
Younghoon said the song was addictive and pointed out that it was not a love song. He was right about both. “Stylish” is self-description rather than romance, and the hook is difficult to remove from your head even when you would like to test the eviction process.
The Video Looks Like a Fashion Ad on Purpose
The opening fisheye close-up and bubble gum tell us the camera is going to invade personal space. The video keeps returning to distorted lenses, reflective surfaces, dark streetwear, chains, bandanas, and digital-wave backgrounds. ONE HUNDRED’s creative team chooses texture over story.
That matches the song, although matching is not always the same as improving. THE BOYZ have carried elaborate narratives and huge performance sets before. Here, the visual minimalism puts pressure on faces, clothing, and camera angles. The members can carry that pressure. The sets rarely surprise them.
Choreography Saves the Negative Space
The group use compact gestures, controlled pauses, and formation changes that hit where the instrumental leaves gaps. A busier routine would fight the track. The restrained movement lets a shoulder, hand, or head turn become the accent.
The full group sections also remind us why THE BOYZ are called a performance group. Nine people can make a sparse song feel full without flailing across every count. The choreography understands that confidence includes knowing when to stop.
The Styling Has a Real Problem
One piece of New’s styling drew criticism because it resembled a durag. Kevin and Jacob later said they had raised concerns with the stylists. That context belongs in a review of a video built almost entirely around fashion. Calling the concept “Stylish” does not exempt the creative team from knowing what cultural references they place on a member’s head.
The members should not have needed to solve that problem in a live conversation after release. The company and styling department had the responsibility before the camera rolled.
What Worked
- Sunwoo and the lower vocal tones use the sparse beat well.
- The choreography treats silence as part of the rhythm.
- The fisheye camera and bubble-gum image establish the attitude immediately.
- Nine members remain individually audible inside a short track.
- The song commits to one minimal idea instead of hiding it under a fake climax.
What Did Not Become Stylish by Repetition
The hook is memorable but underwritten. Repeating that gibberish is stylish does not make the later choruses reveal anything new. One melodic bridge or a production change with real weight could have given the final minute somewhere to go.
The video has the same limitation. Handsome men in expensive-looking streetwear are not a visual concept THE BOYZ had to fight to sell. I wanted one scene that risked looking strange rather than merely polished.
RaeRae’s Verdict
“Stylish” is THE BOYZ proving they can perform inside an almost empty room and still make people stare. The members win that argument. The songwriters only win half of it.
Bubble gum pop is catchy. It is also not a bridge.
Sources
- ONE HUNDRED official music video and publication dateDaily+439Total views27.7M
- Apple Music writing, production, and performance credits
- Bugs Korean album description
- Korean comeback interview and album explanation
- Ilgan Sports Korean coverage of the performance and company concept statement
- Comeback timeline and official concept-photo coverage