We were on the edge of our seats when we heard Lay Zhang was going to release an all-English album, and now STEP is in our hands and on our playlists! The 10-track album came out earlier on June 14th, and it’s just been followed up with an extended version! From the singles to the b-sides to his global impact, there’s nothing we don’t love about this iteration of one of pop’s greats.
One Small STEP, One Giant Leap
Just as Lay does, STEP travels all over the world. Literally – the ‘Psychic’ music video was filmed in Dubai. But more than that, as a Chinese artist who debuted over a decade ago in one of the most successful K-Pop groups ever, EXO, and is now releasing an all-English solo album, Lay has proved time and time again that he is a truly global star.
STEP‘s Singles
Are we over how catchy ‘Run Back To You’ is? No. Will we ever be? Probably not! The song itself is so adorable, and the high notes when Lay and LAUV sing “same mistakes” add to the fun!
And if you’re a THP regular, you already know that we’re down bad for ‘Psychic,’ another single from STEP. It’s the epitome of bright, tongue-in-cheek pop, and we couldn’t love it more if we tried. After Lay shared these singles, we had high expectations for STEP, but can you blame us?
STEP‘s B-Sides
In addition to poptastic ‘Psychic’ and ‘Run Back To You,’ we now have ten b-sides to devour! From the brass band funk of ‘STEP’ to the emotion in the 80s-esque R&B ballad ‘Human In You,’ Lay truly delivers it all. We’d be surprised at his multi-faceted talent, but we already knew that there are no limits to Lay Zhang!
Now, in the deluxe version, we’re also treated to two more tracks! ‘Daisy’ is definitely one of the more angst-ridden tracks on STEP, and that’s clear from the opening line: “Just like love, flowers die.” Whew! The frantic beats and biting sarcasm in this one are so good; it’s one for the pop-punk-to-K-Pop pipeline lovers. ‘Before You Let Go’ is one of our fave b-sides on STEP; the duality of smugness and desperation is so delicious!
And if, somehow, ‘Daisy’ and ‘Before You Let Go’ weren’t enough? The deluxe version of STEP has a bonus track, ‘传说 A Legend.’ We’ve already spoken about how excited we are for Lay’s movie with Jackie Chan (we love actor Yixing!), and getting this OST ahead of the film’s release on July 12th has only got us more excited!
Do you see what we mean? Lay’s Zhang’s STEP truly is a pop gem, start to finish!
Are you as obsessed with this album as we are? What’s your favorite track? Let us know over on Twitter @thehoneypop, and you can also talk to us over on Facebook and Instagram!
Want more Lay Zhang in your life? We got you!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LAY ZHANG:
INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEIBO | YOUTUBE
