"Step Back" is the debut single recorded by South Korean supergroup

Got the Beat Got the Beat (; stylized as GOT the beat) is a South Korean supergroup formed by SM Entertainment in 2022. It is the first sub-unit of project group Girls On Top, and consists of seven members: soloist BoA, Taeyeon and Hyoyeon from Girls' Generat ...

, the first unit of South Korean project group Girls on Top. It was released digitally on January 3, 2022 by

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

. Described as a " hip-hop R&B song", it was written by

Yoo Young-jin Yoo Young-jin is a South Korean singer-songwriter, record producer and vocal trainer under SM Entertainment. He has produced and written songs for H.O.T., S.E.S, BoA, Shinhwa, TVXQ, CSJH The Grace, Super Junior, Girls' Generation, Shinee, ...

, who also composed it with Dwayne Abernathy Jr., Taylor Monet Parks, and

Ryan Jhun Ryan S. Jhun ( ko, 라이언 전) is a South Korean songwriter and producer. Jhun is known for his work with various K-pop soloists and idol groups, getting his start through acts from SM Entertainment such as Shinee, Super Junior, f(x), Taeyeo ...

. The track is about a woman with high self-esteem warning another woman away from approaching her lover.

Background and composition

On December 26, 2021, SM Entertainment launched a new female project group called Girls on Top, along with its first unit Got the Beat. The first teaser image of the unit was released through Girls on Top and SM Town's official social media accounts. From December 28 to 29, teaser images were released for each individual group member (in order:

BoA Kwon Bo-ah (; born November 5, 1986), known professionally as BoA, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and actress. One of the most successful and influential Korean entertainers, she has been dubbed the " Queen of K- ...

Taeyeon Kim Tae-yeon (; born March 9, 1989), known mononymously as Taeyeon, is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one ...

Seulgi Seul-ki, also spelled Seul-gi or Sul-ki, is a Korean unisex given name, predominantly feminine. It was the 8th-most popular name for baby girls born in South Korea in 1990. Unlike most Korean names, it does not have any Sino-Korean roots, but is ...

Winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures ...

Hyoyeon Kim Hyo-yeon (born September 22, 1989), referred to as Hyoyeon or DJ Hyo, is a South Korean singer, dancer, DJ, and television personality. She debuted as a member of the girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one o ...

Wendy Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries. In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...

, Karina). "Step Back" was composed by Dwayne Abernathy Jr., Taylor Monet Parks, and

, along with

, who also wrote the Korean lyrics of the song. The song was written by Yoo and was widely known as the SM Music Performance (SMP) representative, which features strong performances and critical social lyrics unique to SM Entertainment. Musically, it was described as an "addictive" hip-hop R&B song with repeated bass and instrument variations. Lim Sun-hee of ''

IZM ''IZM'' () is a South Korean online magazine that publishes pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ...

'' mentioned the twisted string instrument sound and added that as the chorus progresses, the chaos decreases while noting Yoo Young-jin's chorus appearance and comparing it to the SMP concept of

SuperM SuperM (Hangul: 슈퍼엠) is a South Korean supergroup formed in 2019 by SM Entertainment and Capitol Music Group. The group consists of seven members from four SM Entertainment boy bands: Taemin from Shinee, Baekhyun and Kai from Exo, Taeyong ...

. Tim Chan of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' noted the dubstep, hip-hop, and electro house elements incorporated in the bass-heavy track with Got the Beat "alternating between singing, rapping, and a cheerleader chant-style chorus". The song was also noted for the group's "unique" vocals and "solid" singing skills that enhanced the "perfection" of the single. It is composed in the

key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

C-sharp major C-sharp major (or the key of C-sharp) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. It is enharmonically equivalent to D-flat major. Its key signature has seven sharps. The C-sharp major scale is: : It ...

, with a

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 162 beats per minute. The lyrics contain "straightforward" expressions of a woman with high self-esteem in love with her lover.

Critical reception

"Step Back" was met with generally negative reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, who panned its lyrical content but was favorable towards the group's vocals. Kim Soo-jung of ''

No Cut News ''NoCut News'' is a daily newspaper run by South Korea's Christian Broadcasting System (기독교방송). Since November 2003, they have had a partnership with Central and Local News Media Networks(Over 30) for sharing of articles and photo conten ...

'' complimented the group's vocals but condemned the lyrics for being misogynistic. Gelene Peñalosa of '' Inquirer Pop!'' described the track as a "gaslight, gatekeep, girlboss" anthem and condemned the song's lyricist as she describes it as "very anti-feminist and gives off a very strong feeling of being written by a man". Tamar Herman of ''

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remained ...

'' called it a "stereotypical and anti-feminist" song, even adding that South Korean music critic Jung Min-jae suggested that the lyrics be rewritten and the single re-released. Cho Hye-jin of ''Xports News'' wrote that the lyrics "left a sense of disappointment", while Lim Sun-hee of ''IZM'' criticized the lyrics for being full of "rambling and demeaning" narratives and rated the song 1.5 stars out of 5. Benedetta Geddo of ''

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to ''Vogue (magazine), Vogue'', targeted at teenagers. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and celebrities. Since ...

'' called it a "swagger-filled" song that showcases the group's "impeccable" vocals we are used to hearing from

SM Entertainment artists All artists under SM Entertainment are collectively known as the SM Town. Artists Recording artists ;SM Entertainment * Soloists ** BoA ** Kangta ** J-Min ** Taemin ** Taeyeon ** Yoona ** Hyoyeon ** Yuri ** Key ** Onew ** Chen ** U-Kn ...

. Haley Yang of ''

Korea JoongAng Daily ''Korea JoongAng Daily'' is the English edition of the South Korean national daily newspaper ''JoongAng Ilbo''. The newspaper was first published on October 17, 2000, originally named as ''JoongAng Ilbo English Edition''. It mainly carries news a ...

'' pointed out the track's melody as it was "seeing overwhelmingly positive reviews as members flaunt impressive high notes" but noted that many fans were "perplexed" as to why the song was introduced as a "girl power anthem". Yang also indicated the responses of fans to such lamenting that "everything is perfect except the lyrics", "mentioning male attention to validate their confidence", and calling the lyrics "so out-of-trend" and "anachronistic". She noted the song's "internalized misogyny by antagonizing another woman and accusing her of being flirtatious", thus perpetuating the age-old phrase "women are women's worst enemies". Mary Siroky of ''Consequence'' described the track as "less of an empowerment anthem" and noted that it had seemingly left many fans "disappointed" from what the group was marketed for. Ryu Ji-hoon of ''Dailian'' wrote that many fans expressed dissatisfaction due to the song's outdated lyrics such as "My man is on another level / You can't even dream about this level", "Take your hands off of mine," and "This isn't the place for you".

Commercial performance

"Step Back" debuted at number 24 on South Korea's

Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...

in the chart issue dated January 2–8, 2022, ascending to number 14 in the chart issue dated January 9–15, 2022. The song also debuted at number 4, number 41, and number 84 on Gaon Download Chart, Gaon Streaming Chart, and Gaon BGM Chart, respectively, in the chart issue dated January 2–8, 2022. The song then ascended to number 17 on Gaon Streaming Chart in the chart issue dated January 9–15, 2022. The song debuted at number 77 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

K-pop Hot 100 The K-pop Hot 100 is a music singles chart in South Korea, launched by ''Billboard'' in conjunction with ''Billboard'' Korea () on August 25, 2011. It is the second Asian ''Billboard'' chart after the Japan Hot 100. The chart used the same multime ...

in the chart issue dated January 15, 2022. The song then ascended to number 15 in the chart issue dated January 29, 2022. In Japan, the song debuted at number 69 on the ''

Billboard Japan ''Billboard Japan'' is a sister organization of the U.S.-based music magazine ''Billboard''. It is operated by the Japanese Osaka-based company Hanshin Contents Link (a subsidiary of Hanshin Electric Railway), holding an exclusive licence from ''Bi ...

Japan Hot 100 The ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100 is a record chart in Japan for songs. It has been compiled by ''Billboard Japan'' and '' Hanshin Contents Link'' since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at Billboard-japan.com ( JST) and every Thur ...

in the chart issue dated January 12, 2022. The song also debuted at number two on the component Heatseekers Songs chart. It also debuted at numbers 41 and 90 on the component Top Download Songs chart and Top Streaming Songs chart. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 19 on

RMNZ Recorded Music NZ (formerly the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ)) is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell recorded music in New Zealand. Membership of Recorded Mus ...

Hot Singles in the chart issue dated January 10, 2022. In Indonesia, the song debuted and peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Indonesia Songs in the chart issue dated February 19, 2022. In Singapore, the song debuted at number 14 on RIAS's Top Streaming Chart in the chart issue dated January 7–13, 2022. It also debuted at number 13 on the RIAS Top Regional Chart in the chart issue dated December 31, 2021 – January 6, 2022, peaking at number seven in the chart issued a week later. In Vietnam, the song debuted at number 24 on the ''Billboard'' Vietnam Hot 100 in the chart issue dated January 14, 2022, peaking at number 19 in the chart issued a week later. In the United States, the song debuted at number five on the ''Billboard''

World Digital Song Sales The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific s ...

in the chart issue dated January 15, 2022. Globally, the song debuted at number 126 on the ''Billboard''

Global 200 The Global 200 is the list of ecoregions identified by the World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF), the global conservation organization, as priorities for conservation. According to WWF, an ecoregion is defined as a "relatively large unit of land or w ...

in the chart issue dated January 15, 2022, peaking at number 122 in the chart issue dated January 22, 2022. It also debuted at number 87 on the ''Billboard'' Global Excl. US in the chart issue dated January 15, 2022, peaking at number 69 in the chart issued a week later.

Promotion

On January 1, 2022, Got the Beat unveiled their first "Step Back" performance stage at the SM Town Live 2022: SMCU Express at Kwangya. For the performance, choreography by Kiel Tutin, ReiNa, and Kyle Hanagami, who have worked with

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

and

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

, was commissioned. The first stage video performance of the song was released after the concert and was posted on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

. It starts with the group's faces covered with their arms as the members look back and dance until their part. The members have also "actively" utilized pair choreography, naturally flows into group choreography, and distribute spotlights evenly so that no one is suppressed. With that, Kim Soo-jung of ''No Cut News'' praised the camera work of the SM for maximizing the strength of the stage video. The song's stage video features the "powerful" vocals of Taeyeon, Wendy, and Winter, along with the dance break of BoA, Hyoyeon, and Seulgi, adding Hyoyeon and Karina's "individualistic rap". Moon Soo-ji of ''Inews24'' noted the "heated" response the group was receiving by releasing the stage video and praising it for being a "thorough" video with "perfect vocal, dance, and rap skills", drawing admiration. Before their first performance, SM Entertainment also released a practice video of the group. The group performed the song on

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

's ''

M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet. The show features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. It is broadcast from CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. Bro ...

'' on January 27, 2022.

Accolades

"Step Back" received three music program awards, winning on ''

Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' ( ko, 인기가요; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who p ...

'' (January 30 and February 20, 2022), and on ''

'' (February 3, 2022). It received nominations for Best Song of January at the

12th Circle Chart Music Awards The 12th Circle Chart Music Awards ceremony will be held at KSPO Dome in Seoul on February 18, 2023, to recognise the best artists and recordings, primarily based on Circle Music Chart of the year from December 1, 2021, to November 30, 2022. On J ...

and Digital Song Bonsang at the

37th Golden Disc Awards The 37th Golden Disc Awards () is a award ceremony held on January 7, 2023, and broadcast through various television networks and streaming platforms in various countries. The ceremony was hosted by Sung Si-kyung, Lee Da-hee, Nichkhun, and Park ...

. ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Food and drink * Cosmopolitan (cocktail), also known as a "Cosmo" History * Rootless cosmopolitan, a Soviet derogatory epithet during Joseph Stalin's anti-Semitic campaign of 1949–1953 Hotels and resorts * Cosmopoli ...

'' ranked it the 8th best K-pop song of the year while ''

Her Campus ''Her Campus'' is an online magazine targeted at the female college student demographic. Content in the magazine is written by more than 7,000 contributors from more than 400 campus chapters located in nine countries. The magazine was founded ...

'' named it the 13th best K-pop girl group song of the year. ''

'' included it in their list of The 79 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022.

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Joox Joox (stylised as JOOX) is a Comparison of on-demand streaming music services, music streaming service owned by Tencent, launched in January 2015. Joox is the biggest music streaming app in Asian markets such as Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, Mala ...

and

Melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The ...

. Studio * SM Booming System –

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, ...

digital editing Digital media is any media (communication), communication media that operate in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. Digital media can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on a digital ...

, mixing * Sonic Korea – mastering Personnel *

(

, Karina,

) – vocals *

– lyrics,

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography *Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orches ...

, vocal directing, background vocals, recording, digital editing, mixing, music and sound supervisor * Dwayne Abernathy Jr. – composition, arrangement * Taylor Monet Parks – composition *

– composition, arrangement * Jeon Hoon – mastering * Shin Soo-min – mastering assistant

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Release history

References

{{Reflist Got the Beat songs 2022 songs 2022 debut singles Korean-language songs SM Entertainment singles Songs written by Yoo Young-jin Songs written by Dem Jointz Songs written by Tayla Parx Songs written by Ryan S. Jhun South Korean contemporary R&B songs