Stray Kids (Korean: 스트레이 키즈; RR: Seuteurei Kijeu; often abbreviated to SKZ) is a South Korean boy band that JYP Entertainment formed through the eponymous 2017 reality television show. The band has eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. For undisclosed personal reasons, Woojin left the band in October 2019. Stray Kids primarily self-produce its recordings; the main production team is named 3Racha and consists of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, and the other members frequently participate in songwriting.
Stray Kids | |
|---|---|
 Stray Kids in May 2024 From left to right: Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Bang Chan, Lee Know, Seungmin, I.N, and Felix | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Seoul, South Korea |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | 3Racha |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
| Website | straykids |
The band released their unofficial debut extended play (EP) Mixtape in January 2018 and officially debuted on March 25 with the EP I Am Not, which was followed by the EPs I Am Who and I Am You, completing the I Am EP series. The EP trilogy Clé trilogy, consisting of Clé 1: Miroh, Clé 2: Yellow Wood, and Clé: Levanter, was released in 2017. The group's first studio album Go Live (2020) become the band's first platinum-certified album by Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). That year, Stray Kids made their Japanese debut with the compilation album SKZ2020, which was released through Epic Records Japan.
In 2021, Stray Kids' second studio album Noeasy became its first million-selling album. After signing with Republic Records for promotions in the United States in 2022, the band released their EPs Oddinary, Maxident (both 2022), Rock-Star (2023), and Ate (2024); its third studio album 5-Star (2023); and its first mixtape Hop. These six releases peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and entered the UK Albums Chart, making them the first act to debut at the top of Billboard 200 with their first-sixth-charted albums. The KMCA certified 5-Star five-million in album sales, making Stray Kids the third group to achieve this in Korea. As of October 2022, Stray Kids has sold over 10 million albums, both Korean and Japanese releases. In 2023, the band appeared on Time's list of Next Generation Leaders.
Name
JYP Entertainment did not define the band's name "Stray Kids"' but the members conceptualized it themselves. The name originally referred to a lost child who wants to chase their dreams and evolved to represent the idea of finding a way out of the ordinary together.[1][2]
History
2017–2018: Formation, debut and I Am series
In August 2017, JYP Entertainment (JYPE) announced its new reality survival show with the goal of launching a male idol debut project. The company released more details in the next two months, including the show's title, Stray Kids.[3][4][5] Prior to its premiere on October 17, JYPE released Stray Kids' first music video titled "Hellevator," which was later released as a digital single. Two members, Lee Know and Felix, were eliminated from the group but returned to the final, nine-member line-up.[6][7][8]
Along with the launch of Stray Kids' official website, JYPE announced the release of the group's seven-track debut extended play (EP) titled Mixtape, which was co-written and co-composed by the members, and includes "Hellevator" and other songs the band performed on the show.[9] The EP and the performance video of its second track "Beware" were released on January 8, 2018, while the performance video of "Spread My Wings" was uploaded online a week later.[10][11][12] The EP debuted at number two on the Gaon Album Chart and the Billboard World Albums chart.[13][14]
On March 25, the group held their debut concert, Stray Kids Unveil (Op. 01: I Am Not), at Jangchung Arena.[15][16] The following day, the band officially debuted with the release of the EP I Am Not and the music video of its title track "District 9." The music video of "Grow Up" and performance video of "Mirror" were released on March 31 and April 23, respectively.[17][18][19][20] I Am Not debuted at number four on the Gaon Album Chart and sold over 54,000 physical copies in March.[21][22]
On April 14, Stray Kids performed at KCON Japan 2018, the group's first overseas performance.[23][24] On July 12, JYPE announced the group's second concert Stray Kids Unveil (Op. 02: I Am Who) for August 5 at Kyung Hee University's Grand Peace Palace. The following day, the band's second EP I Am Who and its lead single "My Pace" were released.[25][26][27] On October 4, JYPE announced the group's third concert Stray Kids Unveil (Op. 03: I Am You), for October 21 at Olympic Hall. The following day, the band's new EP I Am You was released.[28]
2019: Clé series and Woojin's departure
In early 2019, Stray Kids toured the Asia-Pacific region their concert tour the Unveil Tour "I Am...", starting on January 19 in Bangkok.[29] The group also toured South Korea with the Hi Stay Tour, performing in cities including Busan, Daejeon and Incheon in March, and a finale at the Olympic Park in Seoul on April 20.[30] On March 5, JYPE announced the release of the band's fourth EP Clé 1: Miroh to mark the first anniversary of the group's debut.[31] On April 14, the group earned their first music-show win on M Countdown for the album's lead single, "Miroh".[32] On June 19, the band released its first special album Clé 2: Yellow Wood and its lead single "Side Effects," between the American and European legs of its first world tour.[33]
Stray Kids released a digital single titled "Double Knot" on October 9, 2019, and announced the District 9 Unlock World Tour, beginning at Olympic Hall in Seoul from November 23–24. Their fifth EP Clé: Levanter was initially scheduled for a November 25 release but on October 28, JYPE announced Kim Woojin had left the group due to personal circumstances, and the release was postponed.[34][35] On November 13, the group released the music video for "Astronaut," its first single as an eight-member group;[36] it was followed on December 9 by Cle: Levanter. On December 19, as part of the Hi Stay Tour, Stray Kids performed at Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Tokyo, with an audience of 8,000 people.[37] The group released the digital single "Mixtape: Gone Days," the first single of the Mixtape Project, on December 26.[38]
2020: Japanese debut, 生 series and All In
On January 24, 2020, Stray Kids released the first English versions of "Double Knot" and "Levanter" as digital singles—together titled Step Out of Clé—and a performance video of the English version of "Double Knot."[39] The band's debut release in Japan, through Epic Records Japan, was the compilation album SKZ2020, which contains new recordings of previous songs, and Japanese versions of "My Pace," "Double Knot," and "Levanter".[40] The group released the second Mixtape Project digital single "Mixtape: On Track" on March 26.[41] On June 3, Stray Kids released its first Japanese single "Top," and its B-side "Slump"; "Top" was used as the theme song for the anime Tower of God, and "Slump" was used as its ending theme;[42][43] a Korean version was released on May 13 and an English version was released on May 20.[44][45] The single debuted at number one on the Japanese Oricon Singles Chart, making Stray Kids the fourth foreign male artists to debut at number one on the chart with their first single, after Jang Keun-suk, Exo, and iKon.[46][47]
On June 17, Stray Kids released their first studio album Go Live and its lead single "God's Menu";[48] the album includes the Korean versions of "Top" and "Slump," and previously released singles "Gone Days" and "On Track". Go Live became the group's best-selling album, debuting at number one on the weekly Gaon Album Chart, selling 243,462 copies by the end of the month, and peaking at number five on the monthly Gaon Album Chart.[49] The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) certified the album platinum in August 2020, the group's first album to achieve this.[50] "God's Menu" became the group's first single to be certified gold by Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[51] On September 14, Stray Kids reissued its first studio album as In Life.[52] During promotions, the group received music-show wins on MBC M's Show Champion and on Mnet's M Countdown.[53][54] Time ranked the lead single "Back Door" eighth on its list of the 10 Best Songs of 2020—the only song by a Korean act on the list—and described it as "an artful Frankenstein that's as catchy as it is complex".[55][56]
On November 4, Stray Kids released its first Japanese EP, All In, with title track "All In" as lead single. The EP also includes Japanese versions of "God's Menu" and "Back Door," and the band's first Japanese single "Top."[57] On November 22, the group held their first online concert, titled "Unlock: Go Live In Life," via Beyond Live, which was considered a continuation of their "District 9: Unlock" Tour that faced postponement and cancellation due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.[58] During the concert, the group performed the Korean version of their song "All In" for the first time, which was released as a digital single on November 26.[59][60]
2021: Kingdom: Legendary War and Noeasy
At the 2020 Mnet Asian Music Awards, it was announced Stray Kids would join Ateez and The Boyz on the inaugural season of Kingdom: Legendary War, a Mnet boy-group competition show;[61] BtoB, iKon and SF9 were later also confirmed as participants.[62] On May 28, 2021, Stray Kids released a song titled "Wolfgang" for the final round of the competition, which charted at number 138 on the main Gaon Digital Chart, the band's first appearance on that chart.[63] The band won the program on June 3, earning them their own reality show and a Kingdom Week special show.[64]
Stray Kids held its first official fan meeting, Stray Kids 1st #LoveStay 'SKZ-X', on February 20, 2021, via V Live;[65] and its first Japanese fan meeting—STAYing Home Meeting—for the first anniversary of their Japanese debut on March 18.[66][67] The group worked with Swedish producer Alesso and Chinese DJ Corsak on the Korean version of the song "Going Dumb" for the mobile-game version of Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG), which was released on March 19.[68] The song debuted at number 13 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs, the group's first appearance on that chart.[69]
Stray Kids unexpectedly released the third single for their Mixtape Project, "Mixtape: Oh", on June 26.[70] It debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, their first number one on that chart.[71] The group released their second studio album Noeasy on August 23, 2021.[72] It debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart,[73] selling over 1.1 million copies as of August 2021 and being certified million by the KMCA,[74] making Stray Kids the first JYP Entertainment act to sell more than one million copies of an album.[75][76] The album's lead single "Thunderous" peaked at number 33 on Gaon Digital Chart[73] and at number 80 on Billboard Global 200,[77] and earned six wins on music programs.[78] The accompanying music video on YouTube reached 100 million views in 55 days after release, the group's fifth and fastest video to reach this mark.[79][80]
The group released its second Japanese single "Scars"/"Thunderous (Japanese ver.)" on October 13.[81] The single charted at number two on the Oricon Singles Chart[82] and the Billboard Japan Hot 100, selling over 180,000 CD copies.[83] A Christmas-themed "special holiday" album titled Christmas EveL was released on November 29, including the title track and "Winter Falls" as lead singles.[84] It peaked atop Gaon Album Chart,[85] selling over 743,000 copies in 2021,[86] and the KMCA certified it double platinum.[87] Stray Kids concluded the year with the digital release of SKZ2021, a compilation album that includes re-recorded versions of earlier songs and the Korean version of "Scars," on December 23.[88]
2022: Oddinary, Circus and Maxident
On February 10, 2022, it was announced Stray Kids, alongside labelmate Itzy, had signed to Republic Records for promotions in the United States as part of JYPE's strategic partnership with the label.[89][90] The group held their second fan meeting on February 12 and 13 at Olympic Hall; the second day was broadcast via Beyond Live.[91] Stray Kids released its sixth EP Oddinary on March 18.[92] The EP peaked at number one on charts in South Korea,[93] Finland,[94] Poland,[95] and the United States,[96] selling over 1.5 million copies in March.[97] It was the first Stray Kids album to appear on the UK Albums Chart[98] and the US Billboard 200; the band was the third Korean act to top the latter chart after BTS and SuperM.[99] Its lead single "Maniac"[100] became the group's first song to appear on the UK Singles Chart, where it charted at number 98,[101] and the Bubbling Under Hot 100 at number 19, among others.[102]
In support of Oddinary, Stray Kids announced their second concert tour, the Maniac World Tour, which began on April 29 in Seoul, South Korea, followed by shows in Asia, Australia, and North America.[103][104] It concluded at Los Angeles on April 2, 2023.[105] On June 22, Stray Kids released their second Japanese EP, Circus,[106][107] preceded by the Japanese version of "Maniac,"[108] the new song "Your Eyes,"[109] and the title track.[110] The EP debuted at number two on the Oricon Albums Chart[111] and atop Billboard Japan Hot Albums.[112] The group surprise-released the single "Mixtape: Time Out" on August 1 to celebrate their fourth anniversary of revealing the fandom's name Stay.[113]
Prior to the release of the group's seventh EP Maxident, Stray Kids released "Heyday," which 3Racha performed, for Street Man Fighter's Mega Crew Mission.[114] Maxident[115] and the EP's lead single "Case 143" were released on October 7, 2022.[116] The EP debuted at number one in South Korea,[117] Poland[118] and the United States.[119] It became their second-consecutive number-one album in the US, and the fourth South Korean and non-English album to top the Billboard 200 chart.[120] Maxident became Stray Kids' and JYPE's first album to sell over two million and three million copies,[121] and be certified triple million by KMCA.[122] They released the third compilation album SKZ-Replay on December 21, containing solo tracks by the members and songs previously unofficially released as video uploads.[123] The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) ranked Stray Kids as the seventh-best-selling artist of 2022.[124] Maxident and Oddinary were the sixth-best and fourteenth-best-selling albums of 2022.[125]
2023: The Sound, 5-Star, Social Path / Super Bowl (Japanese Ver.), and Rock-Star
Stray Kids' debut Japanese-language studio album, titled The Sound, was released on February 22, 2023; this release was preceded by the Japanese version of "Case 143" and the title track.[126] It debuted at number one the Oricon Albums Chart for the first time with 378,000 copies,[127] and the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) certified it double platinum.[128] On June 2, 2023, the group released its third studio album 5-Star and the lead single "S-Class"; rapper Tiger JK features on the track "Topline."[129] The album's lyrics discuss themes of uniqueness, confidence and aspirations.[130][131] The album peaked at number one in various regions, including South Korea,[132] France,[133][134] and the United States, etc.; the latter is the group's third consecutive number-one album in the country.[135] It has sold over five million copies as of June 2023,[136] and KMCA certified it as such.[137] "S-Class" won the Best K-Pop Video at 2023 MTV Video Music Awards.[138]
Stray Kids held the band's third fan meeting at KSPO Dome on July 1 and 2,[139] and embarked on the 5-Star Dome Tour in South Korea and Japan from August to October 2023.[140] The group headlined the Lollapalooza music festival in Paris, France, on July 21,[141] and was scheduled to appear at 2023 Global Citizen Festival in New York City on September 23,[142] but due to a minor car accident involving three of the band's members, only 3Racha performed instead.[143][144] The group's third Japanese-language EP Social Path / Super Bowl (Japanese Ver.) was released on September 6; the release was preceded by dual lead singles "Social Path" featuring Japanese singer-songwriter Lisa and the Japanese version of "Super Bowl."[145] The EP became the band's second number-one in Japan[146] and its first million-certificated record in Japan.[147]
In October, Stray Kids featured on the remix version of Lil Durk's "All My Life"[148] and released their eighth Korean-language EP Rock-Star on November 10,[149] alongside the lead single "Lalalala."[150][151] The EP peaked at number one in South Korea[152] and the United States,[153] and "Lalalala" became the group's first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 90.[154] Furthermore, in 2023, Stray Kids received the Prime Minister's Commendation at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards,[155] and participated at the Japanese New Year's Eve television special 74th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.[156] IFPI named Stray Kids the third best-selling artist of 2023, behind Taylor Swift and Seventeen,[157] as well as 5-Star the second and Rock-Star the ninth best-selling album globally in 2023.[158]
2024–present: Ate, Giant and Hop
In January 2024, Stray Kids performed "God's Menu," "S-Class," and "Topline" in Paris, France, at the Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes, a charity event by Brigitte Macron, the spouse of Emmanuel Macron the President of France.[159] The following month, the group, alongside other JYP artists J.Y. Park, Itzy, and Nmixx, collaborated with Coca-Cola for a "K-Wave" limited edition of Coke Zero Sugar, accompanying by the song "Like Magic."[160][161]
Stray Kids held two fan meetings in 2024: SKZ's Magic School in Seoul, South Korea from March 29 to 31,[162] and SKZ Toy World in Osaka and Saitama, Japan in April.[163] Stray Kids performed the theme for the Japanese television drama Re: Revenge – Yokubo no Hate ni, titled "Why?," which was released on April 12.[164] Stray Kids attended the 2024 Met Gala as guests of the designer Tommy Hilfiger.[165] They were the first K-pop act all members of which appeared together at the Met Gala,[166] and ranked number-one Red Carpet Power Rankings in the male category, according to The Hollywood Reporter.[167] Stray Kids released the single "Lose My Breath," featuring American singer-songwriter Charlie Puth, on May 10.[168] The song peaked at number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 97 on the UK Singles Chart.[169]
On July 18, 2024, JYP announced the members of Stray Kids had renewed their contracts with the company,[170] and the band's ninth Korean-language EP Ate and its lead single "Chk Chk Boom" were released the next day.[171][172] The EP peaked at number one in album charts in South Korea,[173] Austria, Belgium, France,[174] Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and the United States.[175] Stray Kids became the first group and the second act to top the Billboard 200 with their first five charted albums.[176] "Chk Chk Boom" also became the band's highest peak on the UK Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at numbers 30 and 49, respectively.[177] In support of the EP, the group headlined major music festivals I-Days in Milan,[178] BST Hyde Park in London,[179] and Lollapalooza in Chicago.[180][181] The band also embarked on the Dominate World Tour starting in August in Seoul, and traveled to Asia, Australia, Latin America, North America and Europe.[182][183]
In October 2024, Stray Kids became the second K-pop group to perform at the American Music Awards, following BTS.[184][185] The band released the second Japanese-language studio album Giant on November 13,[186] featuring the opening theme "Night" and ending theme "Falling Up" for the "Workshop Battle" arc of the second season of Kami no Tō: Tower of God.[187] On December 13, they issued the mixtape, marketed as "SKZhop Hiptape", Hop, alongside the lead single "Walkin on Water".[188] It combines hip-hop influences, introducing music under the 'SKZhop' genre, a term blending the group's initials, "SKZ", and "hip hop".[189][190] The mixtape peaked at number one in album charts in South Korea,[191] and the United States.[192] Stray Kids officially became the first act ever to top the Billboard 200 with their first six charted albums.[193] Also in 2024, Stray Kids performed "Slash," which is included on the soundtrack album for the American superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine (2024);[194][195] and "Come Play" with Young Miko and Tom Morello for the soundtrack to the second season of the television series Arcane.[196]
Artistry
Musical style
Stray Kids' music is inspired by hip-hop, dubstep, heavy metal, electroclash and dance-pop, and has been described as "dark and experimental."[198] After the release of the album Go Live, the public and some entertainment media outlets began calling Stray Kids the pioneers of "mala taste music" (Korean: 마라맛 음악; RR: Maramat eumak), a name they adopted from the hot, spicy mala seasoning,[197][199] and became a rising music trend among K-Pop boy groups.[200] The band's songs initially received criticism for being too "noisy"; with the album Noeasy, they embraced the criticism, saying the term was "something that [they] could use as [their] own weapon".[201] During the showcase for Rock-Star, the band's members said they plan to retain their tenacious music with principles (Korean: 줏대; RR: jutdae; lit. strong spine).[202] Stray Kids said they want their music to be recognized as a new genre, stating in a 2023 interview during the Next Generation Leaders with Time: "The goal is to continuously pioneer new [musical] subjects and to have our music be recognized as a 'Stray Kids' genre".[203]
Experimental music has been Stray Kids' identity since the beginning of their career, combining genres throughout their discography. Their debut song "District 9" is a hybrid genre that combines hip-hop, rock and EDM with frenetic bass, sirens, EDM breaks, aggressive raps and hip-hop dance moves.[204][205][206] They attempted a new sound with "Side Effects", a propulsive, EDM-pop hybrid song that was inspired by psytrance.[207][208] "God's Menu" is said to have a new genre called "mala taste", which is defined as hot, strong and spicy songs.[197] In "Thunderous", they used contemporary synths and drops to blend traditional Korean instruments such as the kwaenggwari (꽹과리; a small, flat, brass gong) and traditional Korean drums.[201] "Maniac" is a Middle Eastern-influenced,[209] "powerful" trap,[210] electropop[211] song with a bass-synth drop,[210][209] bird-chirping[209] and drill sounds.[211] "Case 143" is a pop song that incorporates a descending chromatic scale, changes in key signature, intense rap verses and a flexible rhythm.[212] "S-Class" is a hip hop track with elements of boom bap, old school and pop.[213] It was mixed between booming rap, thrumming bass, sultry electro, 1990s hip-hop, sparkling pop and grimy club.[214] "Lalalala" is a rock-leaning phonk music with harsh rap tone along the song except for the bridge part that almost orchestral-like.[215][216]
Songwriting and lyrical themes
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Stray Kids is a "self-producing" idol group whose members have almost always been involved in songwriting and composing, and have sometimes assisted in arranging, even before the official debut.[17][217] The band's in-house production team, which is called 3Racha, consists of the members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han,[218] who have been releasing self-produced tracks on SoundCloud since 2017 and are largely responsible for crafting Stray Kids' music, with all members integral to the process.[219] All of the members have YouTube projects like SKZ-Record and SKZ-Player, where each of them produce, choreograph, or cover songs;[a] Two Kids Song, where the members were paired to write, produce and record an original song with the same beat sample;[b][219] and SKZ Song Camp: Howl in Harmony, where the members were divided into three teams and produced their own songs.[c][220]
The main lyrical theme of Stray Kids' songs is the process and hardship of searching for their identity, especially in their early EP albums I Am ... series and Clé series. In "District 9", the lyrics implied the band members were frustrated by people questioning their identity, which they acknowledge they had not yet found.[221] In "My Pace", the lyrics imply comparison with others can cause nervousness or anxiety, but each person has their own pace.[222][223] The lyrics of "I Am You" are about the band thanking their audience for supporting the band, even when they did not know themselves.[224] "Miroh" implies Stray Kids' strength, energy and aspiration to enter a rough "maze" (Korean: 미로; RR: Miro) to achieve their dreams.[225] In "Side Effects", the members are rebelling because they wanted to do what they chose to do, even thought that choice may result in side effects.[207] The lyrics imply it is okay to "shout 'my head hurts' " in difficult situations but not give up because the side effects are never permanent.[226] The lyrics of "Levanter" (Korean: 바람; RR: baram; lit. wind) imply the keys they searched for were within them and that Stray Kids must be themselves to continue their journey following the wind.[227]
After the completion of I Am ... and Clé series, Stray Kids found their own identity and the band's lyrical themes shifted. They introduced "God's Menu" as their unique sound; the song uses culinary metaphors like "Welcome, it's easy to choose what you want in our kitchen. Anything on the menu will satisfy all your five senses", "This is our tang, tang, tang, tang" (Korean: 탕; RR: tang; lit. soup), and "You ask "What's our secret ingredient?". But we don't even use one".[219] Stray Kids received some criticism because their sound was considered too "noisy" by some, yet they "embrace[ed their] noisiness" in the lyrics of "Thunderous".[201] In "Maniac", the band encouraged their audience to embrace their own "quirkness".[228] "S-Class" is the continuation of the previous album Oddinary, in which they shout: "The odd one, that's me!". In "S-Class" they invite listeners to do the same in the lyrics: "Be the one to shine instead of chasing after what's shiny".[214] "Lalalala" celebrates the band members' lives and career,[229] pushing through pain to find joy and release through music.[230]
The band's B-sides often talk about self-reflection. On their debut album, the songs "Mirror" and "3rd Eye" discuss the difficulties of finding one's true self; in the song "Awaken", they stress the importance of fighting one's way out of a shell.[205] Some Stray Kids songs challenge new themes that are different from their other releases, like "Case 143" from Maxident, which is their first release that is explicitly about romantic love.[116][231]
Stray Kids are known for using wordplay in lyrics and song titles. The title of the album Go Live combines the English word go with the Korean word hanja (life) (Korean: GO生; RR: go-saeng) but the pronunciation gosaeng (Korean: 고생) can also mean "hardship" in Korean. The album's song "God's Menu" also contains wordplay from the hanja word "god" and the hangul word "menu" (Korean: 神메뉴; RR: sinmenyu; lit. God's Menu) but the pronunciation "sin-menu" (신메뉴) can also mean "new menu" in Korean.[219] In Noeasy, the album's title combines "no" and "easy" to mean "not easy", but its pronunciation sounds like "noisy". Its track "Thunderous" has a different Korean title "소리꾼" (Korean: 소리꾼; RR: sorikkun; lit. singers of pansori) which combines the word "소리" (Korean: 소리; RR: sori; lit. sound) and "꾼" (Korean: 꾼; RR: kkun; lit. suffix for a "doer"), which can also mean a person who "does sound very well". The Korean title of the song "Lalalala" (Korean: 락; Hanja: 樂; RR: rak; lit. pleasure) is also a wordplay with "rock", expressing the meaning of "although you will feel any emotions in life, you hope the last emotion you choose will be pleasure".[232]
Stage, performance and concept aesthetics
Stray Kids has been acknowledged for the band's stage and performance through multiple daesang[d] (grand prize) awards in this category, such as Performance of the Year award at 2021 Asia Artist Awards (AAA),[234] Stage of the Year award at 2023 AAA,[235] and the Best Performance awards at 2023 and 2024 Hanteo Music Awards.[236][237] They also earned the title "K-Performance Leaders" (Korean: K-퍼포먼스 대장주; RR: Keipeopomeonseu daejangju).[238] Industry figures and the media have praised the band's stage performances during year-end award shows.[239]
Stray Kids earned the title "Concept Matjib" (Korean: 콘셉트 맛집; RR: konsepteu matjib; lit. place/person with great concept) for their innovative concept in each release.[240] The band's concepts are shown in the choreography, music videos, stage outfits, and music style; the group's stylist, whose pseudonym on Instagram is Doooho, received praise for the styling of the band's outfits.[241] The band's choreography for "God';s Menu" incorporates mixing, frying, seasoning, and chopping to match the song's culinary concept.[219] Door-knocking choreography is used for "Back Door".[242] In the music video for "Thunderous", the band members danced in dokkaebi styles with pungmul folks and white lions in front of hanok to incorporate Korean folklore.[201][242] For "Maniac", they referenced Frankenstein's monster in the lyrics, choreography, and concept photographs.[243][244]
Stray Kids incorporate choreography and stage properties to complete their concept aesthetics, especially for year-end shows and competition.[245] During the 35th Golden Disc Awards, Stray Kids performed "God's Menu" with elegant dance moves and a huge fan,[245] and received a best performance award for the first time.[246] During the 2020 SBS Gayo Daejeon performance, they performed a nanta show to emphasize the cooking theme of "God's Menu".[247] During 2021 SBS Gayo Daejeon, they performed "Winter Falls" and "Thunderous" (Christmas version) with point choreography using canes, a performance that staged scenes from the popular Netflix drama Squid Game, and Felix's tap dance.[248][249]
The group competed in and won the 2021 competition show Kingdom: Legendary War, where they performed for five rounds, including the introduction stage.[250][251] For the introduction stage, the band performed "Miroh" within a 100-seconds time limit with a neon-style LED flashlight, karambit, wolf tattoos on the back of their hands, and acrobatic choreography that included backflips, a climbing human pyramid and a wolf to express the exploration of a mountain and a river.[252][253] In Round One, they performed "Jasin" (Korean: 스스로 '자', 귀신 '신'; Hanja: 自神; lit. self 'ja', ghost 'sin') which is a mashup of their songs "God's Menu" and "Side Effects", implying the theme "We chose to become evil to live" with each member's solo performance of struggling to overcome oppression through acrobatics.[251][254] On the broadcast day of this episode, experts praised Stray Kids' first competition stage, saying: "A stage that well expresses the fight with the inner self through the harmony of black and white" and "A group with powerful spirit as its strength", and praised the band's outstanding stage abilities.[255] For Round Two, they exchanged songs with BtoB and performed an arrangement of "I'll be Your Man", showing their vocal skills in slightly different lyrics to fit the theme of "sacrificing ourselves to demons to rescue a beloved one".[256] The members' performances included the destruction a mythical-temple-like set, and used objects such as flower bouquet, heart, handkerchiefs and knives.[257]
Round Three consist of 2 parts; in the first part, the band worked with BtoB and Ateez to perform rap, dance, vocals, and in the second part, they performed a song with no limitation. In Round Three Part One, 3Racha (Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han) performed "Colours" (물감놀이; Mulgamnori; lit. Paint Play)[e] with Minhyuk and Hongjoong for the rap category with witty lyrics that imply the theme "each different colors become one through music", and a playful splash of colors on stage.[259][260] Lee Know, Felix, and I.N performed the choreography of Exo's song "Wolf" with Peniel, Wooyoung, San, Yunho, Yeosang, and Seonghwa for the dance category, with pair choreography, Peniel's krumping, flying endings and facial expressions that displayed the wild nature of the wolf.[258][260] Seungmin performed "Love Poem" by IU with Eunkwang and Jongho for the vocal category, expressing the harmonious tone of their rearranged version of the song.[261][262]
In Round Three Part Two, Stray Kids performed a mashup of "God's Menu" and "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" by Blackpink with a concept of the movie Deadpool.[263] They used props such as LED lights, rice cookers, a subway, tanks, loudspeakers, flags and pistols.[262] This performance received praise from industry figures and the public, including the Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds and his friend actor Hugh Jackman.[264] In Round Four, Stray Kids performed a newly released song "Wolfgang" which was inspired by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and incorporated a "wolf pack that do music" concept theme.[265]
Other ventures
Endorsements
In February 2018, before Stray Kids' official debut, the nine members were announced as new models for the spring collection of Jambangee Jeans.[266] In June, the members were selected as exclusive models for Ivy Club for the 2018 fall semester.[267] The next month, Stray Kids partnered with Minute Maid Sparkling and five days later were chosen as promotional models for CGV's Youth Brand Festival .[268] In September 2019, Stray Kids began endorsing Lotte Duty Free and took part in the company's campaign "Let's Do Something Fun".[269][270] On October 16, Stray Kids became models for the Korean sportswear brand Pro-Specs.[271] In June 2019, Stray Kids was chosen as the newest ambassador of the Talk Talk Korea Contest,[272] and on June 18, the Korean Culture and Information Service under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism appointed the band members as honorary ambassadors.[273][274]
In November 2020, Stray Kids was chosen to become Shopee Indonesia's brand ambassador for two promotional sales.[275][276] On February 1, 2021, Stray Kids was chosen to become new models for Clio Cosmetics.[277][278] In June 2021, the group was chosen to endorse the Japanese clothing brand Wego[279] and as ambassadors for the Korea Pavilion of Expo 2020 in Dubai, UAE.[280] In September, the group was chosen to become new models for the cosmetic brand Nacific,[281] and the group's sub-unit Danceracha (Lee Know, Hyunjin, and Felix) appeared in campaigns for the Italian brand Etro's unisex sneaker Earthbeat.[282]
In 2022, Stray Kids became muses for the clothing brand Mahagrid's 2022 Summer T-shirt Campaign,[283] and ambassadors for the Philippine clothing brand Bench.[284] The brand held a fan meeting on January 20, 2023, at SM Mall of Asia Arena.[285] The group, together with Super Junior, again served as models for Lotte Duty Free in September 2022.[286] A month later, three short dramas was released as part of "LDF Original Series" new campaign featuring Stray Kids members.[287] In 2023, Stray Kids were selected as models for mobile-phone accessories brand SLBS, and launched the "Star to Galaxy" campaign to work with the group's character SKZoo for a special Samsung Z Flip model,[288] as well as Indonesian milk product Ultra Milk's brand ambassador.[289]
Fashion
Stray Kids was selected to be the Asian ambassador of Tommy Hilfiger for the company's campaigns in Fall 2023,[290] and Spring[291] and Fall 2024.[292] In May 2024, Stray Kids made their Met Gala debut as the guest of designer Tommy Hilfiger, wearing overcoats on top of tailored suits of the brand's signature red, white and blue with gold accents.[165] They are the first group to attended the event together.[293]
Individually, Stray Kids members have been appointed as ambassadors of various brands: Hyunjin for Versace as global ambassador in July 2023[294] and ambassador for Cartier in September 2024;[295] and Felix for Louis Vuitton as house ambassador in August 2023.[296] Both members attended the respective brand's events; Hyunjin fronted Versace's Holiday 2023 campaign[297] and Felix made his runway debut at the Paris Fashion Week for Louis Vuitton Women's Fall-Winter 2024 Collection on March 5, 2024.[298]
Philanthropy
Stray Kids is known as the "Donation Idol" (Korean: 기부돌; RR: gibudol) for its participation in donations.[299][300] Members Changbin and Hyunjin donated ₩100M (equivalent to $77,590 in 2023) each toward relief efforts following the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes.[301] They were both appointed as members of the honors club in March 2023.[302] Member Felix also donated ₩50M for the earthquake relief and became a member of the "Vision Society" of the World Vision in February 2023.[303] Felix has also donated to the international children's rights organization Save the Children since 2020 and was appointed as an honors club member in March 2023.[304] In January 2024, Felix donated ₩100M (US$76,100 in 2024) to the Korean Committee for UNICEF to help Laotian children living with poor sanitation and nutrition, making him the youngest member of the UNICEF Honors Club.[305] He was appointed as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Korea in September.[306] Member Lee Know became a member of the "Bob Pierce Honor Club" of World Vision for donating over ₩100M for global food-crisis response project to help children in the poorest countries facing food shortages due to rapid climate change in February 2024.[307] Lee Know has sponsored children overseas through World Vision since 2014, and has partnered with four children in 2023.[300] Member I.N donated ₩100M for the healthy growth of underprivileged children in Korea through the child-welfare organization Green Umbrella and became its youngest member of "Green Noble Club" in June 2024.[308]
Stray Kids also participated in JYP Entertainment's "Every Dream Matters!" (EDM) campaign to help support terminally ill children's wishes. In 2021, Bang Chan hosted the 2021 JYP EDM Day on JYP Entertainment social media account with J.Y. Park and Twice's Sana. They introduced the EDM projects and shared the results of the EDM Wish Day project, EDM Treatment Cost Support Project, and Love Earth project as part of EDM social contribution works in 2021.[309] In February 2023, they participated in JYP EDM Wish Day activities by virtually granting wishes of overseas children with incurable diseases.[310] In December, Bang Chan hosted the 2023 JYP EDM Day with J.Y. Park and Twice's Jihyo. They shared the results of that year's EDM social contribution works, and Stray Kids mentored underprivileged Korean youths who aspire to be singers and dancers for one day.[311]
Impact and legacy
Stray Kids was featured in the Time's 2023 Next Generation Leaders list for their success in global markets.[203] Rolling Stone UK called them the biggest band in the world with many record-breaking milestones.[312] In October 2022, Stray Kids had sold over 10 million albums in both Korean and Japanese,[313] and became the seventh-best-selling artist globally that year according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).[124] In 2023, Stray Kids was noted as the first K-Pop group to exceed five million album pre-orders for 5-Star;[314] 5-Star and Rock-Star were noted as the second- and fifth-best-selling-albums worldwide, respectively.[315] The IFPI named Stray Kids as the third-global-best-selling artist that year, behind Taylor Swift and Seventeen.[157] Stray Kids also became the first act to break the record of the first-six-consecutive Bilboard 200 entries with the release of Oddinary, Maxident, 5-Star, Rock-Star, Ate, and Hop.[193]
Stray Kids was recognized for their music and performance, having performed as a headliner at major international music festivals like Lollapalooza (Paris in 2023,[141] then Chicago in 2024),[316] BST Hyde Park,[317][318] and I-Days;[319] and was the first K-Pop boy-band and the first K-Pop act to do so. Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun acknowledge Stray Kids for high-standard performances, skills and music, which he said consistently meets or exceed a certain level of quality and naturally brought global audiences to notice the band members' charms.[320] In August 2024, Stray Kids became the first K-pop artist to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone UK.[321][322]
Stray Kids' work has influenced other artists, including Nexz,[323] All(H)Ours,[324][325] WHIB,[326] and Commander man.[327]
Awards and achievements
Stray Kids has won numerous awards throughout their career. On April 19, 2019, Stray Kids won its first music program with "Miroh" at Show Champion.[328] Stray Kids has received numerous trophies in South Korea and internationally, including ten Asia Artist Awards, five Circle Chart Music Awards, eight The Fact Music Awards, seven Golden Disc Awards, six Hanteo Music Awards, six MAMA Awards, two Japan Gold Disc Award, a Billboard Music Award, an iHeartRadio Music Awards, a MTV Europe Music Awards, a MTV Video Music Awards, a MTV Video Music Awards Japan, a Nickelodeon Mexico Kids' Choice Awards and a People's Choice Awards. They have won six daesang:[d] three consecutive Asia Artist Awards (2021–2023),[329][235] two consecutive best performance at Hanteo Music Awards (2022–2023),[330][331] and an Asia Star Entertainer Awards (2024).[332]
Stray Kids is also the first K-pop group to exceed five million pre-orders for its album 5-Star, which exceeded 5.13 million pre-orders reported on June 1, 2023.[314] On October 21, 2023, Stray Kids was honored with the Prime Minister's Commendation at the Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, in recognition of public service and/or excellence in a given field.[155]
Members
On October 28, 2019, Stray Kids' member Woojin left the band and terminated his contract with JYP Entertainment for undisclosed personal reasons.[333] From February to July 2021, Hyunjin was on hiatus due to allegations of bullying against him but resumed regular activities with the group in August.[334][335] Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han are also members of the in-house songwriting and production team 3Racha, and are frequently involved in writing lyrics and composing for the group.[336][337][338]
|
Current members |
Former members
|
Timeline
Discography
Filmography
Television series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Stray Kids | Contestant | [340] | |
| 2019 | Finding SKZ | Cast member | [341] | |
| 2020 | Finding SKZ God Edition | Cast member | [342] | |
| 2021 | Kingdom: Legendary War | Contestant | Hyunjin did not participate starting from episode 2 | [343] |
| Kingdom Week <No+> | Cast member | [344] | ||
| 2022 | Finding SKZ Get Edition | Cast member | [345] | |
| 2023 | Stray Kids Tokyo Mission Tour | Cast member | [346] |
Short films
| Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | SKZflix | Themselves | [347] |
Concert tours
- District 9: Unlock World Tour (2019–2020)
- Maniac World Tour (2022–2023)
- 5-Star Dome Tour (2023)
- Dominate World Tour (2024–2025)
Notes
- Some self-produced songs was later officially released in the compilation albums SKZ-Replay.
- The result of Two Kids Song series was not officially released but only uploaded on Stray Kids official YouTube channel. Team Bang Chan-Felix with "One More Page" (한장더), Team Lee Know-Han with "Ice Americano", Team Changbin-I.N with "Sensitive Boss" (Yeah민Boss), and Team Hyunjin-Seungmin with "King of Nagging" (잔소리 대마왕).
- The result of SKZ Song Camp: Howl in Harmony included in the album Noeasy. Team Bang Chan-Hyunjin with "Red Lights" (강박), Team Lee Know-Changbin-Felix with "Surfin", and Team Han-Seungmin-I.N with "Gone Away".
- A daesang, (대상; lit. grand prize) is the highest honor given out at South Korean music award ceremonies in recognition of the artist(s) with the greatest physical and digital achievements for the year.[233]
- "Colours" is a new song for round 3 part 1 of Kingdom: Legendary War; composed by 3Racha, Minhyuk, and Hongjoong together before the performance; The song making process was included in the episode 7 of the show.[258]
References
Further reading
External links
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