~ Stray Kids ~

Average reading time: 20 minutes.

Stray Kids is a south-korean boy group under JYP Entertainment that is composed of 8 members: Bang Chan, Lee know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N. The group was formed through a survival show called "Stray Kids" and debuted on March 25, 2018. Their fandom is called "Stay". The 3RACHA unit (composed of Bang Chan, Changbin and Han) composes and writes most of Stray Kids' songs. Their latest Korean comeback was on August 23, 2021 with their second studio album entitled "No Easy" and its title track "Thunderous (소리꾼)". 

Follow and support stray kids on their social media platforms:

• Official website: straykids.jype.com
• Official website (Japan): straykidsjapan.com
• Facebook: JYPEStrayKids
• Twitter: @Stray_Kids / @stay_support
• Twitter (Japan): @Stray_Kids_JP
  
• Instagram: @realstraykids
• Instagram (Japan): @straykids_official_jp
• Youtube: Stray Kids
• Youtube (Japan): Stray Kids Japan official Youtube
• V Live: Stray Kids
• Tik Tok: @jypestraykids
• Tik Tok (Japan): @straykids_japan

Get to know the members

Stage Name: Bang Chan (방찬)

Birth Name: Christopher Bang

Korean Name: Bang Chan (방찬)

Position: Leader, Producer, Vocalist, Dancer, Rapper

Birthday: October 3, 1997

Height: 171cm

MBTI type: ENFJ-T

Unit: 3RACHA

Spotify: Stray Kids’ Leader Bang Chan’s Playlist

Fun Facts: Bang Chan was born in South Korea, but he moved to Sydney, Australia when he was very young. He can speak English, Korean, Japanese and a little bit of Chinese. He joined JYP Entertainment in 2010 after passing an audition in Australia. He trained for 7 years, alongside GOT7, Twice and Day6. He is friends with GOT7‘s BamBam and Yugyeom, and with Blackpink's Lisa. He starred in TWICE‘s “Like Ooh Ahh” MV as a zombie and Miss A‘s “Only You” MV. Bang Chan thinks his charming point is his dimples when he smiles. His nicknames given by his members are Kangaroo and Koala. His perfume is Versace Eros, his hobby is playing sports, he can play the guitar and the piano, and his favourite season is autumn. He has a dog named Berry, and his role models are Drake, Cristiano Ronaldo, and his dad. Bang Chan affirmed not having an ideal type, and his motto is "Just Enjoy". 

 

Stage Name: Lee Know (리노)

Birth Name: Lee Min Ho (이민호)

Position: Dancer, Vocalist, Rapper

Birthday: October 25, 1998

Height: 172cm

MBTI type: ESFJ-T

Unit: Dance Racha

Spotify: Real Dancing Gem Lee Know’s Mix

Fun Facts: Lee know was born in Gimpo, South Korea and is an only child. He graduated from Gimpo Jeil Technical High School and is ambidextrous. He was a backup dancer for BTS and trained at JYP for 1 year. His hobbies are hiking, choreographing and watching movies. His favourite dancing genre is hip-hop, and his favourite colour is mint. Lee Know's role models are 2pm, and his favourite 2pm song is "10 out of 10". His frequent habit is cracking his fingers and has a fear of heights. Lee Know has 3 cats named Sooni, Doongi and Dori. If he wasn’t in Stray Kids, he would be a dancer. He was eliminated on November 7, episode 4 of Mnet’s Stray Kids (the survival show) but he was added back at the end of episode 9. His ideal type is a person who matches well with him and someone he can talk comfortably with, and his motto is “Let’s eat well and live well.”

 

Stage Name: Changbin (창빈)

Birth Name: Seo Chang Bin (서창빈)

Position: Rapper, Vocalist, Producer

Birthday: August 11, 1999

Height: 167cm

MBTI type: ENFP-T

Unit: 3RACHA

Spotify: All-rounder Changbin’s Favorites

Fun Facts: Changbin was born in Yongin, South Korea and has an older sister. He graduated from Bora High School. He trained for 2 years before debuting with Stray Kids. His nickname given by his members are Mogi (mosquito), Jingjingie (whiny), Teokjaengie (chin) and Binnie. His specialties are writing lyrics and rap. His hobbies are listening to music and to go shopping, and his favourite season is autumn. His role models are BIGBANG‘s G-Dragon, Kendrick Lamar, as well as his mother and father. He thinks his charming point is being cheerful and active. Changbin likes dark things, horror movies and to collect things. He can’t sleep without his Munchlax plush toy, which he calls Gyu. If he wasn’t in Stray Kids, he would be a producer, writer or maybe tattoo master. Changbin's ideal type is a girl who can laugh with him when they’re together, and his motto is “Let’s live with a positive mind, enjoy the life.”

 

Stage Name: Hyunjin (현진)

Birth Name: Hwang Hyun Jin (황현진)

Position: Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist, Visual

Birthday: March 20, 2000

Height: 179cm

MBTI type: INFP-T

Unit: Dance Racha

Spotify: You Will Love Hyunjin’s Favorites

Fun Facts: Hyunjin was born in Seoul, South Korea and is an only child. When he was a kid he lived for a while in Las Vegas and can speak basic English. He got cast on the street and entered JYP in 2015 where he trained for 2 years before debuting. He graduated from SOPA (School of performing arts in Seoul) in February 2019 where he studied Practical Dance. D-CRUNCH‘s Chanyoung, and VERIVERY‘s Yongseung were his classmates. His role model is GOT7‘s Jinyoung. His hobbies are dancing, reading books and playing sports. He thinks his charming point is his lips. His favourite food is sushi but he can't eat onions, carrots and eggplants. Hyunjin’s favourite colours are black and white, and his favourite season is autumn. He talks in his sleep and is the hardest to wake up. Hyunjin is allergic to cat fur and has a dog named Kkami, which he raises since he was 16. Aside from his group activities, Hyunjin is an MC on “Show Music Core”. His ideal type is someone who would listen to his worries well and can empathize to them as if it’s their own worries, and his motto is “Let’s try even when you regret it later.”

 

Stage Name: Han (한)

Birth Name: Han Ji Sung (한지성)

English Name: Peter Han

Position: Rapper, Vocalist, Producer

Birthday: September 14, 2000

Height: 169cm

MBTI type: ISTP-T

Unit: 3RACHA

Spotify: Korean Lyrical Rapper Han’s Playlist

Fun Facts: Han was born in Incheon, South Korea and has an older brother. He used to live and study in Malaysia. He trained for 3 years before debuting. His nickname given by his members is Squirrel. His favourite food is cheesecake and chocolate cake, his favourite colour is red, and his favourite season is winter. He thinks his charming point is acting silly, and his special ability is a voice impression of Doraemon. He is also really good at drawing characters. His phone background is a drawing of Sailor Moon and a cat looking at the moon. Han's role model is Block B's Zico. He appeared in “King of Masked Singer” as “Imgeokjjeong”, he was eliminated in 1st round. If he wasn’t in Stray Kids, he would a producer. His motto is "This too, shall pass."

 

Stage Name: Felix (필릭스)

Birth Name: Felix Lee (이 필릭스)

Korean Name: Lee Yong Bok (이용복)

Position: Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist

Birthday: September 15, 2000

Height: 171cm

MBTI type: ENFP-T

Unit: Dance Racha

Spotify: It’s Felix’s Favorite Mix

Fun Facts: Felix's parents are Korean, but he was born in Sydney, Australia. He has an older sister (Rachel/Jisue Lee) and a younger sister (Olivia Lee). Before leaving Sydney, he attended St Patrick’s Marist College. He trained 1 year before debuting. He was eliminated on December 5, episode 8 of Mnet’s Stray Kids (the survival show), but he was added back at the end of episode 9. Felix shares his birthday with fellow JYP artist, Jae from Day6. His nicknames given by his members are Bbijikseu, Bbajikseu, Bbujikseu, and Jikseu. His hobbies are listening to music, dancing, shopping (especially clothes), traveling, and beatboxing. He thinks his charming point is his freckles (AND I AGREE). His favourite sport is soccer, and his favourite seasons are autumn and winter. His role model is Bigbang's G-Dragon. He knows taekwondo and even won a lot of medals when he was young. Felix also plays the piano. He has a bad habit of biting his nails. His phone background is a photo of himself with a stuffed bear. If he wasn’t in Stray Kids, he would be a song writer. His motto is "Just a little braver". 

 

Stage Name: Seungmin (승민)

Birth Name: Kim Seung Min (김승민)

Position: Vocalist

Birthday: September 22, 2000

Height: 178cm

MBTI type: ESFJ-A

Unit: Vocal Racha

Spotify: Dandy Boy Seungmin’s Mix

Fun Facts: Seungmin was born in Seoul, South Korea and has an older sister. He graduated from Cheongdam High School. He speaks English very well, though he only learned English in L.A for 3 months when he was in 4th grade. Seungmin and Bang Chan went to the same high school, and Bang Chan was his senior. His hobbies are writing in his diary, listening to music and eating. Seungmin is a morning person, and his favourite food is eggs. He joined JYP in 2017 after winning second place in JYPE’s 13th Open Audition. His role models are DAY6, Kim Dong-ryul, and Sandeul from B1A4. Seungmin was an MC for ASC (After School Club) and is actively an MC for "We Kpop". He shares his birthday with fellow JYP artists, Jinyoung from GOT7 and Nayeon from TWICE. His phone background is a photo he took of scenery. He is friends with AB6IX‘ Daehwi since high school. His motto is “Today you spent in vain is the day as tomorrow someone who passed away really wants to live through.”

 

Stage Name: I.N (아이엔)

Birth Name: Yang Jeong In (양정인)

Position: Vocalist, Maknae

Birthday: February 8, 2001

Height: 172cm

MBTI type: ESFJ-T / ISFJ (His test result keeps changing – vLive Dec 2020)

Unit: Vocal Racha

Spotify: Stray Kids’ Youngest I.N’s Favorites

Fun Facts: I.N was born in Busan, South Korea. He has an older brother and a younger brother who is 12 years old, as of 2018. He graduated from SOPA (School of performing arts in Seoul), where he studied Applied Music. He used to be a child model when he was seven years old. He trained for two years before debuting. His nicknames given by his members are Desert Fox, Our Maknae, Spoon Worm Yang, Fiona and Bean Worm. His hobbies are listening to rock and pop songs and watching mukbang. His special ability is singing trot (he's exceptionally good at it). He likes all foods besides beans, his favourite colour is hot pink, and his favourite season is winter. His role model is Bruno Mars. I.N had braces for over 2 years and had  them removed on January 17th 2019. If he wasn’t in Stray Kids, he would be a singer, or an elementary school teacher since he likes kids. His motto is "Let's have a good time!".

 

Stage Name: Woojin (우진) (former member)

Birth Name: Kim Woo Jin (김우진)

Position: Main Vocalist

Birthday: April 8, 1997

Height: 176cm

MBTI type: EFSJ

Unit: Vocal Racha

Spotify: Teddy Bear Woojin’s Playlist

Social Media Accounts: @woooojin0408 (instagram), @woooojinn (twitter), KIM WOOJIN (YouTube), kimwoojin.official (Facebook), KIM WOOJIN (V Live), @woooojinn (Tik Tok). 

Fun Facts: Woojin was born in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea and has an older brother. His hobbies are listening to music and shopping (especially clothes). His specialty is kendo (modern Japanese martial arts). His special talent is that he can guess fried chicken brands. He can speak basic English. His favorite food is chicken with cheese on the top, and his favourite season is autumn. He can play the guitar and the piano, and he likes horror movies. His perfume is Versace Dylan Blue. He is a former Fantagio trainee and a former SM trainee (he used to train with NCT members). His role model is Bruno Mars. He trained 2 years prior to debut. Woojin left the group on October 27th, 2019 for personal reasons and has terminated his contract with JYP. On August 5th, 2021, he debuted as a soloist with 1st Mini Album ‘’The moment: 未成年 a minor”. His ideal type is a charismatic person, and his motto is “Let’s not make things that we regret.”

How I discovered Stray Kids and became a Stay

I discovered Stray Kids when they released their "I am You" album. I stumbled upon the title track first, and then I listened to the b-sides of this album which were really good. Then I discovered their other tracks while surfing on YouTube: My Pace, Hellevator, and District 9. Then one day I was recommended by someone on a comment section to watch the survival show if I wanted to know them better. And the survival show was the reason why I became a Stay. The best way to get attached to a group is by really understanding who they are, what they've been through, and what made them what they are today. And that was exactly what the show explained to me: why stray kids are stray kids, how they became stray kids, what are the hardships they've been through, etc. I literally cried watching Felix and Lee Know getting eliminated, but thank god they were brought back because the group wouldn't be what they are today without them. 

About their discography

Pre-debut mini album: "Mixtape"

On January 8, 2018, Stray Kids released a pre-debut album called "Mixtape" with 7 tracks on it. Most of them were performed during the survival show they were formed through: "Hellevator", "Grrr", "Spread My Wings", "Yayaya", "Glow", "School life" and "4419". Hellevator, besides being a very good song with a very nice beat, is a very meaningful song if you carefully listen to the lyrics. They are talking about how they struggled on their own, stuck in a maze that supposedly leads to their debut, with people constantly trying to tell them to give up on this "nonsense" dream. I think that, to this day, this song is one of the most meaningful ones they've ever wrote. 

On the other hand, "Grrr" is just as it sounds like: Aggressive. The rap in this song is very fierce, and Felix's deep voice adds to this raspiness and almost anger I'd say. I mean, just take a look at the lyrics in the chorus that are very raw: "It doesn't matter who you are, I bite you, tear, tear you up. Don't talk to me, You're suffocating, you all are, don't confront me." For a pre-debut b-side, this song really shows off Stray Kids' rapping abilities. I personally think that they have one of the best rappers of their generation. 

For the song "Spread my wings", they yet again went for a different message. They talk about how they're naturally growing up, how they are excited of experiencing changes due to them growing up (getting their ID card, looking at dressed-up shoes and not sneakers, etc.), but that they also feel anxious about the day they'll become real adults, when they won't have enough time anymore to do all the things they want to do. I find this message interesting and relatable because that's literally what I, and a lot of people, went through while growing up. 

Lastly, I don't have much to say about "Glow", "4419" and "Yayaya" so I'll directly skip to "School Life". I really like to listen to that song nowadays because it keeps reminding me that these boys are still normal people who went to school at some point in their life and know what it's like to wake up at 7am on the sound of your mother shouting at you but still wanting to sleep (that's literally what the lyrics say). 

Debut 1st mini album: "I am Not"

On March 25, 2018, Stray Kids officially made their debut under JYP Entertainment with their mini album "I am Not" (the first part of the "I am" trilogy) and its title track "District 9". The album has 7 other tracks on it: "NOT!", "Mirror", "Awaken", "Rock", "Grow up", "3rd eye" and "Mixtape #1".

Listen, "District 9" has everything you'd expect a good debut song to have. It's not perfect, but it has all the elements of a great song in it. First, the structure of the song. It's a very simple structure: Intro (the siren sounds) - Verse 1 (starting with lee know) - Chorus 1 - Post-Chorus (the "stray kids everywhere all around the world) - Verse 2 (Jisung and Changbin's rap) - Chorus 2 - Bridge (Felix's deep ass voice) - Chorus 3 - Outro. Second, it has enough vocals, a holy grail rap, a nice beat, and a nice choreography.

Then you have "Mirror", which is my favourite b-side of this album. This song is about not knowing who you are and asking for a Mirror to help it show you your true and inner self. The chorus goes like "In the reflection I'm a maze, the mirror that reflects my inner self my mirror. Where can I find it? For once I wish I could see myself." The performance video is shot in black and white, and the choreography shows the members mirroring their movements, which I find very creative.

I also wanted to talk about 3rd eye. If you're already a Stay, you straight up think about Felix's iconic rap part. But let me tell you that what he is saying is as deep as his voice. This song is about not wanting to see the reality of things and the real world that sometimes is being cruel, and needing a third eye (might be a person, an object, or anything else) to guide them in this chaos. 

Finally, if you need a bit more warmth and comfort, there's "Grow up". This song tries to motivate you and tell you that even though you feel like giving up because you can't handle things anymore, you have to take a break and give your head a bowl of fresh air and get rid of toxic thoughts.

2nd mini album: "I am Who"

On August 6, 2018, Stray Kids are back with their second mini album called "I am Who". The album is composed of 8 tracks: "WHO?", "My Pace (title)", "Voices", "Question", "Insomnia", "M.I.A", "Awkward Silence" and "Mixtape #2". "My Pace" is one of my favourite title track of theirs, because you just want to dance and sing along to it. The song and the lyrics are so refreshing and so encouraging, you really want to go run a marathon or achieve something big after listening to that song. I love the line that goes something like "there's no need to rush, keep going at your own pace". 

Then, there's "Voices", one of Stray Kids' best vocal-centric songs. This song is about hearing voices that are trying to keep you away from your dreams. At one point in his rap, Changbin says "Voices that act like they're for me but really they ignore my dreams", and Hyunjin says at the start of the second verse "Stop, all the sounds that judge me, it annoys me like noisy neighbours." They may be referring to all the people who were trying to stop them from being idols, pretending like it's for their own good, but actually pulling them away from their dream. 

Another song I really like in this album, and I think is pretty underrated, is Insomnia. I'm the type of person who cannot sleep because I have too many thoughts in my head, thinking about too many things at the same time. That's literally what the song is about.

Finally, you have the silly and cute Stray Kids appearing in "Awkward silence". I mean, this song is just a meme in itself and I absolutely love it because of that, and it shows you how versatile this group is. My favourite part of this song is definitely the bridge :)

3rd mini album: "I am You"

On October 22, 2018, a couple of months after the release of their second mini-album, Stray Kids are back with the last part of their "I am" trilogy: "I am you". The album is composed of 8 songs: "YOU.", "I am you (title)", "My Side", "Hero's Soup", "N/S", "0325", and "Mixtape #3". In their title track "I am you", Stray Kids found theirselves in the "You" (which I assume is their fans, stays, but which could also be the other members as well). The chorus goes like "I am You, I see me in You, I feel it when I'm with you. In the same space, in the same time, I can do anything." 

Diving into the b-sides, you have "My Side" that is very creative and out of the box musically-wise. In the second chorus, the lyrics goes like this: "I hope this song's lyrics will reach your ears, I hope these lyrics won't flow away and whirl around you. Even without any reason, that you who wants to come to my side, but I'm not able to be next to you. I'm on your side, I will go to you soon." I'd like to believe that they're talking to their international fans, telling them that even though they're not able to be by their side right now, that this song's for them and that they promise they'll be by their side someday. 

You also have "N/S" (North/South). This song is the "Awkward Silence" of this album. The song is silly, and so is the video they shot on the streets. So what I understand from the lyrics is that they don't like ambiguous situations and only like it when there's two answers whether it being yes or no, black or white, X or O, South or North. And I get that when you have too many options it gets complicated, so you really want to narrow down the options you have to make it easier for you to choose. I don't think I've ever heard a song talking about such a random topic, so this song's pretty unique. 

4th mini album: "Clé 1: Miroh"

Their "I am" trilogy behind them, Stray Kids came back on March 25, 2019 (their 1st debut anniversary) with a whole new concept... and the start of a new trilogy: "Clé 1: Miroh". This album is their fourth mini album which contains 8 tracks: "Entrance", "Miroh (title)", "Victory Song", "Maze of Memories", "Chronosaurus", "Boxer", "19" and "Mixtape #4". In my opinion, "Miroh" was a huge turning point in Stray Kid's carrier. Yes, they had previously released three mini-albums, but they all kind of had the same concept and same vibe. This fourth mini album acted like a first comeback for them, because the change in style was important. I believe it's also when Stray Kids really started to get noticed by the international community. Now, while I do understand that this song is really appreciated by the majority, it is not the best title SONG they've put out, and I insist on the word song because choreography-wise and concept-wise, this comeback was really strong. I'm sure this song would sound AMAZING in a concert, but listening to it just like that when I'm in my room or any other set up doesn't give me the "wow effect". 

In terms of b-sides, this album holds rough diamonds: "Chronosaurus" and "19" are my favourite ones. In their intro video for the album, Stray Kids described Chronosaurus as a song about the fear of time. They went on saying that in the endless city portrayed in their song "Miroh" (which is in itself a caricature of today's society) people are always afraid of time and being chased by it. In the song time is represented by a monster named "Chronosaurus". Bang Chan then explained that "Kronosaurus" was one of the most fearful dinosaurs in Australia and that they combined this word with "Chronos" (the god of time in the greek mythology) to get "Chronosaurus". 

5th mini album: "Clé 2: Yellow Wood"

Following the first part of the "Clé" trilogy, Stray Kids released their fifth mini album called "Clé 2: Yellow Wood" on June 19, 2019. This album has 7 tracks on it, 4 of which have been previously released: "Road not taken", "Side effects (title)", "TMT", "Mixtape #1", "Mixtape #2", "Mixtape #3", and "Mixtape #4". "Side effects" is the continuity of "Miroh". Stray Kids were previously trying to escape the crazy city Miroh portrayed, and in "Side effects" they have succeeded in escaping, but land in a strange place where they start feeling weird. It's kind of a transition place to get where they really want to get, a place where they're being tested. And if they succeed in escaping this place, they'll finally see the end of the tunnel. Now, talking more specifically about the song, it is a very heavy EDM track. I always said to my friends that they could easily play this song in a nightclub at like 1am with everyone being drunk shouting "My head hurts" lol. Because it is very heavy on electronic instrumentals, I don't really listen to this song very often. But they're really good at keeping up the storyline!

6th mini album: "Clé Levanter"

On December 10, 2019, Stray Kids came back with the third and last part of their "Clé" trilogy: "Clé Levanter". On this album you have 8 tracks: "Stop", "Double Knot (pre-released track)", "Levanter (title)", "Booster", "Astronaut", "Sunshine", "You can stay", and "Mixtape #5". Double Knot and Levanter are amazing tracks, and Levanter was actually a relatively new style Stray Kids were going for. Both songs were also released in English on January 24, 2020. This album is about finally reaching the destination they were going for, and finally being able to be theirselves. Then, you have Astronaut. This song is just amazing. It's so refreshing, it makes you want to sing along and dance along, and it instantly makes you smile! I know Stray Kids is known for making very "heavy" music like in Double Knot, but I really appreciate how they do multiple genres in a single album. 

 

1st Japanese repackaged album: "SKZ 2020"

On March 18, 2020, Stray Kids revealed their first Japanese repackaged album called "SKZ 2020". The album contains 27 tracks, all of which have been previously released, but three Japanese versions were made: Levanter (Japanese Ver.), "Double Knot (Japanese Ver.)", and "My Pace (Japanese Ver.). The rest of the songs are: "Hellevator", "Grrr", "Spread my wings", "Yayaya", "District 9", "Mirror", "Grow up", "My pace", "Voices", "Question", "M.I.A", "Awkward silence", "I am you", "Get cool", "Miroh", "Victory song", "Boxer", "Chronosaurus", "19", "Side Effects", "TMT", "Double knot", "Levanter" and "Astronaut". 

 

 

 

 

 

Single: "TOP"

On May 13, 2020, Stray Kids released two songs: "Top" (the opening for the anime "Tower of God") and "Slump" (the ending for the anime "Tower of God"). The Korean versions were released first, then the English versions were released on May 20 and the Japanese versions on June 3. I do prefer "TOP", the Korean version more specifically, although Slump is still very good. It's just that TOP hits harder as it is the opening. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1st full Korean studio album: "GO Live" 

More than two years after their debut, Stray Kids finally got to release their first full Korean studio album on June 17, 2020 entitled "Go 生". The album has 14 tracks on it: "GO生", "神메뉴 (God’s Menu) (title)", "Easy", "Pacemaker", "Airplane", "Another Day", "Phobia", "Blueprint", "TA", "Haven", "TOP", "Slump", "Mixtape: Gone Days" and "Mixtape: On track". I think God's Menu is the most popular and the most iconic Stray Kids' title track. The majority of kpop fans know this song, or at least the "DU DU DU" part. I really like this song, not because it's easy to listen to because it's not, it's loud and hard and you don't want to listen to it nonstop or your ears will break. I like this song because it's catchy, because whenever the "DU DU DU" parts comes in you do the hand movement, you sing along because you can't get the "DU DU DU" or the "Tang tang" wrong, and you just go crazy. This song is definitely in my top 3 favourite Stray Kids' title tracks. 

As this is a full album, you have a lot of b-sides on it. My favourites have to be "TA", "Haven", and "Blueprint". Mind you, these three songs are very different. "TA" is a very hyped-up and energetic song, "Haven" is hopeful and cheerful song, and "Blueprint" has this amazing summer vibe to it. But listening to them one after another makes me feel like they complete each other (which can be interpreted as weird by some people but that's really how I felt listening to these three songs). All the songs on this album are worth a listen, but I can't really comment on all of them otherwise this article will be too long :)

1st full length Korean repackage: "In Life"

"In Life" was released on September 14, 2020 and is Stray Kids' first repackaged album. The album has 17 tracks on it, 8 if we exclude the songs that were included in their previous album. The 8 new songs are: "The Tortoise and the Hare", "Back Door (title)", "B Me", "Any", "Ex", "We Go", "Wow" and "My universe".  If Back Door had been released before God's Menu, or maybe 2 or 3 comebacks after God's Menu, it would've been more popular. The song is really good and catchy, and the choreography is as memorable as God's Menu's. But because it was released a short time after God's Menu it didn't get the recognition it deserved (although the song was really well welcomed, I'm not saying it was ignored). However as Back Door's a kind of continuity to God's Menu, it was logical that they released it right after God's Menu (and also because Stray Kids are known for always having continuous storylines which is one of their strengths). And then you have "Ex" that is, alongside Blueprint, in my top 3 favourite Stray Kids' b-sides. I just love how they're able to mix multiple genres in one album and make all the songs contrast each other. Usually when a western group does an album, all the songs have more or less the same vibe. But for Stray Kids (and Kpop in a more general way) you can find 2 or 3 genres mixed in a single album and I LOVE THAT!

2nd full Korean studio album: "No Easy"

One year after the release of their first Korean full album, Stray Kids released their second Korean full album on August 23, 2021. This album sounds exactly like them saying to haters "We are Stray Kids and we don't care if you don't like our style because we don't go by the rules." Indeed, it really feels like Stray Kids have finally found their identity and we're finally able to say while listening to this album "this sounds very Stray Kids". I'm a proud momma T-T

This album is made of 14 tracks: "Cheese", "Thunderous (title)", "Domino", "Ssick", "The view", "Sorry I love you", "Silent Cry", "Secret Secret", "Star Lost", "Red lights", "Surfin'", "Gone Away", "Wolfgang", and "Mixtape: OH". While describing the album in their "intro" video, Hyunjin said "All songs have become much more advanced and heavier overall" which I totally agree with. These songs are on a whole other level, starting by the title track "Thunderous". This song is such a great title track! I was so happy listening to it because it really sounded like they poured themselves into that song, shouting "Hey, we're stray kids, we're going to blow the stage up". I loved how they mixed traditional Korean elements aesthetically-wise and musically-wise with modern touches, and dang I love how they incorporated animation in the MV, it was so well done. Kudos to the team behind this. 

Let me also tell you that after I listened to "Cheese", I kept shouting I.N's line "자 하나 둘 셋Cheese!" (1, 2, 3, Cheese!) for a couple of hours. This song is SO GOOD! I never thought a song like that would exist but now it does and I'm so glad for it. While describing the song, Bang Chan said "We made the song wanting to express many different things with the word "cheese"" and it's true that you can think of this word as the cheese you put on top of the pizza and the cheese you do when taking a picture and smiling (I'm sure there are other meanings but I'm too dumb to figure them out :p). 

Overall this album is very complete as you have very different songs on it, each one talking about a certain topic, and each one being representative of Stray Kids' identity. 

To go further...

So, there's a person on YouTube who had this brilliant idea of making a song out of Stray Kids' memes. You can watch it right here. 

You can watch performances from the survival show they were formed through on YouTube. My all time favourite will always be "Hellevator" from their final mission in front of JYP himself. You can watch it right here.

They appeared on the 526th episode of weekly idol (aired on August 26, 2021) that you can watch right here. I didn't know they were so bad at reading on lips, they literally got me dying of laugh. 

Stray Kids participated and won Mnet's competition show "Kingdom". My personal favourite performance was the mashup of Blackpink's "Ddu-du-ddu-du" and their song "God's menu" which you can watch right here. Their reference to "Deadpool" was not left unnoticed and THE Ryan Reynolds reacted to this very performance and asking Bang Chan for an autograph. 

As for every album, Stray Kids made an "intro" video talking about how the album was made and the meaning of its songs, what were their goals with that album, etc. I'd recommend you to watch the intro video for their latest album "NOEASY" right here because it really helped me understand the true meaning behind this album. 

That's it for the presentation of the 4th generation Kpop boy group Stray Kids. I hope this article helped you getting more familiar with them, and if you knew them already I hope this article helped you learn something new about them. And remember: Stray kids everywhere all around the world! 

Take care and I'll see you all soon!

Love, Swan

 

Sources: YouTube, Kprofiles, Soompi.