Stray Kids (SKZ) is a South Korean boy band that was formed by JYP Entertainment. SKZ consists of 8 members; Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. Stray Kids is distinct from other groups because all of their music is made and produced by a subsection in the group called 3racha made up of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han.
On Nov. 10, Stray Kids released their 8th mini album “Rock-star”, and since then, Stray Kids has reached new heights and various awards in the short time since. “Rock-star” was the fourth consecutive album released by Stray Kids to reach No.1 on the Billboard 200, as well as leading them to their debut on the Billboard 100 charts, the only other K-pop band other than BTS to do so.
This album was well loved by many if not all of their fans. Online reviewers say, “this album felt like SKZ recognizing their impact and seeing themselves as the rock stars they are while not forgetting the struggles they’ve faced and the ones they are still fighting. I love their blend of vulnerability and confidence in their song themes. They’ve overcome so much and put in the work and you can really feel their team pride in this album.” The love and excitement from this album echoes within all of Stray Kids’ fans.
It has not been long since Stray Kids’ last album, which was released in August of 2023. Due to the releases being so close, there has been discussion about the quality of music going down for the group. Some fans state that their older music was a lot better and as they became more popular their music is turning more into “noise” compared to good quality music. Fans are split on this opinion. Nikita Oruganti, a ninth grader at BWHS, as well as a fan of Stray Kids, says “I believe the title track of the album (LALALALA) is at the same standard and quality as their previous songs, however, the other songs are more towards the noisy side.” Showing that not only is the fandom as a whole divided, but so are the fans individually.
Stray Kids is an incredible group that was formed and made successful all on their own. This group is globally loved and have inspired their fans to live better and happier lives. “Stray Kids are a group that has spent the last few years navigating the K-Pop world while skilfully uniting an intense dynamism with empowering empathy into their music,” says Sam Johnson, on The Student Aspect. “Having handpicked their members, as well as having several producers in their team, Stray Kids have released a multitude of albums that feature both revolutionary and introspective songs. Listening to their creative work brought a great force of energy and motivation that so deeply stuck with me.”
