Introduction to Stray Kids
For K-POP Supergroup Stray Kids, everything is about authenticity. The eight-member boys, consisting of members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N, come from the Korean agency JYP Entertainment. The group has spent over the past seven years creating the music that they want to be referred to with the members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, who together as 3racha are called the main production team.
The Importance of Authenticity
"[Producing our own music] Allows us to highlight both our authenticity as a group and our strengths,” says Changbin. At the time of this conversation, the group is between the North American and European legs of its record-breaking world tour. The North American leg brought about 76.2 million US dollars, making it the best-selling and highest-grossing North American leg for every K-pop tour. The group organized an equally successful European run.
New Album: Karma
Stray Kids is back with a new album, Karma, which the group says aims to convey the literal meaning of the word – to do good things and get good things in return. The title track of the album, "Ceremony", is all about celebrating a triumph after overcoming adversity to reach this moment. The song is endless and a celebration of Stray Kids making it to the top.
Breaking Records
A line from Changbin’s opening rap verse for the song "Nobody, nobody can stop me"-is perhaps the best view of where the group of eight is currently located. Stray Kids continue to break charting records all over the world, including being the first act to reach number 1 on the Billboard 200 with their first six chart entries. Karma claims to continue this record.
Interview with Stray Kids
The group recently sat down for an interview to discuss their new album, Karma, and their experiences on tour. When asked about their new title track "Ceremony", Bang Chan said, "Ceremony" is a song chosen by all members for the next album. This may be a personal opinion, but I feel pretty catchy. It’s simplified, but it has the energy [needed] for a title track.
Favorite Songs on the Album
When asked if anyone had a favorite song on the album, Hyunjin said, "I really like the track ‘Pleep’. It was actually considered a focus track because it has this Stray Kids mood and it is very great, so I really like this track." Changbin also shared his favorite song, saying, "I like the track ‘in my head’. It was also considered [for the] title track, and it is a song you can hear if you want to blow off some steam."
Tour Experiences
The group has just completed the US leg of their tour and is preparing to go to Europe soon. When asked about their experience in the United States in stadiums, Felix said, "It was a long time ago that we drove on tour and run through this tour through stadiums and see many stays at the event location, it was not only exciting, but also a very good experience."
Self-Care and Pressure
When asked about how they practice self-care when they are on tour or busy working on a new project, I.N said, "I usually train to build my endurance. All members do this too and they also eat a variety of food to get the whole energy." Hyunjin also shared his self-care routine, saying, "I like drawing. Since the extent of the tour has grown very large, I find fun to visit art museums in every city."
Producing Their Own Music
When asked about why they feel it is important to produce their own music, Changbin said, "We produce our own music and play on stage, which enables us to highlight both our authenticity as a group and our strengths. Since our fans have always loved the color of our music from our trainees until after our debut until this moment; That’s why we followed this style."
Relationship with Fans
When asked if they think their relationship has changed with their fans as they grew as a group, Seungmin said, "I believe that our bond with fans has changed over time. We cannot ask each of you exactly when you are named. Some of them have been with us since their debut and keep appearing, while others we were able to meet in the new cities for the first time during the tour."
Pressure and Expectations
When asked if the extent of the tour and consistently breaking records in music charts adds pressure when it comes to a new release or a new tour, Han said, "When our concert scale grows, there is obviously more pressure. But since so many people look forward to the tour and what we do, we are working hard to meet these expectations."
Future Plans
When asked what they hope for as a group as they prepare for the release of this album, Hyunjin said, "I definitely want to continue to appear. We want to adhere to our music style, no matter what other trends come. We always want to keep this funny, energetic mood in our music. We want to be a long-lasting group and not a short-term project."
