Stray Kids: Here to STAY

We’re not long after Easter so I decided to give you all an Easter Egg. Not the chocolate kind, more like the glimpse into the future kind. So….. Stray Kids everywhere, all around the world….you already know who I’m about to talk about but feel free to STAY and relax as I introduce our OMG readers to the wonderful world of K-pop and the Stray Kids Megaverse! Hehehe we hijacked the blog. So come ‘ere bro! It’s time to learn a little about K-pop and A LOT about Stray Kids.

So, first things first, Korean Pop Music (K-pop for short) is a hugely popular genre of music and, in actuality, K-pop is really an umbrella term for songs originating from South Korea that tend to blend and blur genres together. K-pop artists are generally referred to as ‘idols’ who are trained for months and even years by companies to become pop stars. K-pop has recently become hugely popular due to unique and genuinely fascinating music videos and insanely intricate and memorable choreography. Some of the most well known K-pop groups include BTS, BLACKPINK, BIGBANG, and Red Velvet. Some of the more popular groups currently include (but isn’t limited to!!!) Stray Kids, ATEEZ, TXT, TWICE, ITZY, NCT, ENHYPEN and IVE. If you think you haven’t heard any K-pop on your radio think again! Dynamite and Butter by BTS were huge K-pop hits globally, Gangnam Style by Psy had the world bopping all the way back in 2012 and APT by Rose and Bruno Mars is also a K-pop song too. K-pop is there, you just didn’t know you were listening to it.

Now, some other information that will be helpful to know when discussing K-pop are words like ace, bias, bias wrecker, maknae, mini album, units, and, specifically for Stray Kids, Racha.

Ace: In K-pop, an individual member of a group or a soloist can be considered an ace if they are highly skilled in multiple areas, like singing, dancing, rapping and songwriting. Example: Some people consider Han from Stray Kids an ace because he can sing, rap, dance and write music at a very high level.
Bias: A bias is generally your favourite member and is typically how K-pop fans refer to their favourite member. However, just because a member is your bias does not mean they are safe! Example: In Stray Kids, my bias is Bang Chan.
Bias Wrecker: A bias wrecker is exactly what you think. It is another member of the group that challenges a fan’s love for their bias. Example: In Stray Kids, I don’t have a bias wrecker.
Maknae: This is a Korean word meaning ‘youngest’ and is used to refer to the youngest person in a group and is, therefore, bestowed upon the babies of K-pop groups. Example: In Stray Kids, I.N is the maknae. (You have no idea how hard it is not to make a ‘Maknae On Top‘ reference but we haven’t got that far yet.)
Mini Album: Generally what we would consider an EP, a mini album usually consists of 3-6 songs. Example: Stray kids have released 13 mini albums (Yes, you did, in fact, read that correctly).
Units: A unit refers to any activity that is done with only a few members from the group. Example: Stray Kids released a song called ‘Cinema’ on their Mixtape Dominate Mini Album. This song is sung by Lee Know and Seungmin.
Racha: This is a term specific to Stray Kids. The word ‘racha’ in Spanish means a gust of wind. The group is divided into 3 units or Rachas based in some cases on what a member is best at. Example: The Rachas in Stray Kids are 3RACHA, Danceracha and Vocalracha. Two of those names are pretty obvious but I will explain 3RACHA a little further into the post.

So, now that we have added to your K-pop vocabulary, I think it’s time to actually introduce Stray Kids. Don’t you? Stray Kids are an all male group consisting of 8 members. Those eight members are (in age order from oldest to youngest) Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N. All the members are Korean while Bang Chan and Felix are also Australian. Stray Kids debuted on March 25th 2018 and, to date, have released 5 studio albums, 13 mini albums and appeared in 7 different soundtracks (including Deadpool & Wolverine and Arcane Season 2) and that is just the tip of the iceberg when you look at all the releases they have. They have won 90+ awards, at the time of writing, from around the globe and are continuing to grow in popularity and success. Their fans are called STAY and some describe Stray Kids as the leaders of K-pop’s 4th generation. Their slogan, seen at the end of every music video released by the group, is ‘Stray Kids everywhere, all around the world, you make Stray Kids stay.’

Unlike many K-pop groups that are put together by management, Stray Kids were all chosen by their leader, Bang Chan. This is the moment where I tell you that you can’t discuss Stray Kids without discussing their leader. Bang Chan was a trainee with JYP Entertainment for seven years (and almost debuted with a different group, GOT7, as their maknae before management decided against it) before he was given the opportunity to choose his members. Initially choosing to create a group of nine, one member decided to leave early in the group’s career and, from that moment forward, it seemed that 8 was fate.

3RACHA, otherwise known as Han, Changbin and Bang Chan, are generally instrumental in the creation of the group’s music in regards to writing, composition and production. Their unit name is also a play on the word Siracha which is more than likely a reference to their ‘fire’ music that hits hard and with a pretty powerful kick. They are also considered Stray Kids’ hip-hop unit boasting three of the group’s rappers as well as two vocalists in their three members. Some fans suggest that Han is an ace because he can sing, dance, write and produce, and rap. Changbin is known for a gritty, rapid-fire rapping style which is very much at odds with his bubbly, giggly, happy personality and his ability to dance girl group dance challenges. We love a versatile rapper/princess. Behind-the-scenes videos have shown Stray Kids’ recording process as it happens, usually led by one or more members of 3RACHA. 3RACHA technically released mixtapes on Soundcloud in 2017 and appeared on a unit song together named after them on the Stray Kids mini album Maxident.

Danceracha consists of Lee Know, Hyunjin and Felix, Stray Kids’ three primary and most expressive, energetic dancers. They are also considered, by some but not everyone, as the visual (or best looking) of the Rachas and is sometimes referred to as visualracha. Felix is known best for his deep, bassy voice which is very much at odds with his sweet face and demeanour which often catches new listeners off guard and is called ‘The Felix Effect’. Hyunjin is known for his artistic aesthetic in all things including fashion and his fluid body movements. Lee Know is the ever precise dance leader and was a dancer with BTS before he joined Stray Kids.

Vocalracha consists of the two remaining members, and youngest members, of the group. Seungmin and I.N carry the vocals of Stray Kids and are bolstered by their senior members. Seungmin is known for expressive vocals and has released numerous songs on his own for K-Drama soundtracks, including songs like My Destiny and Phobia. I.N provides angelic vocals and is nicknamed Baby Bread. He seems to have coined the nickname himself and its origin seems to be a bit of a mystery.

Now that you know the members, it’s time to introduce you to the whole SKZoo. These are the cartoon animal characters that represent the members of Stray Kids and possess the most dominant traits of each members’ appearance or personality. They appear frequently on Stray Kids merch and even (larger than life) during fan events. These little characters also appear in animated videos of certain Stray Kids songs. Each member has their own animal and each animal has their own name.

Bang Chan – Grey Wolf – Wolf Chan – Reflects Bang Chan’s leadership and protective nature, is always smiling and also has dimples like Chan.
Lee Know – White Rabbit – Leebit – Leebit has cute bunny teeth and is playful and mischievous much like Lee Know.
Changbin – Pink Rabbit Pig hybrid – Dwaekki – Dwaekki represents Changbin’s bouncy personality but also his strength.
Hyunjin – White Ferret – Jiniret – Jiniret is taller than most of the other SKZoos and also has a mole under his eye like Hyunjin’s.
Han – Brown Quokka – Hanquokka – Smiling and endearing, Hanquokka’s cute round cheeks match Han’s.
Felix – Yellow Chick – BbokAri – BbokAri is youthful, energetic and very cute and sweet much like Felix but she can have a bit of a temper 
Seungmin – Brown Puppy – PuppyM – represents Seungmin’s playful, funny and affectionate nature and matches Seungmin’s puppy dog eyes.
I.N – Fennec Fox – FoxI.Ny – represents I.N’s mischievous and clever personality and also has dimples.

Stray Kids are currently on their <dominATE> World Tour and recently finished the Latin American leg of the tour. With dates scheduled in Europe in July and Niamh and I making the trip to the Netherlands to see them in Amsterdam, this isn’t the last time you’ll see this group on the blog (hence the Easter egg reference earlier). So since you’ve been properly introduced to Stray Kids, I think it’s only fair that I provide you with a playlist of songs to introduce you to their varied sounds and styles. These are the bread and butter of STAYs everywhere, all around the world, and I hope you enjoy them and some are just the ones I really like. Until next time, Ay Domino!