This & That is Stray Kids’ 10th Mini Album and probably the first in which the title track was inspired by the contents of a snack bag. It consists of 8 songs and a run time of about 25 minutes. Once again, 3RACHA appears consistently throughout the credits as lyricists and composers which ensured Bang Chan his top spot as the idol with the most KOMCA credits (at 244). So, what’s in store? This? That? Lyric appreciation? [I’m not Niamh but I’ll try.] Production notes no one asked for? [I have no knowledge when it comes to production but I know what I like to hear so I’ll be focusing on that.] Yeah, sure let’s go with that.
Typically, I emphasise lyrical enunciation and clarity but, naturally, that will not be the case during this review as 75% of the group have Korean as their first language and learning English is very difficult. I will also be depending on multiple translations of each song to fully grasp the meaning behind the lyrics and some nuances in the Korean lyrics may get lost in translation but, please, bear with me. This will take me some time and that will hopefully be worth all the effort.
NOTE: If you are any member of 3RACHA, a fox, a ferret, a chicken, an evil rabbit or a puppy or a manager/associate of the above: You didn’t see this post! Shoo! Versachoi, that includes you too! So, with that out of the way, let’s run through the track list, one song at a time, starting with the pre-release single RUN IT.
RUN IT
A stadium anthem that revolves around the group’s motto ‘Stray Kids Everywhere All Around the World’, ‘RUN IT’ was the pre-release single from This & That which reunited 3RACHA with Versachoi and included Marcus ‘MarcLo’ Lomax in the writing studio. This song is strength and power personified in music and insists on being heard. And hear it you shall because that big brass introduction is impossible to ignore and gives this track a militaristic drive. The song suggests that Stray Kids have built their empire and they intend to keep going, expanding further, building upon their successes even when it seems darkest. Hardship has trained them to face challenges head on and keep moving through each trial placed in front of them; that which targets them won’t hit them and it will not stop them in their pursuit for more. ‘RUN IT’ is not only showing the group’s self confidence and ambition but also the importance of their perseverance in getting them to where they are today. While even giving a nod to their small beginnings, ‘RUN IT’ shows that the current success of Stray Kids is proof they have made it on their terms and that, though they are at their peak right now, there is still further to climb. They are not done moving onward or upwards.
One of the first things I noticed about this song though is that it was constructed somewhat backwards from what could be considered typical Stray Kids songs. Where Stay are more accustomed to, what has been lovingly dubbed, the ‘Bintro’ this time we are met by Bang Chan and Seungmin’s vocals and Changbin and Han’s driving percussive raps are saved for closing out the song. Another point to note is that while Felix raps about trials and adversity training him that the music behind him stops almost entirely like the whole song holds its breath until he asks ‘feel me?’ This happens again during Felix’s lines when he sings about not giving up and reaching for the sky above as though the music ignores any idea of surrender or failure. ‘RUN IT’ was a perfect first release from This & That mainly because it grabs and demands attention like a fanfare declaring that the victorious king (or kings) has returned. This song is not only a statement of intention but also a victory lap of their successes so far.
This & That
The first thing to note about ‘This & That’ is in the name. It’s This AND That. This song isn’t about choice; it’s about getting what you want and more. The world is your oyster, unhindered by choice or style. So you can be sleek and lowkey in a coupe or loud and in your face in a truck. It’s all about having it your way. It also asks for people to hold their two cents (opinions) because they’ve probably been heard before and (very successfully) been ignored as well. There is also that adorable nod to their loyalty to the group as they have a “Stray Kids badge pinned inside my left chest”. And I want it noted that it says inside so it’s not something that can be removed. It’s permanent and just above their heart. This & That has a lazy flow to the vocals that is surrounded by so much production and depth in the background. Again, we get both. That busy-ness in the background while the vocals are laid-back and chilled out. Plus, if you really focused on the background of this song, there are so many little things to find but, I will say, that the layered Vroom Vroom vocals were probably great fun to create in the studio and more than likely added for the hell of it because why not? The song overall implies that there is no limit to Stray Kids capabilities within their art. They can make this and that, the only limitation is ultimately the choice that they make.
In particular, there are three parts of this song that I feel I need to point out. One: During Seungmin’s ‘we can go fast, we can go slow’ solo, we get this amazing dichotomy between the heavy bass and Seungmin’s softer, more gentle vocals. Two: Changbin, who typically leans into more heavily percussive rhythms in his raps, easily melds into the more laid-back tone of the song with a still percussive but less ennunciated rap which can be seen as less aggressive to be more cohesive with the rest of the vocals. There’s layers to these artists, you know. And three: Han’s fluidity while transitioning between Korean and English is flawless and genuinely seamless which is a showcase of the skill Han possesses.
After You
‘After You’ revolves around that encounter. You know the one. Where you’ve met the person you think to yourself is THE one. You can’t sleep at night and something has fundamentally changed inside you because of this meeting. You’re hoping your awkwardness was more endearing than off putting and you’re wondering what that other person is thinking and did they notice this or do they think about that? It’s the giddy nervousness of something new, maybe not quite a relationship just yet but something that has just begun to emerge. And each encounter after the realisation is two people trying to figure one another out. ‘After You’ emphasizes that giddy joy by pairing the lyrics with a plucked (Spanish?) guitar intro before it dives into synths and a bouncing beat to really compound that excitement. The echoes ending the track seems like a shout echoing back because nothing says something exciting and new quite like shouting it from the roof tops.
How very 2016 of you, Stray Kids. ‘After You’ is a glorious blend of Avicii, Zedd and David Guetta and could have been an absolute heart breaker of a song, with a title like ‘After You’, but, thankfully, it lands safely in the happy, bouncy genre that I so adore. Producers The Monsters & Strangers brought us Ghost by Justin Bieber, Memories by Maroon 5 and The Middle by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey, so it is no surprise that After You is quickly and easily becoming a popular choice amongst Stay. This is also Niamh’s favourite song from the new Mini Album (I felt it was important to include that tidbit).
FARMING
Comparing your career to XP farming in video games is definitely one way to say you’ve levelled up. I feel pretty confident saying, after the ‘no one, nobody can stop me’ of Ceremony, that Christopher Bahng is responsible for those ‘You got plenty of time’ and ‘You should draw that line’ backing vocals and I say this before hearing it pitched down because there’s no mistaking that Aussie accent bro. He was clearly having plenty of fun with this one. FARMING’s core message is a solid ‘won’t stop til we’re satisfied and that’s a long way off’. However, from the sounds of these lyrics, satisfaction is an ever moving target for Stray Kids but the song also points to all the hard work that goes into the grind. Though the tasks are repetitive, the effort and work applied all counts towards progress. The results earned from constantly grinding and farming show more lucrative gains the more consistently the action is repeated so, in essence, Stray Kids are reaping what they sow. You know how the saying goes ‘practice makes perfect’ but it seems that Stray Kids are reaching towards Vince Lombardi’s maxim ‘only perfect practice makes perfect.’ No pain, no gain.
But also, now I’m curious what game brought about this idea? Minecraft? Disney Dreamlight Valley? The gamer in me needs to know. Wait! Is it Genshin?
I Do
Written by RESTART, Chae Ganghae and Changbin, I Do is the moral support song that we didn’t know we needed. Though hearing it, for me, immediately associates it with ‘In My Head’ (with similar heavy beats that make you feel like you NEED to clap along), this song is quite the opposite to its older sibling. I Do reminds you that we are all human and that we all suffer in similar ways but that we don’t need to carry that suffering alone or in silence. It’s a song that says that we can always prop each other up because we all share similar problems and can help one another deal with them, making the task easier, lighter and less intimidating than facing it alone. The track is also a reminder that, though we all go through struggles, others will be there and a gentle reassurance that just because you are struggling that does not mean that you need to hide it from those around you. It is solidarity and support in music form. Even the music emphasises the unity and support, every time the phrase ‘I do’ appears in the track the heavy guitar strum backs it up and constantly plays opposite the beat. You could say that playing the heavier guitar strum on the off beat is backing up the drumbeat much in the same way the music speaks of support so that there is no sense of isolation within the song or music.
Way Out
Okay, first and foremost, Bang Chan and Changbin, who hurt you? (I joke, I joke!) This song is basically stating in no uncertain terms that it is O-V-E-R. Very bluntly! Which is my favourite kind of break up song. Way Out could give ‘Get Out (Leave)’ by Jojo a run for it’s money. This song is about a relationship that has lost its spark and the realisation that it’s time to send your ex on their way. ‘Get lost Goodbye.’ The song focuses on once bright moments that have since gone cold and lost their shine. It also points to the fact that people changed so naturally the relationship couldn’t stay the same. It also points to the fact that this may not have been the cleanest end but that all the hurt was cleaned out and thrown away so it’s time to move on.
The musical tone of the opening of the song is quite relaxed and may speak to the fact that this song is not hateful or nasty but just the end. Plain and simple. No animosity but also no interest in continuing to make an effort to maintain any sort of communication. Essentially this song is indifference personified and a way to tell an ex that the chapter has ended and the book is closed. Also choosing to end Way Out quite suddenly as well, to me, seems to be very purposeful; it very much implies that this is the last word of the conversation and there is no coming back to it. Full stop. End of story.
그날 Back Then
Back Then seems a bit softer than even Way Out and it is a shining example of what has been dubbed ‘Hanpop’. Honestly, it reminds me of the style of soft pop that SEVENTEEN commonly releases and it is a breath of fresh air after anthems, heavy beats, EDM and heart break. Back Then looks at the start of a relationship and all the little things that brought two souls together and kept them together. This song uses the simplicity of its music to convey how simple falling in love can be and it could be over nothing more than “your little smile.” This track is beautiful relying on nothing more than instrumentation and vocals to tell a story. Whether it is about young love, eternal love or summer love this song can encapsulate them all. It is, at its very core, a love song set to the most warm, comforting backing track. I can not emphasize enough how the simplicity of this song makes room for so much emotion and meaning from the lyrics and it was a stroke of genius to add it to the album because it shows that Stray Kids’ artistic ability doesn’t end with computers, synths and beat-pads and I fear it may be overlooked in the long run in favour of more uptempo songs.
This & That (Festival Version)
For this version, I will solely be focusing on the production aspects that really stood out to me because the lyrics haven’t changed. This song basically sounds like the final boss battle in a video game or a high stakes Pokemon battle near the endgame. Not only does it remind me of that, my instant thought was that the track had very similar tones to DJ Sona’s Concussive track that was produced by Bassnectar x Renholder which naturally meant I immediately loved it and added it to my gaming playlist. This version of This & That plays heavily into the notion that varying the tone and tempo of the music and production can alter the entire ‘vibe’ of the song. If you listen to the song carefully, most of the vocal used are identical to the original with no alteration to the tempo or delivery of the vocals.
I think I’m done…. if I missed your favourite parts of songs, please be kind. I picked the parts that stood out to me and I very likely may have missed something that you loved simply because I didn’t hear it (and, yes, that’s more possible for me than you would think). I hope I did Stay proud and that you enjoyed this dive into the latest release by Stray Kids which is available to stream on Spotify, YouTube Music and Apple Music. It could have been far longer but it was probably for the best to streamline my thoughts on this one. Until next time….okayiloveyougoodbye! :*
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