Stray Kids: 'Rough Sound but Friendly... Confidence We Can Do Anything' in New Album

South Korean boy group Stray Kids is embracing a bold and experimental approach with their latest mini-album, 'This & That,' released on August 7. The eight-track album, led by a hip-hop title song of the same name, aims to showcase a fresh sound that blends challenging musicality with accessible elements.

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The reason we always try challenging things is because it's more fun.

"The reason we always try challenging things is because it's more fun," said the members during a press conference in Seoul. They acknowledged that challenges bring variables and difficult moments but emphasized the greater learning that comes from pursuing them. Bang Chan, a member, expressed a desire to show a new color of Stray Kids, drawing from their nine years of exploring various genres.

Changbin elaborated on the title track, describing it as a unique sound that might initially seem rough or messy, but is made approachable through repetitive, simple lyrics. "We put in the confidence that we can do anything and everything," he stated. The album also features a track called 'After You,' which highlights lyrical guitar melodies, offering a contrast to the title song's more robust sound.

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Challenges bring variables and difficult moments, but we learn more by walking that path.

Stray Kids has built a remarkable track record, topping the Billboard 200 chart with eight consecutive albums since 2022. Despite this success, members like Seungmin emphasize their focus on delivering their best performance rather than aiming for specific achievements. "We focus on showing our best efforts rather than preparing albums with goals in mind," Seungmin said, expressing a hope that their music reaches more fans, referred to as 'Stay.'

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As we've gone through various genres for 9 years, we wanted to show a new color of Stray Kids this time as well.

While Stray Kids is being discussed as a potential contender for a new Grammy category, 'Best Asian Pop Music Performance,' members like Seungmin and Hyunjin remain grounded. They stated their music is created from their internal stories, not external expectations. "We've made music and stages from stories within us," Seungmin noted, expressing gratitude for K-pop's global popularity. Hyunjin added, "We've never released an album aiming for awards or records. We prioritize making our fans happy and satisfied."

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We tried to approach it in a friendly way by repeating easy lyrics like 'This and That' on top of a unique sound that might sound rough and a bit messy. It contains the confidence that we can do anything and everything.