1 month ago
17
Another single off Stray Kids’ ATE mini-album is the self-titled Stray Kids. It is the seventh track on the mini-album, which includes the title track, Chk Chk Boom, and other side tracks like MOUNTAINS and JJAM.
Stray Kids features a more nostalgic and sentimental tone, much different from the “noisy” side of Stray Kids that many people associate with the group. After all, Stray Kids‘ lyrics speak to their journey as a group thus far. I do like the pleasantness that the song brings to the mini-album. The chorus is easy on the ears (mainly thanks to the all-English lyrics, which makes it easy to follow) and features straightforward melodies that help convey the track’s nostalgic and emotive side. As usual, the rappers did a great job of showcasing the passion behind their delivery and tweaking their style to fit the pop ballad style Stray Kids was going for. What makes Stray Kids extra special is that the song features a few references to some of their old songs. These include lyric references from their old songs that are well-strung to create a cohesive set of lines that encapsulate that nostalgic feel. They include Hellevator, LALALALA, TOPLINE, Blueprint and Lonely St.. The second is that the song references their introduction – Step Out! The third, though I am less sure about this one, is that trap elements in the song are reminiscent of DOMINO, although softened for the direction of Stray Kids. Altogether, I am sure STAYs (Stray Kids’ fans) will find this track touching.
The music video continues referencing their past works, featuring footage from Hellevator, Lonely St., and You Can STAY. It also recreates scenes from the music videos of MIROH and BLUEPRINT or contains elements from their Hellevator and District 9 era. Identifying these references as the video progresses was definitely fun and, once again, nostalgic. We also get footage of the members sitting in a cinema, re-watching all of the above and, figuratively, their journey. But what gets me is seeing the members packed into the elevator, just like they were in their pre-debut era.
Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10
English (US) · 