The group Stray Kids, which is breaking global records, still has a longing for music that they have yet to show. “We want to go crazy together while making (music).” (Hyunjin)
On the 22nd, a press conference was held at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, to celebrate the release of Stray Kids' fourth studio album ‘KARMA’. The venue was filled with reporters eager to see Stray Kids. The event was hosted by broadcaster Shin Ah-young.
After the photo time, Stray Kids premiered the music video for their new song ‘CEREMONY’. The powerful melody line captured attention, and at the end, professional gamer Faker made an appearance, adding weight to the video. He drew attention with a charismatic expression that seemed to express the ‘unwavering center’ of the song.
The album ‘KARMA’, which is being presented after about two years since ‘5-STAR’ in 2023, is simply an ‘Avengers’ album. Most of the tracks, including the title song ‘CEREMONY’, as well as ‘Bichari’, ‘In My Head’, ‘Phoenix’, and ‘Half Time’, were candidates for the title track. The producing team 3RACHA, consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, participated in the production of all 11 tracks, showcasing Stray Kids' unique musical world.
The members cherish ‘Bichari’ as the most ‘Stray Kids-like’ song, while ‘CREED’ was created easily and funly in a hotel room. ‘MESS’ is being revealed for the first time in five years after the first guide was written, ‘In My Head’ fits well with rock festivals, ‘Half Time’ has many twists as the title suggests, ‘Phoenix’ is a song they want to sing while playing with STAY, and ‘Ghost’ has a strangely appealing title. Each song, including the bright and refreshing fan song ‘0801’, unveils various genres with their own stories.
Bang Chan expressed, “We have really worked hard on this album. I think it will be a great gift for our fans. I am happy that we prepared it without regrets.”
Despite countless external eyes and internal conflicts, their solid philosophy and growth narrative, which have paved their own path without wavering, are captured in various genres of songs on this album.
‘CEREMONY’ is the new outfit that suits Stray Kids best at this moment. After setting various first and best records through their ‘largest scale’ world tour ‘DOMINATE’ with 54 performances in 34 regions worldwide, Stray Kids returns to their hometown Seoul to sing a grand celebratory song. The song combines intense trap EDM and Baile Funk rhythms, carrying a message that celebrates the success achieved after patience and effort, overcoming numerous adversities faced along the way.
In addition to performances, they have demonstrated their powerful global influence by entering the Billboard 200 chart with six consecutive number ones for the first time in history. Bang Chan stated, “The biggest goal of this album is to widely promote the music and performances we want to do,” adding, “It would be great if there are good results. I want to let people know our musicality and another color.”
He continued, “We put a lot of time and effort into each album. I am moved every moment by the members' determination to perfectly fulfill their respective positions.”
Stray Kids held two solo concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, UK, on July 18-19 (local time) as part of their world tour ‘DOMINATE’. Having met about 5,000 London fans during their overseas showcase tour in 2019, Stray Kids wrote a growth narrative by meeting tens of thousands of audience members at this concert.
In this regard, Changbin said, “I really love soccer, so it was even more meaningful. When I went to the Tottenham stadium, I took a lot of pictures with a sense of wonder and bought a jersey,” adding, “It was an unforgettable moment of glory. I was happy to achieve our dreams with the members.”
Reflecting on their eighth year since debut, he said, “In the early days of our debut, I had many doubts about whether the music we were doing was right and what we should do,” and added, “I think we were able to continue because we believed in each other and looked at our fans for confidence.”
Hyunjin also expressed, “If we were just a twig at first, now I think the team has become a tree with deep roots. I want us to continue to be wonderful beings for each other and to be healthy and together for a long time.”
The members emphasized their confidence in this album, stating, “The quality is really good. We worked hard on it. We want to enjoy the ceremony with our fans while promoting. We are really confident.”
Stray Kids lifted the trophy for the ‘K World Dream Best Artist Award’ at the ‘2025 K World Dream Awards’ held the previous day at Jamsil Indoor Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul. They successfully completed their comeback preparations by winning four awards, including the grand prize and the ‘K World Dream Group Popularity Award’, ‘K World Dream Main Award’, and ‘K World Class Award’.
After completing an unprecedented world tour that set numerous first and best records in K-pop, Stray Kids is expected to hold a grand comeback ceremony that will evoke cheers from music fans worldwide.
In conclusion, Stray Kids stated, “All the members are crazy about the stage and music. We are also crazy about the team. When we perform, we look like crazy people. We are like crazy people, and we know what we need to do to do well, so we hope you will look forward to us in the future.”
The new album will be released on various music sites at 6 PM on the same day.
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
