Thanksgiving has passed, which means it is officially Christmas season! K-Pop always provides some holiday cheer, and this year Stray Kids is spearheading the campaign with new EP Christmas EveL. As you could expect, this isn’t just any holiday song—it has that Stray Kids twist.

The title track of the same name was released on November 29 and is full of holiday cheer and imagery, as well as musical elements that we tend to attribute to holiday music. But despite that, the song still holds a hip-hop beat as the base of the melody. The track opens up with Han rapping followed by another rap verse from Hyunjin, which isn’t exactly what you expect to hear in a Christmas release. The lyrics diverge from the general cheer of the season as well, bringing up a more cynical outlook on the season and pointing out that it really isn’t that special, so why do we all wait around for the end of the year? 

The video has a playful and even campy quality, with the members acting silly along with certain animations. We see the members playing Santa as a unit, with a lot of magical elements thrown in. If you enjoy a cuter and silly image from the group, you’ll enjoy this video for certain.

On November 30, a second video was released for B-side “Winter Falls,” which stands as a total counterpart to “Christmas EveL.” “Winter Falls” has a more solemn and bluesy feel, with lyrics speaking of a lost love and the loneliness that comes with it. Rather than being upbeat and playful, this song is more straightforward in its somber tone. There are often two sides to Christmas releases, and “Winter Falls” shows the darker side.

The four-track EP contains the two discussed above, plus B-side “24 to 25” and an English version of previously released track “DOMINO.” “24 to 25” is a soft acoustic Christmas-driven track, which strikes a good balance between the upbeat playfulness of “Christmas EveL” and the longing sadness in “Winter Falls.” The acoustic melody gives off a lighter tone that has more holiday cheer, and it’s a sweet addition to the mini-album. 

If you’re looking to kick off the Christmas spirit, be sure to check out Stray Kids’s new mini-album!