History of K-Pop: Stray Kids
After the 2020 hit “God’s Menu” went viral, Stray Kids has been the group everyone has been talking about. Though it’s only recently that they became so widely popular, Stray Kids has been setting a standard since their formation in 2017.
Stray Kids formed in one of JYP Entertainment’s favorite ways as of late: the survival show. With the same title as the group, the show followed the nine members through the struggle to debut. In true JYP fashion, both Minho and Felix at one point were eliminated from the show, much to the horror of fans (especially in Felix’s case), before they were brought back on the final episode to join the final lineup. TWICE’s similar survival show Sixteen pulled the exact same stunt with Momo in 2015.
The first music video ever released for the group was “Hellevator,” which dropped in October 2017 to build hype for the group’s first album release. With all nine members making the final cut, the group released a pre-debut EP in Mixtape in January 2018. The album included tracks the group had performed during their survival show. It is interesting to look back on years later, as it’s quite obvious how the group has matured both in style and in vocal talent.
“Grrr 총량의 법칙” was released with Mixtape on January 7, with “어린 날개” releasing a few days later on January 15. Only two short months later, the group held their debut showcase and announced the release of their official debut album I am NOT and title track “District 9.” “District 9” was somewhat reminiscent of “Hellevator,” placing that intense, rebellious sound at the forefront and even taking some inspiration from more heavy metal influences. The concept as well fits the intensity, with dystopian elements drawing parallels to the song’s namesake. When compared to the views of their other releases, “District 9” seems to be almost a forgotten release, with less than half the views of other title tracks.
Music videos for “잘 하고 있어 Grow Up” and “Mirror” were released at later dates during promotion, with I am NOT peaking at No. 4 on the Gaon Album Chart. Stray Kids’s international popularity became more obvious, as “District 9” peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard World Digital Songs Chart but did not chart in Korea.
The second album in the I am series was announced on July 12, 2018. I am WHO and title track “My Pace” dropped on August 6. While chartwise the album remained on par with I am NOT, “My Pace” racked up twice as many views on YouTube. The track had a very different feel from “District 9,” with rebellious undertones remaining at the forefront as the boys sang of remaining true to themselves despite outside pressure. The more youthful concept showed a more playful and boyish charm to the boys, and helped solidify their ability to master different concepts.
The final piece of the I am trilogy, I am YOU, released on October 22, 2018 to close out the trilogy in time for the new year. The title of the same name did not chart as well, but the album peaked at No. 2 on the Gaon Album Chart. It is also worth noting that this was the first entry for Stray Kids onto the K-Pop Hot 100 chart for Billboard Korea.
The real big break for the boy group came in 2019 with the release of the Clé series, kicking off with Clé 1 : MIROH and title track “MIROH.” Contrary to previous releases, “MIROH” was a more EDM-influenced track from start to finish and was totally unlike anything previously released. The album was certified platinum and marked the group's first No. 1 on the Gaon Album Chart, and was released in conjunction with the group’s one year anniversary. Title track “MIROH” won the group their first music show win, and currently sits as their third most popular music video release at 132 million views.
Clé 2 : Yellow Wood followed shortly after in June, and lead single “Side Effects” was a bit of a controversial one. While not necessarily controversial in the traditional sense, the song was very polarizing for many in a “love it or despise it” type of way. The experimental track does not have a lot of traditionally popular musical elements, which makes it incredibly interesting from an arrangement perspective, but more difficult to swallow from a casual listener perspective. While there are a good chunk of listeners who have never been a fan of the release, there are just as many loudly praising the group for thinking outside the box and taking the risk to try something more unconventional. Dazed listed the song at No. 1 in their “The 20 best K-pop songs of 2019” list. The song also charted in six different countries, a first and still highest number only beaten by the 2020 album GO LIVE.
Things became a little more complicated at this point. Lead single “Double Knot” was released on October 9, and not long after member Woojin left the group for undisclosed personal reasons. This would become somewhat of a complicated matter that was well-known amongst the entire K-Pop community, as Woojin would be accused of sexual harassment, along with some other things such as mistreatment of other Stray Kids members. For many, the parting was not an issue, but it slightly overshadowed the release of Clé : LEVANTER, the final of the trilogy that’s release was pushed back to remove Woojin from the album. Despite that, sales for the album did surpass Clé 1 : MIROH.
Rolling into 2020 and the group readjusting to eight members, the group released English versions of both “Double Knot” and “Levanter,” and kicked off their Mixtape Project in late December 2019. Much of the first half of the year was focused either on Mixtape releases or Japanese releases, including single “Top” which served as the theme song for anime Tower of God. The return to Korean releases came on June 17, 2020, with first studio album GO LIVE and title track “God’s Menu” taking center stage. “God’s Menu” became a viral hit both for its musical composition and stellar video shots, which we discuss further in our upcoming podcast episode. GO LIVE doubled Stray Kids’s previous sales record, charting in 14 different countries. “God’s Menu” remains a prominent release for the group, as it not only marked a new beginning but gave the group much more exposure than they had previously.
Repackage album IN LIFE gave the group a 2x platinum certification after release in September 2020 and continued the winning streak for the group, consistently cited in publications as one of the best albums of the year. Title “Back Door” took home two more music show wins and is currently the second most popular music video behind “God’s Menu.”
As 2021 came around and the notorious bullying scandals began plaguing droves of idols, member Hyunjin was caught up in allegations of school bullying that lead to a very long hiatus and concerns that he would be pushed out of the group. He took a hiatus from February until July, much to the relief of many STAYs. The newest album release Noeasy will be his official return to music. The group still continued activities as seven, most notably participating in the super popular show Kingdom and eventually winning the title in the show.
Only two singles have been released so far this year, single “Going Dumb” as a collaboration with Swedish producer Alesso and Chinese DJ Corsak as well as Mixtape release “Oh.” Due to the overwhelming success of both “God’s Menu” and “Back Door,” there is a lot of anticipation surrounding the scheduled August release of “Thunderous” and full album Noeasy.
With the success of winning Kingdom and their 2020 releases, it’s only a matter of time before Stray Kids becomes a household name.