“Stray Kids are back with an even more intensified, impactful sound to their music.”
Stray Kids is a group with a very distinctive color. The group’s songs and concept distinguish them from other competition. Their past works such as “God’s Menu”, “Back Door”, and “Thunderous” had created a frenzy within the community.
The group are back stronger and ironically, more laid back than they were before. The energy and explosive music synergy has created another opportunity for the group. “Oddinary” is coming in at full force.
The technical sounds to the song helps add to the effect of the theme of “odd.” The track includes sounds of drills and birds, ultimately leading to the birth of “Maniac.” The song is said to be comparable to the numbing sensation of the popular Chinese dish, “Mara.”
Stray Kids had recently opened a press conference for their upcoming album, “Oddinary” on March 18th. Leader Bangchan remarked, “We did what we’re best at, being real and fresh.”
◆ “ODDINARY”
“Oddinary” is a merge of two words: Odd and Ordinary. The song is meant to signify that we all have weird characteristics, which makes being odd, the actual norm.
The album is an interesting collection of titles that all relate to the title of the album, “Oddinary”, including “Maniac.” The album boasts a uniqueness often referred to with Stray Kids.
The members remarked, “We improved as better versions of ourselves. We wanted to express that uniqueness is special.”
Stray Kids have a history of playing outside the norm. The interesting concept and the variety of musical genres the boys have shown so far was a breath of fresh air. It’s one of the reasons why the group has such a loyal fanbase.
Fans have been expressing excitement and joy long before the release of the album. The members expressed “It’s a good kind of nervous that we’re currently feeling. We know how to have fun during moments of anxiousness.”
The boys were confident as well. Changbin exclaimed, “The album is like what we’ve done before, but with even more fun elements to it.”
◆ "Maniac, a phenomenon"
The title track, “Maniac” is produced by the group’s producing trio “3racha” (composed of Bangchan, Changbin, and Han). The song is highly addictive with a variety of specialties.
The music is very bold, not shying away from a strong chorus. Hyunjin exclaimed “We stuck to our roots and added different elements to our song to portray our growth and maturity.”
The lyrics are also a strong factor in the group’s highly addictive music. Stray Kids express that the songs are a tool to express “An act of the façade that society deems as the norm.” “Going crazy as if you have a loose screw”, and more.
Han remarked, “I drew inspiration from observing humanity during our daily lives. We incorporated messages to give hope to express yourself as you are.”
Stray Kids also point out a key point in the song. The group commented, “There’s a special part in the chorus of Maniac. We all hit the sides of our heads to imply that our screws have gone loose.
Besides “Maniac”, the album includes other tracks such as “Venom”, “Charmer”, and “Freeze.” There are a total of seven songs and it’s been reported that all of the members had taken part in the producing of the songs.
◆ “The leading 4th generation group”
Stray Kids are being recognized as one of the leading 4th generation Kpop groups. The group is also being applauded as a group that produces their music on their own.
One can see the growth in their musical skills. Hyunjin remarked, “We’re very proud of our work. I’d like to thank our producing trio, 3racha.”
The group had also been recognized in their label as well. Changbin commented, “Ceo Park Jin Young had told us that the process is more important than the results, and that we’d had done well. It was such a relief to hear that.”
The idol further stated, “He had explained to us that it was okay to move with our own colors. I’m glad to see that he’s proud of Stray Kids.”
The friendship and bond between the members had also allegedly deepened. “We’re all different. However, the love we have for one another is strong and we have many things in common.”
◆ “2022 World tour”
Stray Kids are gearing up for their 2nd world tour, “Maniac.” The group is kicking off the train of concerts in Seoul on April 30th, and will eventually travel to Japan, and the U.S., visiting a total of ten different cities.
The fans have already begun to express excitement. The concerts come after two years and five months, the last being in November of 2019.
Bangchan remarked, “I feel especially my best when I’m up on stage, enjoying the music with my fans. We will be able to feel the same at the upcoming concerts.”
Lee Know commented “We had come far with our own pace. Our fandom (Stay) had been with us throughout the ride. We will continue to move with one another."
The members exclaimed, "We're gearing up to meet our fans in other parts of the world. We're excited to show them all that we've prepared. We'll come back safely and healthy."
Stray Kids released their recent album, "Oddinary" on March 18th at 1:00 pm (KST). The group is expecting to promote the album through their title track, "Maniac."
Stray Kids are also set to appear on American talk show, "The Late Show with Steven Colbert" and perform the much anticipated, "Maniac" on March 19th (KST).
Bangchan
Hyunjin
Felix
Lee Know
I.N
Changbin
Han
Seungmin
<Photo credits=JYP Entertainment>
<Translated by=Justina Kim(Dispatch)>
