The product of a reality TV show, the South Korean boy group Stray Kids have risen to international stardom far beyond the typical K-Pop fandom.
Formed in 2017, Stray Kids emerged from the eponymous survival reality show produced by JYP Entertainment, a South Korean multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate fronted by music industry mogul, Jin Young Park. Initially a nine-strong boy band, today Stray Kids is made up of eight multi-talented members – Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han Felix, Seungmin and I.N. – all of whom had to showcase their prowess for singing, rapping, dancing and producing whilst on the show.
Now widely celebrated for their powerful music and lyrics that tackle themes of identity, mental health and societal pressures, the group have also earned respect for primarily self-producing their songs. The group’s main production team goes by the name 3Racha (consisting of group leader Bang Chan alongside Changbin and Han), who write and produce for the group, and sometimes perform as a three-piece.
In 2018, Stray Kids released their first official EP, I Am NOT, which was followed by the EPs I Am WHO and I Am YOU, completing the I Am EP series. Spotlighting their unique blend of hip hop, EDM, and trap, the EPs served to build up both their domestic and international fan bases, known as STAY. The group’s follow-up EP trilogy consisting of Clé 1: MIROH, Clé 2: Yellow Wood, and Clé: LEVANTER, was released in 2019 and features Stray Kids’ characteristically emotional lyrics as they explore some pretty philosophical questions.
Their first studio album, GO LIVE, arrived in 2020 and became the band’s first platinum-certified album by the Korea Music Content Association, meanwhile their second album, NOEASY (2021), was their first album to sell one million copies and became one of the best-selling K-Pop albums that year.
After signing with Republic Records in the US in 2022, Stray Kids released their mini-albums ODDINARY, followed by Maxident in the same year, Rock-Star (2023) and Ate (2024). Along with their third full-length album, 5-Star (2023), these five releases peaked at number one on the US Billboard 200 and entered the UK Albums Chart, making them the first band to debut at the top of Billboard 200 with their first-five-charted albums. In 2023, the band was also listed in Time's round-up of ‘Next Generation Leaders’, further solidifying their status as one of the most influential music groups internationally, not just within the K-Pop genre.
In 2024, Stay Kids became the first male K-Pop group to headline BST Hyde Park. The group’s success is widely attributed to their close relationship with their fanbase STAY, as well as their tireless work ethic and impressive live shows as they continue to tour globally. Stray Kids frequently credit their fans for giving them these opportunities, and maintain an air of modesty whilst being one of the biggest musical acts in the world.
