Editor's Note: This article was published on May 8, 2025, and was updated on Aug. 22 to reflect the release of KARMA.
One of the most successful and prolific K-pop groups today, Stray Kids climbed their way to the top through sweat, tears and a dash of defiance. Formed through a 2017 survival show of the same name under JYP Entertainment, they quickly stood out for being self-produced and self-driven, mainly led by in-house team 3RACHA (formed by members Bang Chan, Changbin and HAN).
Since their official debut in March 2018 with the EP I am NOT, the eight-member group gradually gained public attention and built a loyal fandom — known as STAY — drawn to their honest lyrics, DIY spirit and down-to-earth personalities. With each release, Stray Kids proved their worth: here was a band unafraid to experiment with sound, confront their fears, and chase big dreams on their own terms.
In 2020, a winning run on the competition show "Kingdom: Legendary War" and the release of viral single "God's Menu" marked a breakthrough in their career. From then on, Stray Kids surged forward, breaking sales records, headlining world tours and festivals like 2024's Lollapalooza Chicago and BST Hyde Park in London, and earning six No. 1s on the Billboard 200 chart.
But behind the onstage spectacles and chart feats lies a body of work that continues to evolve and surprise. Stray Kids are at their best when they take risks, whether it's diving into existential anxieties, exploring unexpected genres, or delivering deeply personal lyrics. And as they recognize with their new album, KARMA, none of it would be possible without their fans.
"'KARMA' is an album that feels like we're receiving karma for all the hard work and sweat we've put in," the octet said of their fourth full-length, according to TenAsia.com. "Because STAY had faith in us, we were able to believe in ourselves and move forward. This album 'KARMA' is our repayment for the faith and love of our fans."
Released Aug. 22, KARMA follows their fourth Japanese-language EP, Hollow, which arrived in June. Below, take a look at some of the group's most defining musical moments leading up to KARMA — not just the loudest or the most popular, but the ones that capture what Stray Kids truly stand for.
Stray Kids were proving their talents even before their official debut. Released a week ahead of their namesake survival show premiere, the single "Hellevator" posed a gripping introduction to their honest lyrics, rebellious flair and self-produced edge.
Dramatic and angsty, "Hellevator" captures the pressures and struggles of chasing a dream that seems out of reach. "I'm praying to live as I try to endure with the piercing eyes on me/ I'm going insane, even if I succeed, I'll be someone's clown/ So people tell me to give up on becoming a singer/ I'm getting weak, but I keep pushing myself," members HAN and Hyunjin rap.
Comparing their journey to a hellevator — a hellish elevator — ride, Stray Kids' ascent is even more poignant. By the final chorus, they realize that the only way out is through the top.
Stray Kids' official debut came with 2018's "District 9." An all-out mix of sirens, searing rock riffs, and breathless rap flows, it conjured a dystopian, dangerous world. "Better watch out," they warned, and while hardly fearsome, the chant foreshadowed how they would soon take over the industry.
Expanding on the introspective themes of Mixtape, "District 9" is a deep dive into Stray Kids' keen self-awareness. Questioning their identity and sense of belonging, they forge a new set of rules to live by. "They say 'You're different from me, so leave here'/ But you need to know that being different is not wrong," they sing.
Self-acceptance has always been one of Stray Kids' core messages. It leads their discography like a compass, and resonates with fans like a magnet.
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A feral EDM anthem that charges forward with grit, "MIROH" marked the first anniversary of Stray Kids' debut with exhilaration. Spearheading their fourth EP, Clé 1: MIROH, the single reimagined life as a jungle and the road ahead as a maze — miro (미로) in Korean. Amid animal roars and savage beats, the group pushes through with newfound confidence: "It's not hard, in this rough jungle/ It was me who ran into it, I'm okay."
They might not have all the answers to who they are yet, but they are no longer afraid of the unknown. As HAN claims: "Run through the maze like a beast/ I'm avoiding all the familiar paths/ Though inexperienced, it's a new challenge/ I'mma Bear Grylls anything that blocks my dream." "MIROH" and its unfaltering energy opened up a myriad of paths for the young band, consolidating their image as innovative, daring artists.
Stray Kids have a singular sensibility when it comes to growing up. As their discography chronicles their own coming-of-age, the insightfulness in their lyrics (see also "Grow Up," "Gone Days," "19," and more) is nothing short of remarkable.
Among them, "Chronosaurus" is a haunting highlight. Alluding both to Chronos, the Greek god of time, and the extinct marine beast Kronosaurus, the track delves into the fear of being trapped by time. Wretched guitar wails and a ticking clock fuel the song's anxious atmosphere, as the members dream of outrunning time altogether, sprinting until "time can't even see me."
"We meant to say that time can sometimes be the scariest creature," Felix told Apple Music upon the release. "While we're chasing our dreams, time is chasing after us. So, is it that we're running away from time, or are we just desperately trying to reach our goals?"
Arguably their most polarizing release to date, "Side Effects" is an accurate translation of a head-rattling migraine into sound. Love it or hate it, the track showed that Stray Kids weren't afraid to wade into uncomfortable territory, or to make their listeners do the same.
As the follow-up to Clé 1, the single opens Clé 2: Yellow Wood by trading confidence for second thoughts. A robotic voice lists off medicinal side effects, nearly consumed by claustrophobic beats, Felix's deep growls, and a mind-warping psytrance drop. "Even here, I kept believing in winning/ Over everything with my will to fight/ Bravado can't last anymore/ Maybe it hurts more because I thought it'd be easy," they confess.
Like in life, "Side Effects" offers no easy answers. Every decision comes at a cost, but by carving out their own path, Stray Kids were steadily becoming a creative force to be reckoned with.
"God's Menu" ('GO生,' 2020)
In the middle of the 2020 pandemic, where attempts at sourdough baking and dalgona coffee whipping were at an all-time high, Stray Kids opened the doors to their own chaotic pantry with "God's Menu." "Yes, sir and ma'am/ Welcome, it's easy to choose what you want in our kitchen," Changbin introduces the feast. "Anything on the menu will satisfy all your five senses."
In "God's Menu," the band's characteristic thumping beats gained a new dimension with metallic clinks, onomatopoeic cutting and cooking, and cheeky conviction (as in Felix's now-iconic line, "Cooking like a chef, I'm a five-star Michelin"). By comparing their creative process to crafting a special recipe, Stray Kids reaffirmed their commitment to originality and experimentation. It worked: "God's Menu" reached stratospheric popularity, becoming their first single to reach No. 1 on Soribada and their debut entry on the Circle Chart (Gaon) — two of South Korea's major music charts.
Off the band's first full-length album, GO生 (GO LIVE, in English), the single was essential in ushering in this new chapter for the group. The LP became Stray Kids' first Platinum-certified album by the Circle Chart, with over 200,000 stock pre-orders even before its release. As for its title, the hanja character 生, meaning "to be born," hints at a fresh start, but read in Korean, GO生 becomes 고생 (gosaeng), or "hardship" — a clever wordplay that reflects their unyielding strength.
"Thunderous" ('NOEASY,' (2021)
With great success comes great responsibilities — or haters, in K-pop's case. After the prestige of GO生, it didn't take long for some to criticize Stray Kids' music as too chaotic, too noisy, or even too "construction work-like." However, as another saying goes, they used those stones to build a castle.
Stray Kids' sophomore studio album, NOEASY — a play on "noisy" — came out in Aug. 2021 as a snappy response to all the naysayers. Lead single "Thunderous" synthesized their thoughts best: "Why you mad? Why you sad? Why are you ticking me off?/ I don't care at all/ Neener-neener, your attempt to look cool is just cute/ You don't even come close to me, this is my show."
Invoking a storm of ominous trumpets, futuristic synths, and traditional Korean instrumentation, Stray Kids proudly lean into their maximalist sound. Upon release, NOEASY sold over 1 million copies, becoming the best-selling album in JYP Entertainment history at the time.
"Muddy Water" is the closing track off Stray Kids' sixth EP, ODDINARY, but stands as its most impactful. Featuring rappers Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, and Felix, the song is a testament to their ingenuity and versatility, pushing their creative boundaries even further.
Over a vintage hip-hop beat with hints of jazz, the quartet blends past and future, rap and pop, humble beginnings and superstardom into a unique piece of art. "We're the rain water that comes after the stagnant water has dried up, I'll change all the standards of the world/ You get soaked without even realizing it," they state, reinforcing their commitment to originality and breaking down the status quo.
Commercially, they continued to grow in leaps and bounds. ODDINARY became Stray Kids' first album to top the Billboard 200 chart, and was named the 14th best-selling album worldwide in 2022, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).
Originally released on Stray Kids' first Japanese studio album, 2020's All In, "FAM" was so beloved that it was re-recorded as a Korean single for their 2022 compilation, SKZ-REPLAY. As the title suggests, the song celebrates the group's bond as akin to a family.
It begins with leader Bang Chan gushing over the youngest member, I.N, and goes on with each of the eight teammates introducing the next. Their playful and flattering observations — like calling Hyunjin "a weasel with charming lips" or comparing Seungmin to a cute labrador dog — help any new fan feel like a close friend, and gives some insight into their real-life dynamics.
With a soft electronic beat encasing its tender lyrics, "FAM" may not be Stray Kids' biggest or boldest song. However, it is undoubtedly one of their most sincere — a sweet snapshot of the love, trust and history that keeps them reaching higher and higher.
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After paying homage to Marvel's superhero Deadpool in the 2021 competition series "Kingdom: Legendary War," Stray Kids brought things full circle in 2024 with Deadpool himself (or rather, his interpreter, actor Ryan Reynolds) and Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) in the music video for "Chk Chk Boom."
As Stray Kids' success and fandom skyrocketed, opportunities like this simply made sense with their increasingly cinematic style. And while the mala sound of "God's Menu" and "Back Door" provided the groundwork to many of their recent singles, such as "Case 143" and "LA LA LA LA," "Chk Chk Boom" showed that Stray Kids' experimentalism was still very much alive.
Off 2024's EP ATE, the track takes on Latin-inspired hip hop and reggaetón to infuse it with a rebellious, cocky energy. When success became routine ("Sick of this life, it's regular/ I overate victory, so full," boasts Changbin), they focused on being even more ambitious. "I'm the owner of my goal/ Lucky to have me as an owner," HAN adds.
As the mix of confidence, hunger and fearlessness on "Chk Chk Boom" reminds, Stray Kids thrive when they embrace the unexpected. And that's been further proven by their record-breaking chart success: ATE debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking their fifth consecutive chart-topper (following ODDINARY, MAXIDENT, 5-STAR, and ROCK-STAR) and making them the first group in the chart's history to achieve this feat.
Stray Kids closed out a massive 2024 by extending their own record, as their mixtape HOP also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. And with the arrival of KARMA, it may be only a matter of time before Stray Kids add to their ever-growing legacy.