Stray Kids, the sensational boyband under JYP Entertainment, recently confirmed their comeback with the EP ‘Rock-Star,’ scheduled to drop next month. This exciting news comes on the heels of their ‘Prologue’ video release on 6th October, which had fans buzzing with anticipation.
The tracklist for ‘Rock-Star’ promises a musical extravaganza with eight songs. Among them, ‘Social Path,’ a Korean version of their recent collaboration with Blackpink singer Lisa, has gained considerable attention. Fans can also look forward to two versions of ‘락 (LALALALA).’ All these tracks were written and composed by at least one member of 3RACHA, the talented sub-unit consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, who are the main creative forces behind Stray Kids. ‘가려줘 (Cover Me)’ is a collaborative effort between Bang Chan and Hyunjin. Recognisable collaborators like Willie Weeks and Millionboy also lent their expertise to the composition and arrangement of some tracks.
Image Courtesy: Vevo
The ‘Prologue’ video, released alongside the EP announcement, represents an emotive picture of a child preparing to take the stage as a trumpet player in a band. Rappers, Felix and Bang Chan add some spice while Felix adds a calming presence in contrast to his bandmate’s intense and theatrical delivery.
“The anxiety is something we create ourselves,” Bang Chan dramatically whispers as the moment of stage time approaches, to which Felix offers a reassuring counterbalance: “We believe that you’ll do great if you can get beyond these emotions and enjoy these moments.” As the children step onto the stage, their unified shout, “Let’s show them how we rock!” resonates, accompanied by an electric guitar solo and the band’s logo, the EP title, and their slogan displayed in vibrant pink.
Image Courtesy: Billboard
The tracklist includes Megaverse’
‘락 (LALALALA)’, ‘사각지대 (Blind Spot)’, ‘Comflex’, ‘가려줘 (Cover Me)’, ‘Leave’, ‘Social Path (feat. LiSA) (Korean Ver.)’ and ‘락 (Rock Ver.) (LALALALA (Rock Ver.))’.
‘Rock-Star’ releases on 10th November. This EP comes just five months after the launch of Stray Kids’ previous full-length album, ‘5-Star,’ and is expected to have a close connection to its predecessor, according to JYP Entertainment.
Image Courtesy: Rolling Stone India
Their previous album achieved impressive success, securing their third consecutive number one spot on the Billboard 200 in June. It followed their earlier releases, ‘Maxident’ and ‘Oddinary,’ both of which also claimed the top spot on the chart in 2022.
In other news, three members of Stray Kids were involved in a car accident. Lee Know, Hyunjin and Seungmin were returning from a scheduled event when they encountered a “minor incident,” fortunately without serious injuries to themselves or their staff.
However, due to “mild muscle pain and bruises,” they were advised to undergo conservative treatment, resulting in a temporary hiatus from promotional activities, including a planned appearance at New York’s Global Citizen festival. Nevertheless, the sub-unit 3RACHA, composed of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, stepped up to perform at the event, keeping the spirit of Stray Kids alive in their absence.
-Britney Jones