Stray Kids Fight To Keep The Loneliness At Bay in ‘Ex’

Just last week, the rising stars of Stray Kids created ripples with the release of their new repackaged album, “IN LIFE” or “IN生”. The boys also dropped the visualizer for their scorching tune, ‘Back Door’ and it didn’t take long for this number and the entire album to dominate charts world over. But it looks like the boys aren’t resting on their laurels just yet, as they’ve dropped yet another music video for one of their tracks. 

Titled, ‘Ex’ the boys take things down a notch for this tune. Peppered with a melancholic piano riff and gentle melodies, ‘Ex’ sees the band’s vocal line take the spotlight. Unlike their previous rap-heavy tracks, Stray Kids show us a new side with this lulling song. 

Stray Kids Explore A Deep-Rooted Pain

When it comes to the songwriting, we see the band grappling with ideas of loneliness and pain. Fleshing out the little intricacies, we see Stray Kids exercise an awareness of the fact that they’re hurting, as they sing,

The unusual coldness in the way I spoke that day
The unusual amount of times I let out a yawn that day
The busy-ness that I used as an excuse for a day or two
The feeling that had worn off eventually became obvious

With the words of “I’m sorry”
I wrote the sad ending that I had with you with shaking hands
Leaving and letting go, it hurts me

Now, the visualizer for ‘Ex’ sees the boys experiment with a lot of metaphors. They look into mirrors, unable to identify the person staring back. They drown out their sorrows by doing frivolous tasks, hoping to distract themselves. Until finally, the video shows us that they find comfort in being with each other, which proves to be a remedy of sorts. 

And so, through their melodies and concepts, Stray Kids have once again shown us an incredibly mature and poignant understanding of pain. 

By: Nina Karun