HAPPY STAY WEEK! Introducing Stray Kids With An INTERVIEW With A STAY!

With their latest album “5-Star” being their third album to achieve No.1 on the Billboard 200, Stray Kids is really ‘breaking the industry’ with their music. Find out more about the phenomenal eight-member group in an interview with a STAY below! 

Stray Kids is an octet composed of members Bang Chan, Lee MinHo, ChangBin, HyunJin, Han, Felix, SeungMin, and I.N. under JYP Entertainment. Recently, they performed at the Lollapalooza music festival as a headlining performance and became the first-ever K-Pop group to do so. 

Can you introduce yourself? Where are you from? 

Hi, my name is Claire! Although I am originally from Korea, I’ve lived in the United States and Hong Kong for most of my life and have only recently settled in South Korea. Because I lived abroad for so long, K-Pop was one of the few connections to my culture and country, thus, through K-Pop I was able to sustain and build my knowledge of Korean popular culture and the language which definitely made my transition to Korea a lot easier. 

 

How and when did you enter the fandom?

During the pandemic, I, like many others, experienced a period where there was more time alone. It was around this time that I was formally introduced to K-Pop music by some friends and I really began to get invested in this genre of music. Although I had always casually listened to Stray Kids, when ‘God’s Menu’ came out, I was shocked at the pure talent of dancing, vocals, and quality of music production by the group. After re-watching all of their music videos and watching their survival show to learn more about the members, little did I know I would enter the fandom and realm of Stray Kids.

 

What are the reasons why you love your favorite group?

Not only are Stray Kids extremely talented and hardworking, but it was their real personalities and character that really drove me to become a STAY. While some idols really try to construct an idol image that is very different from their own, Stray Kids have maintained a very genuine relationship on and off camera between members and with their fans. Not to mention the extremely wholesome friendships between the members. Just watch one live show from their channel and you can see exactly what I mean! Furthermore, it is evident that Stray Kids really love performing and music and I especially love how hard they work. Although typically idols release a couple of songs with rarely any comebacks, Stray Kids spoil their fandom with very regular comebacks and tons of content. It is clear that they want to spread the joy of their music and share the magic of Stray Kids. 

 

Who caught your attention at first and why?

Like many others, Felix definitely caught my attention first. His aura and stage presence, not to mention his uniquely deep voice, caused my eyes to instantly gravitate toward him. Because of the stage image that I got from his strong dance moves and vocals, I expected him to have a very mysterious and quiet personality. Little did I know, he turned out to have an amazingly bubbly and bright character. Just watch one of his fan cams and then watch one of his YouTube lives, the contrast between the two are insane. The Felix Effect is real! 

 

Who is your bias, and why?

My bias is… you guessed it, Felix! Something about Felix and his personality is very special that even many idols are magnetically drawn to Felix as well. Whether that’s from playing uno and losing(very badly) to Chan, surprising his younger sister by visiting to Australia, or baking brownies for his members to cheer them up, everyone has a soft spot for Felix. 

 

Can you recommend a title track and a B-side track for new fans?

For news fans, I highly, highly recommend listening to ‘God’s Menu’ and ‘Behind the Light’ when it comes to title tracks and B-sides. Pro tip: All their songs are great! Just close your eyes and push play.

 

Can you recommend an individual content video of your bias to our readers?

I strongly recommend watching the video below. This vlog really showcases the personality of some of the members and their friendships. Also, the legendary game of Uno is in this video! Trust me when I say you’ll be laughing along with the idols as if you are there! 

Can you also recommend a content video by Stray Kids? 

I suggest watching genuinely any of their content on “SKZ CODE” or any kind of video likewise. However, if I was going to recommend just one video, I would say their Thunderous Dance Cover (or really any dance cover) showcases just a fraction of how talented the group is!

 

What is your favorite group’s influence on your daily life? 

I can definitely say that Stray Kids really motivate my daily life. Especially their survival show, where so many members faced hardships such as Bang Chan’s long training period with the uncertainty of debut, Felix trying to learn a new language in a foreign country, or Lee MinHo walking in the rain after he got ‘eliminated’ because he thought that he didn’t deserve a taxi. So many of these moments constantly push me to hurdle over hardships when I think about the difficulties that they had to overcome to reach the level of success that they achieved today. 

 

Is there a dish you saw Stray Kids eat that made you crave it too?

Stray Kids Felix’s famous brownies and cookies! Whenever there is any type of vlog in their dorm, Felix always seems to be up to baking. Lee MinHo is also considered to be the best chef in Stray Kids and I’d be more than happy to try any of his popular dishes.