Stray Kids

In an industry where every move they make is planned, recorded, and scrutinized, Stray Kids stands out for being one of the few kpop groups to “step out” (their signature greeting) and be candid about their thoughts and feelings. Unlike most other kpop groups, Stray Kids writes and composes their own songs, allowing them to choose what aspects of themselves they want to present to their fans. From their debut song, Hellevator, to their most recent title track, Side Effects, their songs unabashedly express the fears and insecurities of the group members. 

Stray Kids’ discography is a stark contrast to the perpetually romantic lyrics of their peers, instead crossing the whole gamut of emotions. The group’s music ranges from the bright and cheerful Awkward Silence, which is about—you guessed it—awkward silence, to the dark and heavy Voices, which gives voice to their struggle with negativity, not only from others, but within themselves. Their music also addresses some of the conflict that the group’s own members have with mental health, including depression (Hellevator) and insomnia (Insomnia). Hellevator tackles not only the despair that comes with depression, saying “There’s nothing / No one to care or worry about me / Only cold words / Telling me to give up on my dreams,” but also the hopelessness that comes when other people don’t take the feelings seriously: “People tell me this kind of suffering / Is just a passing storm / That if I want to succeed, even though I’m afraid / I need to set up a trap called failure.” The majority of the group’s musical focus, however, is on freedom through expression and finding their way through a profession that is as restricting as it is liberating. 

The fast paced kpop industry makes it difficult for any group to deviate too much from the norm; behind the scenes, groups are often chained to the deadlines and guidelines that their respective companies put forth. For a group like Stray Kids, whose overall message is so heavily tied to self-expression and finding your own way, it becomes difficult to juggle these two contrasting responsibilities. Even as they use music to convey their thoughts to people all around the world, Stray Kids binds themselves to a new structure that prevents them from being as transparent as they’re constantly pushing themselves to be. This dichotomy appears more and more in their recent music—TMT, a song from their newest album Clé 2: Yellow Wood, makes it clear how the group still grapples with balancing their own desires against the expectations of the industry. The song draws a picture of the group’s members chasing a star in the sky, only to come to the realization that they can no longer deviate from the path that they’ve set for themselves. With lyrics like “Honestly this is my choice / But I feel nervous about not being able to do it as I wish / Only the expectations for me grow bigger,” Stray Kids paints with painful clarity their confusion and hesitation as they’re thrust into the heart of kpop fame. 

The group’s struggles, however, provide for an important window into the not-so-happy aspects of their journey, and pave the way for a more open discussion of mental health in Korean pop music and beyond. Although improving by the day, the implicit taboo of  discussing mental illness sits heavily on many Asian countries, not just Korea. Hopefully, through their music, Stray Kids can not only find themselves, but help guide their listeners on their journeys as well. 

Dazed Stray Kids interview: https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/44726/1/stray-kids-k-pop-group-interview