K-Pop Spotlight: Stray Kids

Stray Kids are back with their noisiest and most memorable album yet. To celebrate, we caught up with the self-producing boy group to talk about their second full album NOEASY, the new single “Thunderous,” and some of the lessons they’ve learned in the three years since their debut. Check out our full interview below!

Where did the inspiration for the album title NOEASY come from? Would you consider your Stray Kids sound to be noisy, and do you like that description?

Bang Chan: We did a little wordplay with the words “no easy” and “noisy,” meaning that in a world where things aren’t so easy, we will be noisier and noisier. I actually don’t mind people describing our music as noisy ’cause that’s what we’re trying to be. The loudest noise that everyone will remember!

Changbin: Since our title songs are typically powerful and performance-based, I’m sure some people think our music is a little noisy. With that said, some people enjoy that sort of energy. We also get energized and have fun on stage, so I think the expression “noisy” is a positive thing. The title NOEASY is a spirited response to all the noise that distracts us and gets in our way—to say that we’re not an easy match and we won’t back down.

You celebrated your third anniversary as a group earlier this year (congrats!)—what are some of the (harder) lessons you’ve learned over the years as a group that produces all of their own music?

Hyunjin: During these past three years, the things I’ve learned are the love of STAY and how to love more. Additionally, through countless performances, I think my stage skills have also improved.

HAN: I was amazed and thankful to learn that the songs I write and create can move people. I hope to continue making good music that will move more people and continue to touch their hearts!

Felix: I learned that it’s hard to reach many goals in life. However, over the past years, I’ve learned to ask for help and feedback from my members. As time goes by, we’ve strengthened our team play to overcome anything.

What’s the first song you remember loving, or what is one of your recent favorite songs?

Bang Chan: Out of Stray Kids songs? “Hellevator” because it was our first official song as Stray Kids.

Lee Know: I was told that when I was a child, I used to dance and sing along to the music on the radio that my parents would listen to. I think that’s when I first started loving music, but I can’t remember what those songs were!

Changbin: “개똥벌레” (T/N: This song translates to “Firefly” in Korean and is a nursery song.)

Hyunjin: I think my favorite song is “Secret Secret” because HAN and I share the same emotional wavelength, and the lyrics really resonated with me.

HAN: I really liked “D” by DEAN!

Felix: “Grow Up” is a song we always sang together with our STAY during our concerts and performances. This song brings back a lot of unforgettable memories for me.

Seungmin: Kim Dong Ryul’s “Drunken Truth”

I.N: My favorite song from this album is “Thunderous!”

Many of you were really into anime and exercise as your stress-relief/hobbies the last time we spoke. Tell us a little bit about what you are into these days, outside of your activities as Stray Kids.

Bang Chan: Umm, I’m still exercising daily, and these days I’ve been using Felix’s Switch to play games.

Lee Know: I either cook or go to a cafe to read a book.

Changbin: I like working out!

Hyunjin: I study art and draw. I like to have my own time of healing in my free time by watching other artists on YouTube.

HAN: I still watch anime, go on YouTube, work on music, and exercise. I think I tend to gravitate more towards things I can do at home rather than outside.

Felix: If I have the time, I go out bike riding, walk in the park, or look for some new recipes to cook for the people around me.

Seungmin: I’ve been enjoying taking vocal lessons and playing the guitar sometimes! I’ve also developed a deep interest in coffee, so I’ve been exploring different machines and flavors.

I.N: I recharge by laying in bed and watching YouTube or movies.

On these last few albums, we’ve seen some unit songs developed outside of the usual 3RACHA team. Do your members ever surprise or excite you by what they come up with when you’re working as a new unit?

Bang Chan: Yes, it’s always surprising and exciting! It’s really unexpected, and their ideas are really good, too, so it’s always fun to work as units.

Changbin: It’s even more inspiring and helpful when I hear other ideas outside of my own.

Seungmin: I was blown away by Felix’s rap and vocals in “Surfin’!” I remember being very pleasantly surprised by the originality/freshness of his self-written rap.

You’ve all grown so much as people and performers since your debut. How has that growth impacted your sound and the themes in your music?

Lee Know: As we’ve grown, we’ve widened our range of music and performances, which has allowed Stray Kids the ability to convey a broader range of expressions.

Seungmin: In my case, I think I’ve become a reliable vocalist for Stray Kids! In order to sing our team’s songs well, I’m honing my singing ability so that I can pull off any type of melody 3RACHA creates.

I.N: Our album contains songs of diverse genres, and singing this wide variety of songs has helped me grow a lot.

If you could have a meal with your families anywhere in the world tonight, what would you be eating and where?

Bang Chan: Just having a normal dinner with the fam at home would be nice.

Lee Know: I think it would be the best if I could have a home-cooked meal with my family at our home in Gimpo. There’s no place more comfortable than that, and Soonie, Doongie, and Dori (our cats) are there, too.

Changbin: I want to go to Australia and eat steak!

Hyunjin: I want to visit Japan with my parents and go to a hot spring again. I’d like to eat the grilled skewers that we had there last time.

HAN: I would like to have a BBQ party and grill tons of meat like chicken, beef, pork, lamb, etc. It would be fun to rent a vacation home and just eat and have fun!!

Felix: I’d love to eat in Australia with my family at a nice, big, fancy restaurant, just enjoying the view, the food, and having the time of our lives together.

Seungmin: I would like to cook and enjoy a meal together at home. It’s the best when you can eat good food and have good conversations in a comfortable atmosphere!

I.N: I would like to grill and eat pork belly in Hawaii while looking out at the ocean.

Want more of Stray Kids? Check out their second full-length album NOEASY and the music video for "Thunderous" here.

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David won’t sleep when the rest of them are awake.

That’s not entirely true. He tires himself out of course. At three months old, he can’t keep going as long as he’d like, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try. He’s incredibly social for a baby, his wide blue eyes always following them around the room, tracking conversations, trying to be a part of things. It’s sweet, Erik thinks–he even babbles at them while they’re talking, like he’s trying to join in, though he’s reacting to the sound of their voices more than anything, and shrieks with delight when something pleases him. That makes Charles happiest of all. He’d been worried since the start, trying to walk the line between embracing David’s telepathy while nurturing his language skills as well, and Charles doesn’t have to do more than smile for Erik to know what a relief he finds it that David vocalizes with them, even if he’s too little to have any comprehension of what they’re saying or for his baby talk to have any real meaning.

Still, as endearing as it is to watch him watch them, it very quickly leads to a cranky baby or a cranky three year old or cranky parents or, more than likely, all three. They’ve gotten used to stealing naps where they can get them, trading off herding the kids and five minutes of sleep on the couch.

Today, though, Charles has announced that they’re all going to sit together. Quiet time, Charles calls it, and Erik is skeptical, but once Charles moves from the wheelchair to the couch and wedges himself into the corner, Lorna doesn’t hesitate to abandon her toys to join him, scampering up into his lap.

“Are you going to read a story, Dada?” she asks, which is a fair question. This does tend to be where Charles sits when he reads her stories.

“We’re going to listen to someone else read all of us a story,” Charles says.

“Daddy and Davey too?” she asks.

“Daddy and Davey too,” Charles confirms, and gives Erik a Look. Erik shrugs and does one more circuit around the room with David, who’s struggling to keep his eyes open but refuses to give into his nap, and then sits down on the other side of the couch. Charles reaches across and hooks two fingers into his belt to pull him closer. Erik takes the hint and slides closer until he’s pressed up against Charles’ side. David is still curled up against his chest, blinking sleepily at Lorna and Charles, and Lorna strokes his hair with almost comical gentleness.

“He has so much hair,” Charles murmurs.

“Did I have that much hair when I was a baby?” Lorna asks, peering up at Charles.

“You didn’t,” Charles says. “You had very, very pale blonde hair. It was almost white and just peachfuzz on your head.” He strokes her hair for emphasis, long and green and curling at the ends, an indicator that she carries the x-gene sequences, even if she has yet to manifest any specific abilities or physical alterations. “And then when you started to get older, it started coming in thicker and green.”

Lorna yawns loudly, and instead of covering her mouth, presses her whole face into Charles’ shoulder.

“Green is best,” she says. “You said there was a story.”

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