Early Access: SKZ - Escape (Bang Chan & Hyunjin)
Added 2025-03-26 12:00:11 +0000 UTCHere's our reaction to SKZ Bang Chan & Hyunjin's Escape.
WE SHIP THEM HARD.
Yep.
Enjoy <3
Comments
Ahhhh!! I'm so glad you got to go!! All of the fan-cam footage I've watched is off the chain. Those two concerts were just one big PARTY!!
J.A. Moore
2025-03-31 02:13:34 +0000 UTCthese reactions are amazing guys! you should check the live performances in the Santiago concert. I was there and it was UNBELIEVABLE
Dans
2025-03-29 23:46:49 +0000 UTCI don't remember who mentioned on the discord, but they said if you look at it from the perspective of bangchan during Hyunjins highatus and it HAUNTED ME, I thought about that again while listening to the lyrics much harder (after being slapped in the face by the vesuals) and it made me cry! (especially when chan says "let's run away from the world" "shh" and in the mv he covers hyunjins mouth and then it looks like they are both backed into a corner then hyunjin runs away (in a fashion that he is about to tackle what is coming after them head on on his own) and chan runs to a higher viewpoint seemingly "watching over" hyunjins actions.)
♡ Bludreamgirl ♡
2025-03-28 08:45:56 +0000 UTCI like this song surprisingly well. I wasn't expecting to, based on Red Lights - but it's so good!! And Bang Chan's falsetto is SO GOOOOOOOD.
Estelle S
2025-03-28 00:45:21 +0000 UTCGreat TED Talk!
J.A. Moore
2025-03-27 18:36:53 +0000 UTCwell written for sure, I kept thinking of Hyunjin's hiatus while watching this MV, very good points
lillie450
2025-03-27 15:40:19 +0000 UTC10 out of 10 TED talk, very compelling :)
lillie450
2025-03-27 15:34:50 +0000 UTCI had to come and vindicate D-Some. It’s a ferret. 😂
Lauren_001
2025-03-27 10:55:14 +0000 UTCI literally reacted the same way. Like what is going on. I LOVE that this song can be interpreted in anyway you want it to be. I LOVE LOVE the Red Lights connection - escaping from the chains essentially. Ughhhhhhhh Chans adlibs, high notes OMG. Idk how many times I've watched this but I AM OBSESSED. Side note - Ferret Hyunjin, with Wolf Chan - genius!
Nova
2025-03-27 02:30:40 +0000 UTCThis gave me several goosebumps Well written theory I love it
rlm66
2025-03-26 23:54:22 +0000 UTCI think you’re right about how it represents the kpop industry. they use feral animals—hyunjin: ferret, chan: wolf, to represent their longing for freedom while trapped and being watched over by this darkness (also kinda like how they’re watching the goldfish). irl they’re under all these burdens, constantly scrutinized and just want to be free. in the mv they are chased by the darkness, so they’re running away and chan tries to protect hyunjin/find a way out. but then hyunjin sacrificed himself and went to confront the encroaching darkness head on, just to end up alone & lost, which could represent mental health struggles. chan never stops looking for him & calls out to him through the moon and in the end they find their way back to each other. both in the video & irl, they’re each others’ support and in the end of the mv they take on the next challenge hand in hand, side by side because they won’t leave each other behind. they can face anything as long as they’re together. it’s also interesting that chan is scared during both confrontations whereas hyunjin is only scared the first time. after he went through it, he’s ready for anything cuz he knows chan has his back if anything happens again. he offers his hand to chan as a source of comfort/reassurance, then chan is ready to go too. all it takes is one of them being brave and a whole lot of trust for them to jump headfirst into the next challenge
8watermelon7
2025-03-26 23:36:32 +0000 UTCHyunjin ferret debut 🥹
Janetleestay 🐨
2025-03-26 23:03:15 +0000 UTCOH MAN I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS Obviously, there's a lot of different ways to interpret both the MV and the song's relationship to Red Lights, but me being me, the lens I'm most compelled by is horny queer allegory. Red Lights is about compulsion: the idea of being trapped by something - desire, identity, need - and unable to break free. The lyrics and the MV reflect this jointly: "No matter how hard I try to escape, there's no answer," says the song, while in the MV, Chan and Hyunjin are repeatedly shown tied up, breaking free for short periods only to be restrained again. This restraint is both literal, in terms of chains and ropes (the latter of which very clearly evokes shibari/kinbaku bondage) and metaphoric, in terms of them being unable to escape either each other or the building in which they're confined. And in the final shot - tellingly - they go from an embrace that evokes a sensual vampire bite to gazing in parallel at separate mirrors, as if to show that they're looking *inward* in search of freedom. The MV for Escape, then, shows what happens when they find it. Where Red Lights is constrained, slick, interior, Escape is unconstrained, feral, exterior. They're both outside, no longer trapped in endless halls and tiny rooms; we see glimpses of their chains and ropes unravelling, visual flashbacks to the Red Lights MV, and now, instead of staring into mirrors, they play with smashed glass. Where Red Lights was shot in a high class hotel, evoking a sense of wealth and privilege, Escape is shot on an industrial estate, which Chan and Hyunjin further smash as they roll and play-fight like puppies. We also see that snapped chains dangle from both their wrists, implying that they've not just escaped in the metaphoric sense, but are, within the context of the MV, running from literal imprisonment. Which is where the shifter element comes in: because at the thematic level, werewolves in particular and werecreatures in general are seen as both monstrous and erotic, the perfect embodiment of a dual nature. In Red Lights, they're compelled to suppress that duality; in Escape, they set it free. So when Chan and Hyunjin run and embrace each other so tightly as to imply a forbidden kiss, or at the very least a deep connection to one another, the obvious metaphor - to me, at least - is queer desire. In Red Lights, this identity is what they're struggling with, the compulsion they can neither truly acknowledge or escape, but which compels them to look inwards in search of an answer; in Escape, they've embraced who they are despite the danger of doing so, taking strength from their dual natures and uniting against the thing that seeks to imprison them. Their final stand at the end of the MV, then, is an acknowledgement that escape in this context doesn't just mean running away, but directly confronting what kept them trapped. Where Red Lights ended with them staring into separate mirrors, Escape ends with them joining hands, followed by a final glimpse of broken glass: not only are they stronger together, but the mirrors are smashed. There's other hints at their dual nature, too; in addition to the fur coats they gain on embracing, there's the paw prints they leave behind even in human form, because both parts of them are always present. Which... I'll refrain from writing a full essay about it, but there's a reason why werewolves/shifters are so popular with queer people; why various associated literary/IRL subgenres (omegaverse) and subcultures (furries) have sprung up around the idea. Something about, "here's a monster that's feared and loathed by some, because it looks like a normal person while having a secret heart that's animal, bestial, wrong. Traditional narratives have viewed it as a schism in the soul, where the good human half is in conflict with the evil animal half, but more recent interpretations have engaged with the concept more complexly. Now, we see them as outcast creatures, both erotic and powerful, deeply loyal to their pack - a definition of intimacy which transcends platonic/romantic distinctions while also subverting heteronormativity - and compelling precisely because they represent, not an unhappy binary, but a rejection of the idea that you can only be one thing or the other; that difference is an inherent source of evil; that having a dual nature is not shameful." Anyway yes I am completely obsessed with both this song and the MV, thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
sysrae
2025-03-26 21:02:57 +0000 UTCI LOVE THIS SONG THE VOCES THE MUSIC THE ACTING THE CHEMISTRY EVERYTHING Really HyunChan put everything in this song, feels so cinematic, the falsetto of Chan was cheff kiss and the toneeee of Hyun in the beginning I loved so mucccch, the run in the chorus, the silent part, really really loved is like Red Ligths and Railway have a baby jajaja And the story 🤭 well what can I tell you stayville go CRAZY THE DAY THIS DROP likeeeee in this house we ship HyunChan fr JAJAJAA yeah Hyun is a ferret and Chan a wolf just like their skzoo My theory is they escape from the city or they go exiled from that, bc maybe they are hybrids and the society don’t like them, and I think this metaphor works well with everything you can point the society don’t like, bc is different and I really like that. But I like your theory too about how all the mixtape means, how is being a idol our how feels being SKZ bc I think every group have their different path.
Vale
2025-03-26 19:59:04 +0000 UTCI'm getting completely absorbed into their world. Teary and utterly mesmerized by these two wolf pack caracters and the deep meaning of both lyrics and visuals. The fish tank scene is hitting hard. A frea..n' masterpiece!
Ann Canovill
2025-03-26 18:39:50 +0000 UTCThere's an interview with the director and it's amazing! He directed Red Lights, Railway, etc... (I think he is the one that is Chan's friend) - The article: https://www.papermag.com/novv-kim-kpop#rebelltitem2 And Han-C saw right, Hyunjin is a ferret, CSI-Stays found paw prints and the way the smoke/ghost like ferret runs.. It was so cute!!! Chan is the leader of the pack ( no doubt here kkkk), there a time where Hyunjin leaves to protect Chan (for me it was like "you protect us but we also protect you".. And I also think Chan and his director friend are reading too much fanfic about packs and couples 🙄🙄 kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Lari
2025-03-26 18:24:06 +0000 UTCI think you are very spot on about how the overarching themes are what's important here, and that it's about their lives as idols, the industry and (imo) a very obvious nod to their new contracts being in effect as of yesterday. First of all, Hyunjin and Bangchan's synergy is really something else. They seem to feed off of eachother so instinctively and being highly intune to that. To me, they are sooo similar in some ways, and then complete opposite in others. It just flows right. The song itself is breathtaking and their different tones are so beautiful. Chan's falcetto gives me chills, and the high note towards the end? I'm in awe. Bangchan is really not talked about enough for his own voice. People talk about his tracks, him as a leader and for the thirst traps, but the man is a star. Truly so insanely talented. "Just follow me, I'll lead, night and day In exchange for this pain, can you promise me To show your love for me every day? " - it feels like Chan sings to the members, first and foremost, but also to stay. And Hyunjin singing that he'll set himself on fire to melt the cold in Chan, feels then like HJ, and by extension the members, are saying that they'll be with him all the way. I love the little nods to Red Lights in it, and they're definitely connected. Escape, to me, is the ultimate outcome when the obsession of Red Lights is left to fester. They lose themselves just enough to be able to play within and enjoy the limits of their confines, but also gather strength to finally break loose. There's a certain kind of madness to it, whereas Red Lights was very pretty and ordered - even if there were signs of a scattered mind in that one too. And while Mr. Full-Course Meal's innuendos are about as subtle as being hit by a truck, my actual interpretation for Escape is this: They start out as pups/cubs roughhousing, playfighting, as young ones do. But things starts getting real and scary, and they need to be separated for a while. Before they do, Chan arms HJ with the glass claw and HJ goes off on his own. HJ almost looks ready for self sacrifice or hurting himself (taking himself out of the equation to protect the others?), which shocks Chan for a moment. Chan searches for him for a while. You even see him reach for the moon and Hj's chains starting to be pulled towards it as a reaction. Chan is unable to turn into his most powerful self, his wolf, for as long as they're apart, and only when they reunite and the pack is complete, are they able to turn. Once they're back together and in danger from the truck, Chan has HJ by his chain at first, leading him. But then HJ reaches for his hand and Chan takes it in stead. To me, that is a powerful message of Chan not having to bear the burden of leading anymore, even if he still is leader for the practical stuff. The kids are grown, they are equals now, and this is HJ telling him that 'I've got you too'. That look that they share, knowing they are stronger together, before turning to fight whatever might come...? I might have ugly cried. And if one wanted to speculate even more, there are theories out there about this being very illustrative of HJ hiatus. Especially knowing that Escape, or some version of it, was done in 2022, just a year after They won Kingdom with Wolfgang without HJ in 2021. With an incomplete pack. Hyunjin had to step down then, and spent a lot of time on his own while the rest could only watch and wait for things to be sorted. Chan's room back then was... Hard. Howl in Harmony and Red Lights was one of the first things they did when he was back. And we know Escape must have been from around the same time, because Chan teased a series of 9 tracks on Chan's room back in 2022. Escape is the 6th one we've been able to place. I'm still waiting to watch Cinema until I get home from work to really make up my mind, but there are so many things recurring in all of the MVs. There's the symbolism of the truck, which Changbin lifts with one hand while still not stepping on the caterpillar and that HyunChan face together (the "big bad"/industry/company/haters/competition?) There's also I.N saying he feels his throat burning while wearing a choker and then Han saying he "removed the dagger from his throat", so a reaction to being silenced, but saying "no more" to it? Another nod to contracts? They're definitely breaking free.
Rina
2025-03-26 17:37:36 +0000 UTCI feel like that mixture of friendship and love and passion and partnership is such a good description of the SKZ bond as a whole. I think Chan once said they have a bond beyond friendship and one that taught him what love was, it's that fierce strong bond that keeps them all working together for the same goal. I really love when Hyunjin and Chan write together I feel like you get a sort of more raw emotional tone come out.
Ixaala
2025-03-26 16:58:57 +0000 UTCHan C is right about Hyunjin! You can see by the paw prints and the animal forms that Hyunjin is a ferret.
Macon Hogan
2025-03-26 16:52:50 +0000 UTCThank you for writing this well thought out analysis. I couldn’t agree more. This is the icing on this delicious cake our boys have served Stay. On to …Cinema
Gail Palmer
2025-03-26 16:30:07 +0000 UTCLoved your reaction! They had SKZ:s 7th anniversary live yesterday and talked a little about Escape.
Peilityyni
2025-03-26 15:56:02 +0000 UTCOoooh thanks for that link!
J.A. Moore
2025-03-26 15:52:44 +0000 UTCI totally got Thelma and Louise vibes, yes.
J.A. Moore
2025-03-26 15:50:26 +0000 UTCLOL !!!!
J.A. Moore
2025-03-26 15:49:35 +0000 UTCI have been waiting for your reaction to Escape. YES!!! OK, I have SO much to say. 1) Crossovers between Red Lights and Escape - the red string @1:23 - the scene @1:48 - the chains throughout - @1:58 - the brief flash of the white-sleeved arm with the chain around the wrist - it's a spliced-in scene from Red Lights - the predominantly black / white color scheme with occasional flashes of red - the "SHHH!!" and momentary silence - possibly a brief guitar riff that was in both. I couldn't hear it as clearly in "Escape" but it sure sounded the same Those are the ones I noticed, anyway. There may have been other things, too. 2) The concept of Escape *********First immediate impression: Hyunjin with his buzzcut and unhinged behavior reminded me of so much of Trainspotting. *********Second impression: They're brothers or best friends who are on a rampage after escaping some place where they'd been held captive (the chains). They're both borderline psychopaths, but Hyunjin is much worse than Chan. Chan (barely) keeps Hyunjin in check, but sometimes he lets Hyunjin run wild because he's actually beautiful in a way, when he's like that. And that feeds Chan's soul like nothing else does. They're on their last destructive tear and they know their end is coming. Pain.....emotional chaos......deranged laughter.....a sense of inevitability........and then......the end arrives. And they run toward it, together. *********Then, after re-watching a number of times: - the BARELY-there howling sound at the **very** beginning as they're running on all fours - wolf / wild animal behavior (running on all fours, ramming into each other and knocking each other down, breaking and tearing things, play-fighting on the bed, the animal footprints they leave in the snow in the scene just before Chan's beautiful falsetto, running all over, climbing things) - sensuality - horror (the broken piece of glass, Hyunjin's fascination with it and holding it in one scene as if he's going to hurt himself with it) - pack leader taking care of his pack-mate - the moon's influence - the imagery of them as creatures when they're running toward each other - their clothes changing and they're suddenly wearing fur coats - WOLFGANG comes to mind - Bang Chan holding the chain that's around Hyunin's arm (by the way, did you all notice it's specifically a DOG chain?) - them having feral looks on their faces and Bang Chan baring his teeth just before they run toward the truck 3) The song / songwriting Bang Chan and Hyunjin are an AMAZING songwriting duo. I get the feeling Bang Chan wrote most of Escape, but I can definitely "hear" Hyunjin's writing in there, too. They create incredible music that's not like anything else in the K-pop industry. NOTHING out there in K-pop is like this. In fact, it could easily be argued that their songs don't fit in the K-pop genre at all. Their songs are more mature and much bigger in scope with multiple layers of meaning. And the music itself is soulful as hell. Simply put, Red Lights and Escape are in a category all of their own. And am I the only one who thinks that Chan (or both of them) could write musical scores for movies?? I see SO much potential for that. I also feel like Bang Chan and Hyunjin NEED and MUST write more songs together. They tap into each other's creativity......but most importantly......they're not afraid to go THERE. Wherever THERE is, they feel drawn to it, musically and conceptually. And they trust STAY to understand and allow them to explore that while taking us with them on that journey. And JYP trusts THEM to create something unique and beautiful. I can't thank him enough for that. 4) The sound The sound is just incredible. It's FULL, it's CINEMATIC, it's nuanced and it takes the listener's mind to provocative places. In both Red Lights and Escape, Bang Chan and Hyunjin's voices go where they have not explored in any other Stray Kids music. They have proven time and again throughout SKZ's discography that they can sing, and sing well. But in these two songs.....they really bring out something special. In Escape, Bang Chan shows us again that he's an incredible vocalist and that falsetto simply made me ASCEND. It was stunning. And I am IN LOVE with the opening verses that Hyunjin sings by himself. That part of the song has a reggae / Bob Marley flavor, and Hyunjin's voice is **perfect** for it. I really, really hope he keeps on allowing himself to expand and stretch toward different concepts and vocal sounds. 5) THE ACTING !!!!!! Holy shit. I've been saying it for a while, but Escape just solidifies everything for me. SOMEONE PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE sign them up to act in something. Especially Hyunjin. That man.....I swear. He's just an absolute fucking NATURAL. 6) The M/V is a mini-movie One of my favorite scenes in Escape is the one where Chan sings in his stunning falsetto as they're gazing into the fish tank. Beautiful and poetic. NOVVKIM is an absolute master at conceptual imagining and cinematography. He's made something like 25 or so M/Vs for SKZ so far (including Red Lights, RAILWAY and Hyunjin's Play with Fire dance video), and each one is better and better. What an incredible partnership he and Stray Kids have. 7) LASTLY......just a personal note. I want to say that I appreciate so much how open the members of SKZ are to following / enjoying the work of / collaborating with members of the LGBT+ community. Especially Han, Felix, Hyunjin and Bang Chan. From artists they follow and listen to, to partnering with NOVVKIM (himself a member of the LGBT+ community), to (mostly) writing gender-neutral music, to ALWAYS wearing safety pins on their performance clothing (safety pins are an international symbol for solidarity with marginalized people), to happily interacting with fans who are LGBT+, to dressing in unisex clothing that appeals to all genders, to rainbow colors appearing in a number of their M/Vs or live performances....... Having many LGBT+ family members and friends in my life, it matters so much to me. Every day I am so glad I chose to stan the right group.
J.A. Moore
2025-03-26 15:44:51 +0000 UTCThis is my favorite song and MV from the mixtape, it fits right up my alley. Followed by Burnin Tires, which I think is so addicting. But I love Truman too, Cinema is not that much for me, but it's a great song nontheless.
Kim-Sophie Zeughan
2025-03-26 14:58:14 +0000 UTCHan-C was right on about Hyunjin being ferret. One set of paw prints in the snow is small and in the running at each other scene Hyunjin is represented by a white ferret.
StrayaGrrl
2025-03-26 14:42:09 +0000 UTCGlad I wasn't the only one who thought this mv felt pretty romantic haha in like a post apocalyptic end of the world way
Coco Nies
2025-03-26 14:17:39 +0000 UTCI seriously couldn't agree more with all of this.
Mary
2025-03-26 14:17:36 +0000 UTCi love their tones in this song it’s so strong. they brought back Novvkim for this MV! i recently read a really good article abt him i recommend it! https://www.papermag.com/novv-kim-kpop
Olivia
2025-03-26 14:11:06 +0000 UTCMy favorite part is at the end when they hold hands. To me, it symbolizes that they are stronger, more powerful together.
Sister Turtle
2025-03-26 13:42:36 +0000 UTCYou just nailed it in your analyses, I so agree with what you said! The lyrics are straightforward, and Bang Chan is singing : come with me, let’s escape now. And this is reflected in the video: Hyunjin is struggling, close to going mad or suicidal, Bang Chan is nervously trying to find him, and they decide to break out, even so they are running towards a truck which is most probably running them over and kill them. The musics industry machinery is brutal, and though it is killing a part of what would be a normal life, they are running intentionally towards it - together. This „-ship“ stuff is actually enervating me: what all members always made clear, for them it is love for each other that brought them together and holds them together like a FAMILY!!! Why does everybody needs to sexualise love? They should be role models for being loving humans to everyone - just spread love as far and wide as you can.
Ideosycrat
2025-03-26 13:39:59 +0000 UTCTheir ferret and wolf counterparts running towards eachother cutting to them hugging made me choke up the first time I saw it. I love the entire mixtape, but this is special to me T~T
Hazel
2025-03-26 13:25:37 +0000 UTCI also got Thelma and Louise.
i_nirvana
2025-03-26 13:12:08 +0000 UTCAhahahahah "is this necessary". It isssssss, HyunChan against the world guys
Lilith Rain
2025-03-26 12:44:15 +0000 UTCWith the right person/people by your side, ANYTHING is possible. Han-C clocked it with the ferret reference. The animals running to each other are a ferret and a wolf. Love your interpretations, as always!
Stay4Life
2025-03-26 12:42:57 +0000 UTCLove this... anything in the 'Red Lights' saga is sooooo good (inc. Taste) ... and then with the 'Railway' similarities...melt. Definitly links to their previous work.. with a couple of quick clips from the 'Red Lights' MV specifically the parts with the chains going up their arms when they are wearing white on the beds.. those clips flash up a few times in this at the beginning. I need a recording or live for this ... I am usually really confident in identifying who sings what .... but there is a whole section where I was like wait what who ... and I don't trust the LV. Such a sexy song.... WOLFGANG!! Like you said with the outfit changes to fur (WOLFGANG!) as they embrace and their chains linked (although it looks like Bang Chain is holding Hyunjins chain) they become stronger, I al so took this as a 'we are better as a pack, as SKZ' ... and then they turn together and are staring down the bright lights... like they could face anything together ... So cool ... so sexxxxxy! THIS EP IS SOSOSOSOSO GOOD!......Hoping that these duets might lead to a new season of 2 Kids Show as well
EL Knox
2025-03-26 12:34:03 +0000 UTCI love that we finally got them as shifters since Wolfgang. If you slow it down, you can see Hyunjin’s animal is a white ferret and not a wolf. Am I the only one that got Thelma and Louise vibes with the ending?
Robyn Mihandoost
2025-03-26 12:21:55 +0000 UTC"They look cute together" "I ship them harddd" "Best couple award goes to..." Y'all have me crying lmaoooo
0325lix
2025-03-26 12:14:34 +0000 UTC"Where do you get your ideas for music videos?" "We scroll through Wattpad"
Elina
2025-03-26 12:12:25 +0000 UTCLol. Not we ship them 🤣😹. I can't wait to watch this when I can.
Kwestleo
2025-03-26 12:07:55 +0000 UTCCame here so fast. Have been waiting for this one. Super excited! Thank you so much
Mariya Fae
2025-03-26 12:07:12 +0000 UTC
