STRAY KIDS ATE album review!
Added 2024-07-21 15:41:12 +0000 UTCWell I definitely had epiphany whilst listening to this album.
Some of the production choices just don't match the amount of charisma and energy that they have and the fact their concerts made me enjoy ALL of their songs says a lot.
They'd benefit from a higher energy live sounding vibe like (G)I-DLE post tomboy etc but that's only for my enjoyment I'm sure many will still love this album but it doesn't feel like much of a step forward in terms of their artistic identity in the way the last previous albums did but maybe this is more of a breather album which is also fine. The super short songs also didn't help.
The songs are still good and I liked the title track the most but there's something to be said for how alive their songs become once they're live which may be their intention but I'd love more of it!
The slow song was so pretty though and man SEUNGMIN SHINED a lot through out WOAH! The low range and some of his runs I think were on POINT. Han also had stellar moments and of course Lee know.
ENJOY!
Comments
LOVE this comment and totally hear you and feel free to comment on enhypen too I'll still see it!
Koko3op
2024-07-26 13:12:22 +0000 UTCok i might be a bit late to the party, but i only just now watched this reaction so give me a break lmao. i wanted to comment under enhypen’s new album reaction too, but it’s like two weeks old, so i’ll just move on and share some of my thought about skz because i have a bunch. i wasn’t really interested in this comeback before the drop because i guess my stray kids passion has died a little, so going into the album i was worried i’m gonna hate everything and be disappointed with myself. BUT chk chk boom was so much better than i expected, it really blew my mind. (i haven’t even watched live stage yet, but i think i would love it even more). i’d say that chk chk boom is deffo one of my favorites on the album. the rest of the songs… ehm. twilight, jam, i like it - the songs i actually enjoy listening to, excluding the title. twilight is pretty self explanatory. just like 5-star’s Collision, another HAN sad masterpiece. jam… i adore the beat, i really like the production and overall it’s super fun to listen to. the thing i do not like is HEAVY robotic auto tune bro pls give us some time to BREATH. i like it was the song that a didn’t like at first, but it grew on me A LOT. i really love the lyrics not being “i love you you love me let’s love each other” that was the theme in oh too much songs already. (i’m looking at you, romance: untold you cheesy bastard). at least it’s interesting to digest. NOW TO THE HARSH PART. songs i didn’t like mountains, stray kids, runners. mountains is epic, great show opener, but honestly that’s it… song just sounds like something i already heard a lot, it’s not that interesting, tho sounds huge and i think it’s gonna be better live. stray kids… omg it reminds me SO MUCH of marshmello like it’s actually not funny. every time this song is played i cant help but think about SEVENTEEN’S SOS that was produced by marshmello. i thought i was going insane lmaooo. overall, the meaning is great, i loved the references to older times. cute song that suits their contract renewal, but NOT my cup of tea because… marshmello. runners is just meh. i don’t like it, i don’t listen to it and i don’t really care about it. it’s an english release, maybe that’s the reason. the vocals sound muffled, quiet behind the beat. i just wish stray kids did some more songs in which we actually can hear vocals clearly. i think the perfect example for me would be MEGAVERSE. the beat in this song is on kinda heavier side, but you can hear all of the members voices crystal clear. yeah, overall, not my fav album by them, but it’s definitely not bad and still holds on to stray kids legacy. chk chk boom is iconic tho. vamos!
conchi spase
2024-07-26 11:16:14 +0000 UTCAlso you should check out the Chk Chk Boom- Deadeye Version. I think it is my favorite.
Jenni Heath
2024-07-26 00:59:38 +0000 UTCFor me it took a bit for me to really start loving this album. But for me it was also the same for s-class. You should definitely check out their ost for deadpool x wolverine also lee know did lee mujin service and it is so good!!
Jenni Heath
2024-07-26 00:49:33 +0000 UTCAs a big Stray Kids fan, this album definitely didn’t hit like I thought it would, which I think is okay??? Like after the initial hype died down, I came to the conclusion that Mountains and JJAM aren’t for me. Especially JJAM, which is kinda a weird track in general. Twilight is an absolutely a fav, I have a soft spot for jazzy late-night vibe songs. And of course, I think Chk Chk Boom is so catchy and the choreo is so satisfying to watch. Mega strides were made w, Skz finally getting to interact with Ryan Reynolds, so that’s cool. Overall it might not be my favorite album I’ve ever heard from them, but they always give it there all every comeback!!
Nala
2024-07-24 20:56:05 +0000 UTCHeyyyy!! I love what you said there "sit and play around in a space and figure things out before moving forward", I agree with that a lot. And to answer your question I think it's always best to stay true to your own growth/artistic vision because them the mainstream commercial success will always follow. I think they kinda did that with Maniac and Case 143 which weren't as jarring as God's Menu/Thunderous etc so they definitely know how to find that balance. And for groups without much control, I think they'd be more frustrated and definitely made to follow the recipes for commercial success more than anything.
Koko3op
2024-07-22 17:14:01 +0000 UTCHiya!!! Appreciate your insights as always! And like others have said, thank you for encouraging us to voice our thoughts. So here goes! I enjoyed the album. However "Twilight" was the one song that I wasn't feeling. It was pretty but I almost felt like it would fit better as a solo SKZ Record than a group song! I get your point about this album not showing growth in SKZ's artistic identity but I guess I'm ok with that because I think sometimes we need to sit and play around in a space and figure things out before moving forward. Their albums always do a good job of showing where they are in the moment. I would have more of an issue if they were always falling short. I even hate to say that cos I feel like what constitutes "falling short" is so subjective. I attended a music showcase last week and homegirl was BLOWING, like sign her already! But then my friend (who's a producer and one of the organizers) said he needed to have a talk with her cos she's still channeling Western RnB too much and he felt that wouldn't help her standout! I was like what??? It got me thinking cos one thing I do complain with SKZ is the lack of runs and full on belting. But then I remembered that I've also heard fans complain about high notes, I've heard fans complain about runs, I've heard fans complain about raps etc. I honestly don't envy the task in front of SKZ right now. Given their commercial success and growth they now have to figure out how to balance mainstream obligations with fan expectations with company directives with the group's overall vision and still incorporate individual stylistic choices. Do you think finding this balance is easier for groups that don't have as much control over their artistic direction?
KPOPStanThemAll
2024-07-22 16:41:41 +0000 UTCAhaha aaaah thank you so much for subscribing I really appreciate it! Good on you for finding other groups! Yess it seems we do have great taste.
Koko3op
2024-07-22 14:21:32 +0000 UTCLoved your reaction!! Completely agree with wanting longer songs but not mad at it. Would love to see your reaction to their ATE Intro as it reallyy gave me a whole new perspective into their thought process for the album.
Bubble Pop
2024-07-22 11:12:50 +0000 UTCI rarely comment on here but i gotta say there’s a reason you’re the only patreon that i’m willing to subscribe to. I’m an exo-l and I’ve watched all of your exo content and their solo ones. And now that they’re inactive as a group, I’m forcing myself to discover other active male groups and Ateez & Stray kids caught my interest the most! So I’ve started watching your content related to them and realised we really have the same taste in men!!! 😂 I love Kai and am now obsessed with Yunho & Bangchan! Loved your drunkteez ep and now this album reaction of skz. Honestly, I can only listen to a full album from artists that I completely stan like exo & snsd, so watching this type of review kinda helps me discover their other songs too. Appreciate this review!
Aisyah
2024-07-22 11:07:22 +0000 UTCYAYY! Welcomeee and thanks for commenting
Koko3op
2024-07-22 08:52:42 +0000 UTCOooo I'll have to see once I watch it!
Koko3op
2024-07-22 08:52:22 +0000 UTCHahaha had to get ahead of the comments. Yess it was busy indeed
Koko3op
2024-07-22 08:51:46 +0000 UTCI completely agree with your comments about wanting more in parts! I personally liked this album but it definitely wasn’t one of my favorites from them. I really appreciate your reactions to albums because they help me articulate my own thoughts on them lol, my own opinions on the music don’t always align with yours but that’s part of what makes watching these fun! (Also your post about loving comments has given me the confidence to actually comment for the first time so thanks!)
Bustardwabbit086
2024-07-22 03:44:53 +0000 UTCI'm not sure if you've seen any of the stage performances, or the performance video, but I'm kinda annoyed that there are decently long parts where someone is completely covered at the back. Like I get that they have 8 which is definitely tougher, but I've never thought any of their other choreos did it this much?? Plus it's 2024, there are so many even numbered choreos being made that don't do it, or only do it for a short time. I also understand almost like "resting" someone in the back for them to come to the front after but even still it shouldn't be that much. Obviously this is all my opinion, just wondered if anyone else noticed? 🤷🏼♀️ haha Completely iconic though, I LOVE the choreo apart from that aspect!!
life of nicole
2024-07-22 03:18:37 +0000 UTCChannie delighted us all with his low note, what a charming man. Seungmin in this album is incredible in every aspect, even in the promotional interviews he’s giving it his all hahaha. And by the way, I’m laughing a lot at your comment on YouTube, it’s like: ‘I know I didn’t react to the full versions, stop harassing me’ hahahaha. Thanks for the reaction and all the content, it looks like you’ve had a busy weekend
Rodríguez Lara Scarlin Selinet
2024-07-22 00:25:50 +0000 UTCYesss this is a good title track for sure!
Koko3op
2024-07-22 00:21:43 +0000 UTCThank you for the review. I‘ve been an SM stan since 2012. I’ve been a SKZ fan for three years now. Valid criticism about the songs missing something. Being an SM stan, I think all they need to really bring up the songs to the next level is a really good bridge and outro. Which is what SM does well. However I still enjoyed all the songs and PERSONALLY I enjoyed JJAM too. (I know crazy) but as someone who listens to a lot of odd genres of music I like my music messy/edgy. (maybe why I stan) I did get into skz because of a live performance I saw on kingdom and then binged all their music after. So I agree that on stage is where they shine the most. About the title track, I found this one very tasteful as a Latinx. I hate hate hate when KPOP groups copy paste what is popular or just basically steal a reggaeton song that already exists. And I definitely didn’t get that from this title track. I think it perfectly infused Latin elements while still sounding like a Stray Kids song. And that to me was the most impressive part of the album. Thanks for the honest reviews as usual!
juliee
2024-07-21 23:32:43 +0000 UTCHGFSRSS I hear you, speak your truth!!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 22:09:32 +0000 UTCI totally get you!!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 22:08:50 +0000 UTCAs Stray Kids being my ult group, this album has disappointed me. Not gonna lie, Chk Chk Boom, Twilight, and I Like It will be the only songs that will be on my playlist. I say this as a huge rap fan, JJAM was not it. The beat was kind of messy, and I was hoping for the beat that they used in the mashup because it went very well with Changbin's part. I love Stray Kids, but some of the songs on this album either sounded too mainstream or sounded like too much Stray Kids. For example, JJAM sounds like if NCT's Kick it and Sticker had a baby so it was too Stray Kids for me. While Chk Chk Boom is too mainstream, since now its a trend to not even have 3-minute songs anymore, and the popularity of reggaeton is growing right now. I'm not going to talk too much about Stray Kids (the song) because it is an emotional piece but song sounds like a YouTuber intro, especially a gamer YouTuber intro. (Other patrons pls don't come at me in the comments because you will be arguing with yourself.) Twilight is a great song. SKZ ate with Chk Chk Boom but left some crumbs on the plate.
Suhaila Reigns
2024-07-21 21:36:28 +0000 UTCThank you!! Ahhh yess I do remember hearing about their interactions, love that!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 20:57:47 +0000 UTCThank you and yeah it seems we are!!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 20:56:42 +0000 UTCI already had an eyebrow raised going into this album for the very petty reason of I really don’t like Ryan Renolds (mainly because he’s now become the face of Wrexham which pisses me off but I digress ahahaha). After I moved past my grievances with the cameo, I thought the title track was okay. Definetely too short and had a lot of the skz typical sounds which I tend not to like but when I imagine it at a festival/concert I sort of saw the vision. For the rest of the album… ehhhh. I’ve come to accept that Skz music just isn’t really for me (like most boy groups) but I like to give them a listen now and again because the members are really captivating and I appreciate their efforts of being a self-producing group. Twilight was gorgeous though, definitely the stand out song for me but it did feel a bit randomly placed in the album. Nevertheless, even though I don’t really have an emotional attachment to this group, seeing the crowds at Hyde Park the other day made me feel super proud like wow they’ve really levelled up these past years!!! I hope they feel proud of how far they’ve come too!!!
Eleanor Carys
2024-07-21 20:43:06 +0000 UTCOoh, Stray Kids are backkk!!! I really liked Chk Chk Boom, I like it & Twilight, waiting to see if the others will grow on me for now. Not a fan of the jjam chorus though, but I did like the back and forth between Seungmin & I.N. I can already tell I’m going to be replaying a lot of Seungmin’s lines from this album lol. Their songs are definitely more suited to concerts though, I think the atmosphere and the energy they bring takes it up another notch
Haley
2024-07-21 19:59:51 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite title tracks of SKZ so far. I'm having a "one person only" party since it came out. Love the MV, the choreo, the outfits (Hyunjin in that red outfit is fucking iconic), the theme, everything. Also, had the same reaction with Chris, lmao. Han wrote and composed Twilight. I knew it's gonna be my favorite even before the album dropped. Following with Chk Chk Boom and Stray Kids (hope you'll check out the full version since the lyrics are really meaningful for Stayville and the members). Runners is also very good, I love the vocals and melodic choices. Def not my fav album but still a great one. It's gonna be definitely even better live (praying for EU tour and money for tickets). In case you don't know, Ryan and Hugh are fans of SKZ since 2021 when they did "God's Du Du DU" performance on Kingdom (Deadpool theme). Since then, Ryan noticed them, there was a lot of interaction on twitter and instagram, Ryan always posts an edit of Chris on his birthday, they sent each other gifts, video-called, Ryan is the most famous person in Chan's contacts and so on. Really random friendship that we love. Ryan also posted an instastorie with his picture and "Red Lights" playing, haha. After 3 years, they finally met in NY for the MV shoot and then in Korea cuz' of Deadpool press tour. Did an wholesome interview as well (Ryan, Hugh and the Aussie duo). Thank you for the reaction, as always! Love hearing your unbiased opinions and thoughts!
Michaela Rosková
2024-07-21 19:47:16 +0000 UTCughh this is why i hate that lyric videos come out for the song teasers. so confusing! despite the mix up, i loved the reaction! you always have such good insight. they have more remixes being released tomorrow and slash, the deadpool x wolverine OST is also coming out soon! we are being fed so well!!!!
Sam I.
2024-07-21 19:16:58 +0000 UTCAhhhhh cuuuteee
Koko3op
2024-07-21 18:38:28 +0000 UTCI see that people already told you that you only reacted to the unveils! I think besides the title track this album took me a little more to digest, I really enjoyed Mountains though and Twilight as well! I also like JAMM but I think it is quite experimental kind of like The Tortoise and the Hare which I unironically love. It even has the same tag: I know, we know, Lee Know. Regarding the cameos, it is the culmination of the kingdom performance in which they befriended Ryan Reynolds! They are also in the soundtrack for the new Deadpool movie with a new track called Slash which will be released on the 23rd! They were also invited to be in the movie but supposedly there were scheduling issues… damn you JYPe!! 😅
Duda
2024-07-21 18:36:16 +0000 UTCI'D LOOOVE for them to be more vocal focused!!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 18:23:54 +0000 UTCIn their intro video they explained that they actually took a lot of time for this project, because they kept comparing it to their previous work and weren't satisfied. The album was supposed to come out way earlier this year, and they missed like four deadlines. The Intro video might be a fun watch for you, it's very interesting to hear about why they made certain choices.
August3
2024-07-21 17:55:49 +0000 UTCI’ve loved Skz since forever, and for me their sound never gets old, I love every single one of their music. But I do wish some of their newer songs were more like vocal-oriented, without losing that unique vibe they’ve always had :') Maybe something like their IamWho or InLife albums
Popo Zeta
2024-07-21 17:42:58 +0000 UTCI'M DREADING IT ALREADY LOOOOOOOL. I may do it now and add it on to the YouTube version
Koko3op
2024-07-21 17:18:46 +0000 UTCHaha aww thanks Alex!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 17:18:10 +0000 UTCLOVEEE the reaction! what u said about their songs sounding better when they perform live is sooo true i couldnt agree more! funnily enough, i did grow to enjoy most songs but my initially reaction to some was similar to yours! also people are already pointing it out but im wondering if ur gonna be reacting to the full song (mountains / stray kids) on the side 👀 i can already imagine all the youtube commens saying the same thing gsdghhgjasd
nee
2024-07-21 17:10:40 +0000 UTCAhhh I’m so glad you finally dropped this review, I was waiting for you to listen to it so I could as well. I like hearing your comments 😆🤩
Hunter
2024-07-21 17:08:23 +0000 UTCFOR REAL!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 16:52:45 +0000 UTCAhhhhhh maybe in that scrapping to re do they may have been a bit quicker with the songs. Yess I'll definitely film the recording asap!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 16:52:33 +0000 UTCI agree with what you're getting at with the production. I did not love it as much as I thought I would. Chk chk boom, twilight and I like it are the ones I love listening to. I'm really not a big fan of Jamm (might be my least favourite Skz song), but it's also some peoples favourite! But I am excited to see it live (if they ever do it) because they said it's like a 'racha jam' and I think that could look really cool on stage.
Neen
2024-07-21 16:39:59 +0000 UTCI’ve been waiting for this one. I’ll echo what a few others have mentioned…Mountains and Stray Kids were just the teaser versions. The full versions are worth a listen. Stray Kids talks about the journey they’ve gone through and how they’re not going to stop. This album isn’t as “loud” as some previous ones, which has its pros and cons, I suppose. They did mention that they have been listening/experimenting with diff genres. Love Twilight! I agree, they have such a different energy when they perform live. I’d love for them to release a live concert version of some of their songs. It wouldn’t have the visuals, but you’d still get some of the energy. They’ve mentioned that they envision the live performance, as they’re writing, so I can’t wait to see the live versions. They need to bottle that live energy and somehow translate it to the recording process. Not sure how to go about that. As for the dance practice, it was released this morning. They didn’t do it in the studio this time. Upside, it looks more visually attractive, downside, you can’t see all of the members’ movements at times.
Vikki
2024-07-21 16:37:46 +0000 UTCAs some people may have pointed out, some of the videos you had watched were “unveil” tracks so I hope you react to them soon or just watch it on your own time! I hope you could check out their Intro video too to understand how some of these songs came to be! Having that sort of information helps me, at least, enjoy the songs more. Anyway, thank you for the reaction!
Kasey Tran
2024-07-21 16:35:54 +0000 UTCAlso short songs are a PLAGUE and I can't keep doing this 😭 but this is more of a general statement
Alexia
2024-07-21 16:33:31 +0000 UTCI think I see what you mean about the production choices but I disagree with that one comment about the album being/feeling rushed. They said in the intro that they had a significant amount of time and ended up feeling really good about this project. Changbin explained that they even had a whole batch of completely different songs at first before they scraped everything and started from scratch again. I personally really enjoy this one, probably my favorite mini since Oddinary. They knocked it out of the part with the title ! Runners and twilight are my favorite bsides. Jjam is super impressive to me production wise. Overall I appreciate the diversity and I like that all the members had their moments to shine here and there. I'm really excited for your reaction (hopefully) to the recording. Also the dance/performance content for Chick Chick Boom. Lastly, maybe you saw that they performed at BST Hyde Park festival recently. The energy was amazing, I think you'll enjoy it if you haven't seen it yet.
Alexia
2024-07-21 16:32:12 +0000 UTCI would’ve really preferred if they had taken their time on this album because I think it would been a lot better if I was it the rice cooker a little longer (throwback to kingdom days😂) but it’s still not bad!
KANE
2024-07-21 16:29:41 +0000 UTCI completely agree that Stray Kids are more suited for some a little more alive I as you said! When I first listen to the title track, yes it was good but the chorus had the same amount of energy as the verses and I wanted more energy in the chorus which the choreography helped with the the choreography video! I also agree with you suggestion with the rock inspired music I think that would be amazing like how the did LALALA rock version and it sounded crazy good! I also know for a fact that seungmin, lee know, and bang Chan and even IN and Han can adlib it up so it almost feels like they are scared too!
KANE
2024-07-21 16:25:40 +0000 UTCI don't really know much about music so I don't know how to describe the songs in this album properly but in my opinion the songs sound kind of empty however imagining them in a concert setting they they seem to make perfect sense at least to me. I feel like they might have chosen to go that way because of their upcoming tour and I don't but I can already imagine what they would feel like as live performances. I still loved the album though especially the title track and twilight .
Yacine Schlichting
2024-07-21 16:12:45 +0000 UTCI just wanted to let you know that the straykids song is not that short that was the unveil version of it there's a longer version
Crismary Rodriguez
2024-07-21 16:07:31 +0000 UTCokay watched the full video now lol, and what you said about the production and their voices in relation to live performances really made sense and i totally hadnt thought about that before! its interesting because thinking about their more rock leaning tracks now, i can definitely now notice how it differs to their other bsdies
mona
2024-07-21 16:06:46 +0000 UTCMakes total sense!! I'm hoping the next album after the tour etc would be more fleshed out and expressive I guess.
Koko3op
2024-07-21 16:05:39 +0000 UTCMakes sense!! Ooops
Koko3op
2024-07-21 16:04:48 +0000 UTCAhhhhh okay, that makes a lot of sense. My ears rarely fail me!
Koko3op
2024-07-21 16:04:39 +0000 UTCOh my God, I have not yet looked at the review and I would probably post another comment after having done it but based on what you wrote I can say that I totally agree with what you say. I hope not to be attacked by the fans but I follow Stray Kids since their beginning and I listen to all their projects. And honestly I have the impression that it turns a little in circles for some projects without it being necessarily bad . But I miss this little thing, I just have the impression of listening to the same thing again and again from Stray Kids but I understand that it pleases the fan once again I say this without any hint of malice. Sorry for the orthography mistakes, I am French and I don't have the best English.
Fahra Mahamoudou
2024-07-21 15:51:02 +0000 UTCThank you for the reaction! Just wanted to clarify “mountains”and “stray kids” is not this short, there is a longer version, the lyrics video you played is the unveil one.
Dhabyah Alzaabi
2024-07-21 15:47:11 +0000 UTCthank you for this!! always love hearing your opinions so im excited to check it out- i will say it looks like you didnt react to the actual song for Mountains, just the teaser version which is why it was so short ( Straykids was the same as well)
mona
2024-07-21 15:45:54 +0000 UTCCommenting before watching cause I actually agree with your statement I feel album was rushed to coincide with their world tour then the Deadpool movie etc. Either way I still enjoyed it and it's doing really well .
Spooks
2024-07-21 15:45:51 +0000 UTC
