Music Rewind 2025: The Year Of Stray Kids’ ‘DIVINE’ KARMA

Every time we think Stray Kids have reached a new peak, they’re on their way to reach a new one, breaking records and making history. Stray Kids’ growth has been unstoppable since their debut, and this year they reached the much-feared seven-year mark without a sweat, making 2025 their biggest year yet. From completing their biggest world tour yet, to having one of the most impactful comebacks of the year, releasing impeccable songs and collabs, Stray Kids were everywhere all around the world more than ever before!

The 5th Fanmeeting: SKZ 5’CLOCK

In Stray Kids’ fashion, for the fifth year in a row, they hosted their fifth fanmeeting: the 5’Clock fanmeeting. With the concept of a sleepover, Stray Kids filled the INSPIRE Arena in Seoul for three days on a row around Valentine’s Day. Fanmeetings always feature new performances, but it’s also about bringing back older, fan-favorite songs. This time, they brought back ‘I Am You’ and, even more surprisingly, ‘Voices’ with the original choreography. ‘DLC‘ and ‘Astronaut‘ were also part of the setlist for one of the three days. Even better yet, we got the live debut of their 2024 b-side, ‘Bounce Back,’ along with a choreography, and the first live performance of ‘Cover Me‘ – featuring some of their most heavenly vocals.

The highlight of the fan meeting last year was, by far, the real-life-sized SKZOO. So, of course, they were brought back this time around and were just as iconic. Plus, this year, we got the bonus of Stray Kids going around with bear versions of their SKZOOs. But it wouldn’t be a fanmeeting without fun games and challenges. The list is lengthy and includes many iconic moments, but here are our highlights: the ‘NEMO NEMO’ challenge with Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N, the ‘AS I TOLD YOU’ challenge with Hyunjin, Han, and Felix (in the form of a Bbokkari plushie), ‘WHIPLASH’ with Bang Chan, Lee Know, and Han, ‘Home Sweet Home’ with Changbin and Han, ‘Shanghai Romance’ with Lee Know, Changbin and Hyunjin, and several versions of ‘Kissing You.’ The most memorable challenge of last year also made its comeback: Lee Know doing the ‘Loveable’ challenge, along with Bang Chan and Han. But truly nothing beats the reveal of the long-awaited ‘My People’ by Bang Chan and Changbin, a song that ended up being even better than we could’ve ever imagined from the snippet we had heard in that one 3RACHA VLive back in early 2020.

However, the actual showstopping part of this fanmeeting goes, hands down, to the Stray Kids members switching their solos from the first part of the dominATE World Tour and b-sides in HOP. Felix performed ‘Hold My Hand,’ adding the fun element of a toy guitar. Logically, the maknae on top himself, I.N, took over ‘Youth’ and even used one of the dances from ‘Hallucination’ during the dance break. In exchange, Lee Know killed it by performing ‘Hallucination.’ Changbin performed ‘As We Are,’ showcasing his incredible vocals and adding his own rap verse. ‘So Good’ was covered by Bang Chan – but with a mullet before his hair got long, no, we haven’t forgotten. Han did an excellent job with ‘Railway’ and even revealed part of his side tattoo on the third day. And Hyunjin showcased yet another set of skills in ‘Unfair.’ But if there’s a single one performance to keep from the fanmeeting, it’s Seungmin’s take on ‘ULTRA.’ The extra layers of vocals and the evil PuppyM in the background with laser eyes: absolute cinema.

This year’s fanmeeting came with many surprises, but its setlist would also serve as a huge spoiler for the tour’s setlist change, and little did we know, this would be the last time the solos were performed.

Mixtape: dominATE

With the first half of the tour behind them, Stray Kids had set to change things up for the remaining legs of the DominATE World Tour – and that included, of course, new songs. They announced Mixtape: dominATE would be released just a few days before their seventh anniversary. Unlike their other mixtapes, this one featured more than one song: the Korean version of their Japanese title track, ‘GIANT,’ and four brand-new sub-units.

‘Burnin’ Tires’ is a fun, energetic song that combines the wit and charisma of Changbin and I.N., while Han and Felix teamed up for ‘TRUMAN’ – a rap-heavy track that showcased their immense talent and versatility as songwriters and idols. We got a second sub-unit, ‘ESCAPE,’ featuring Bang Chan and Hyunjin, with influences similar to their first sub-unit, ‘Red Lights,’ but even more intense. And finally, Lee Know and Seungmin delivered an incredibly meaningful and heartwrenching ballad with ‘CINEMA.’ It was the first taste we got of what the first half of the year would be all about for Stray Kids: the dominATE World Tour.

The Second Part Of The dominATE World Tour

Stray Kids embarked on their biggest tour yet, the dominATE world tour, last year following the release of ATE, touring across Asia and Australia. In January, they concluded this leg of the tour with two dates in Hong Kong. After a break from the tour, Stray Kids finally began their first tour in Latin America on March 27th in Chile, a leg that saw them fill some of their biggest stadiums to date. They went to Brazil (both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo) and Peru, and finally to Mexico. For the occasion, they mixed up the setlist a bit, rearranging the order and adding the unit songs, as well as ‘Walkin On Water,’ ‘GIANT,’ ‘Cover Me,’ among others. And for this leg of the tour only: ‘I am You.’

They later played the Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA in Japan for four days, before kicking off the North American leg of the tour, where they played 13 shows in 10 different cities across the United States and, for the first time, Canada. The last leg of the tour was the long-awaited European leg, six years after their showcase tour in summer 2019. They became the first K-Pop act to perform at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and the act to sell the most tickets in France, selling out two shows at the Stade de France, the biggest stadium on their entire tour. They also toured in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid, and eventually wrapped up the tour in Rome.

The DominATE World Tour remained iconic, full of energy and passion for music, right up until the very last day, and easily earned its place in K-Pop history. Stray Kids were the first Korean act to perform in several of these stadiums, but that was far from being their only milestone. It was estimated that the tour would bring a total of 2.2 million people worldwide, making it the South Korean tour with the most attendees per date and breaking records for attendance and revenue in Latin America, North America, and Europe. When Stray Kids announced this would be their biggest tour yet, they surely hadn’t expected to break every record out there.

The Fourth Japanese Mini-Album: Hollow

In the midst of having one of the biggest tours in K-Pop history, Stray Kids found the time to release music. Indeed, Stray Kids released their fourth Japanese mini-album on June 18th. It featured five songs: ‘Hollow,’ ‘Parade,’ ‘Never Alone,’ ‘just a little,’ and ‘宿命’ (translated to ‘Fate’). This mini-album explored vulnerability through the title track, ‘Hollow,’ while also delivering powerful anthems about finding your place, like ‘Parade’ and ‘Never Alone.’ It also included songs written solely by Han and another one by Changbin. Hollow was a breath of fresh air that everyone needed.

And everyone in Japan agreed with the pure genius behind this mini-album. Stray Kids, once again, topped both the Oricon Albums Chart and the Billboard Japan Hot Albums. With 523k copies sold in its first week, Hollow broke the record as their most sold album during the first week, and became the most sold album in its first week in 2025 by a non-Japanese artist. As of now, with over 700k copies sold, Hollow is certified platinum in Japan.

The Fourth Full-Length Album: KARMA

As much as the tour broke records and Hollow took over every playlist, the biggest shake Stray Kids would cause in 2025 was yet to come. After months of hints and not-so-subtle spoilers, in the midst of the European leg of their tour, the announcement finally dropped: Stray Kids were making a comeback on August 22nd with their fourth full-length album, KARMA.

KARMA consisted of nine brand-new songs, plus the festival version of its title track, ‘CEREMONY.’ The album was directly influenced by the tour, as seen in songs like ‘In My Head’ and ‘Half Time.’ It was grand, full of confidence like in ‘BLEEP,’ and they experimented with staples of their music, pushing the boundaries further in tracks like ‘CREEP’ with its heavy hip-hop influence and ‘Phoenix’ where they brought back EDM into their music. But KARMA was also not afraid to be vulnerable and introspective, yet comforting, as in tracks like ‘MESS,’ ‘Ghost’ and ‘0801.’ It offered a time capsule of this new peak Stray Kids reached, while also honoring their roots and lengthy journey, making KARMA a jewel in their discography.

The star of the show, though? ‘CEREMONY.’ It celebrated Stray Kids’ artistry, their journey, their bound, and their love for music all in one song that can’t help but give you a boost of energy and confidence. The song earned six wins in Music Shows, including a double crown at MCountdown, making it their first song to win first place on every music show. It’s also the most-viewed K-Pop boy group music video of 2025. They went on to perform the song, along with ‘Thunderous’ and ‘God’s Menu,’ at the Public Culture Exchange Committee Launch in front of the president and the culture minister. ‘CEREMONY’ is all about Stray Kids owning their history, celebrating every step that got them where they are, and becoming even more of a part of it in the process.

KARMA made some massive noise – unsurprisingly – topping the music charts in over 10 countries, earning them a gold certification in France and the United States, and a three-million-copy certification by KOMCA. It earned Stray Kids their seventh consecutive number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making them the first act in Billboard history to do so with their first seven entries. Thanks to KARMA, Stray Kids became the group with the most number-one albums this century. It only made sense for KARMA to earn Stray Kids their first MAMA daesang for Album of the Year, the first JYPE act to do so, and a week later, it also won the daesang for Album of the Year at the Asian Artists Awards.

The World Tour Finale: dominATE: celebrATE

The grand finale of the World Tour came two months after the release of KARMA, as a celebration of the release and a final tour performance, this time in South Korea. Stray Kids sold out the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium for both dates, October 18th and 19th, marking their first-ever stadium concert in South Korea. They performed the unit songs for the first time in Korea, as well as the Korean version of ‘GIANT.’ Additionally, they performed for the first time live KARMA b-sides: ‘BLEEP,’ ‘Half Time,’ and ‘In My Head.’

The show served as the perfect closure to Stray Kids’ biggest era yet, but it also opened the doors to what was next. Because one thing about Stray Kids is that they’ll drop spoilers during their concerts, so when they turned up on the second day with outfits with the words ‘DO IT’ and ‘IT TAPE’ on them, we knew something was coming. And indeed, even before Stray Kids stepped off the stage, the trailer for DO IT dropped, and was afterwards premiered for everyone in the stadium.

SKZ-IT TAPE: DO IT

DO IT was a release that followed a similar pattern to HOP, which was fully named SKZ-HIP TAPE: HOP. This time it was SKZ-IT TAPE: DO IT. The special mixtape dropped on November 21st, merely three months after the release of KARMA. This time it included four songs, two of which were title tracks. ‘DO IT’ was a fun track that brought back the reggaeton influence we had already seen in ‘Chk Chk Boom,’ but with a more sultry side. The song was at the forefront of the release and earned them a double crown in Show Champion.

Meanwhile, ‘DIVINE’ was all about Stray Kids mixing many influences to give us ultimately an incredible song, filled with 90s Hip-Hop influence and incorporating Korean traditional culture in it too. ‘DIVINE’ had its live debut at none other than the MAMAs stage. ‘Holiday’ and ‘Photobook’ are not to be forgotten, though. These are some of the best songs we’ve gotten from Stray Kids in 2025. ‘Holiday’ is a seemingly fun yet quite vulnerable and emotional track about feeling burned out. ‘Photobook’ is a heartfelt song full of nostalgia and beautiful melodies inspired by band music.

Even before its release, DO IT made history, reaching over one million pre-saves on Spotify. On its release, DO IT went head-to-head with the WICKED: For Good Soundtrack on the Billboard 200 to know who would dethrone Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl on her seven-week streak at the top. And, well, Stray Kids made history once again, extending their record as the first act to have eight consecutive number ones with their first entries. It tied them with U2 as the third group with the most number ones on the chart, behind legends like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.

Solo Activities, Collabs & More Music

You would think that, with such a packed year and so many achievements, there would be nothing to add, and yet… From fashion shows to collaborations with big brands, Stray Kids was everywhere. Despite releasing one album, one mini-album, and two mixtapes, Stray Kids also ventured into other aspects of music. There were unit OSTs this year: Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N for Resident Playbook with ‘START!,’ and Han, Felix, and I.N for Genie, Make a Wish with ‘Genie.’ Stray Kids was also the first K-Pop group to collaborate with DJ Snake on the main single of this album: ‘In the Dark,’ following their meeting in 2023. And SKZOO had their own collaboration with Tamagotchi and ZOOTOPIA 2. Past all the group activities, each member left their own mark in the industry this year – here are the highlights.

The year started with a bang when Bang Chan was announced as the new ambassador of Fendi, leading him to attend two of Fendi’s Fashion shows in Italy. On the last occasion, he filmed a music video for his original solo song, ‘Roman Empire.’ Bang Chan also reached second place as the idol with the most writing credits under KOMCA. In June, Lee Know was announced as the new brand ambassador for Gucci, leading to his appearances on the covers of two magazines.

Changbin participated in the writing and featured in the title track of 2PM’s Jun.K’s comeback, ‘R&B Me.’ In addition to continuing to be a brand ambassador for Versace and Cartier and attending their shows, Hyunjin also became a brand ambassador for Givenchy Beauty. At the 2025 AAA, he won the Best Choice award, reflecting his status as an icon. In 2025, Han wrote a song for NEXZ, the B-side ‘Run With Me,’ full of his color and personality. He later got invited to a variety show along with NEXZ’s Hyui. In October, Han released his first solo OST: ‘Updraft,’ and one of the songs he wrote for Stray Kids, ‘Collision,’ went viral in South Korea. He was also the cover star of Nylon Japan, modeling for NARS Cosmetics.

Felix will never beat the most employed person allegations – he would need an entire section for himself if we were to recap every single collab he has done in 2025 alone. He kicked off the year by featuring in LiSA’s ‘ReawakeR,’ the opening title for the second season of Solo Leveling nominated for Best Collaboration at the Asian Pop Music Awards. Felix continued to be an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, but in August, he also became a brand ambassador for Hera, who released two lip colours inspired by him, including ‘Brownie Boy.’ One of his biggest collaborations this year was becoming the first K-Pop idol to serve as an ambassador for Gong Cha. And he also became the new host of Fridge Interview. No one deserved the award for Grand Presence of K-Pop at the 2025 AAA quite like him.

On the music side, Seungmin continued his Song by. series until reaching episode 10, and went viral with his cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER.’ He also released a SKZ-RECORD, ‘Goodbye,’ written by Bang Chan. Additionally, he released two solo OSTs: ‘My Destiny’ for The Potato Lab, and ‘All I Want Is You’ was released as the first OST for Would You Marry Me. In the fashion world, he was announced as the new Burberry brand ambassador after being revealed as one of the faces of the Burberry Festival campaign. Meanwhile, I.N became a brand ambassador for two massive brands this year alone: Bottega Veneta and Damiani. Even outside of music, there was no getting away from Stray Kids – and believe us, we didn’t want to.

Content & More Content

Stray Kids always find time to shower us with content, and 2025 was no different. They’ve been releasing their vlog series continuously, alongside the usual SKZ-Talker and SKZ-Talker Go content, as well as the Rachalog series with new trios. There were several SKZ-CODE episodes released this year, including Snow Kids World, which brought us back to the first-ever episode from 2021. The most important content they released, though, was, of course, the 2025 version of the 2 Kids Room series, covering every single pair as they had previously done in 2023.

Throughout the year, Stray Kids were invited to several variety shows and series; here are the most notable. We finally got Stray Kids at Dingo’s Killing Voice, where they sang some of their most iconic songs and their best B-sides. We got two new episodes of Idol Human Theater, 3RACHA went head-to-head with Epik High in Epik High, Lee Know and Felix were featured in two episodes of Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, and Changbin and Hyunjin flooded our timelines with clips from Workdol. Outside of variety shows, Stray Kids was also featured in national news several times to celebrate their tour and releases. Even with so many schedules, Stray Kids made sure our entertainment was assured.

The K-Pop Champion: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year & Other Achievements

In the past year, Stray Kids went on tour, flew around the world seven times, released the most iconic music, sold out stadiums, topped the most important charts in several countries, and broke record after record. Rolling Stones named their constant record-breaking one of the most iconic moments of K-Pop in 2025. It isn’t surprising either that Forbes ranked them third on its list of the year’s Korean idols, the highest-ranked group. Stray Kids’ music continued to impact and redefine K-Pop this year, and 3RACHA were named the Best Producers by the AAA 2025. They ended the year with 234 credits for Bang Chan, 198 for Changbin, and 191 for Han, ranking 2nd, 6th, and 8th, respectively, among the most credited idols in KOMCA.

Among all the awards, this year alone, Stray Kids doubled their number of daesangs, remaining the 4th-gen boy group with the most, with a total of 16 awards. The Fact Music Awards gave them two daesangs: Honor of the Year and Record of the Year. They won Grand Honor’s Choice and Grand Record at the KGMA, and Boy Group Best Artist Award at the K-World Dreams Awards. And finally, they won the award for Album of the Year and took their first Artist of the Year daesang at the AAA 2025, merely a week after becoming the fifth JYPE act to win a daesang at the MAMAs: Album of the Year for KARMA.

So what’s next? With Stray Kids raising the bar year after year, literally anything is possible. But 2026 is already packing out to be another year breaking records and making history – as proved by Stray Kids being the first K-Pop act to headline the Rock In Rio festival in 2026 and becoming the first act since Beyoncé in 2013 to sell out the event in under an hour. 2025 may have been Stray Kids’ biggest year, but we’ve come to know that Stray Kids have no limits to their impact and music.

What was your favorite song Stray Kids released this year? What’s the most memorable 2025 Stray Kids moment for you? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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