Stray Kids came onto the scene with a bang and continued to grow and push boundaries with every release. In their eight years as a group, Stray Kids have continued to release music that redefines K-Pop, helping them grow as a group and as artists. Looking back, they’ve had countless releases that helped shape the phenomenon that they are now and change the landscape of K-Pop—here are eight of them.
Clé: LEVANTER (2019)
The release of Clé: LEVANTER is unlike any other release by Stray Kids. Not only did this comeback come during uncertain times for the group, but it also introduced a whole new sound and closed a huge chapter in their career. As the final installment of the Clé era, their fifth mini-album offered a different sound: bittersweet, hopeful, melodic. Still, it also gave us some of their most intricate and experimental tracks like ‘Booster‘ and ‘STOP,’ following the footsteps of the hit in the industry that had been ‘Side Effects’ a few months prior. ‘Levanter’ gave Stray Kids their second music show win and a new life to the group. Oftentimes, their following comeback is considered the one where everything changed, but Clé: LEVANTER set the seeds for that change with new fans, a new outlook, and a brand-new, fresh beginning for Stray Kids. Ultimately, they were right: it was all good now.
SKZ2020 (2020)
There is no denying that one of their biggest statements, in the form of a release, was SKZ2020. Not only was SKZ2020 their Japanese debut and would lead to recognition and praise in one of the biggest and toughest music markets, but it also allowed them to take back their most emblematic tracks from the past two years and give them a new life. The compilation album included some iconic B-sides like ‘Get Cool‘ and some of their most important songs like ‘MIROH,’ which earned them their first music show win a year prior and changed the way people saw Stray Kids, establishing them as more than the rookie wonders and as a group that was definitely here to stay and change the scene with their music.
The album is a collection of some of their best music from the early years, exemplifying their exploration of sound, the storytelling of their first releases, and the vulnerability they put into their music with songs like ‘Insomnia’ and ‘Grow Up.’ SKZ2020 showed that, even as they entered a new era, they were still holding their beginnings and the hard work that led them to where they were close to their hearts.
GO LIVE (2020)
When it comes to meaningful, important, life-changing releases for Stray Kids, GO LIVE will always be at the forefront. GO LIVE was Stray Kids‘ first full-length album, allowing them to explore their sound further and give us one of the most important and iconic songs in K-Pop: ‘God’s Menu.’ Things shifted for Stray Kids during this era, and people began to see the genius behind what most had deemed ‘noise music.’ GO LIVE was bold and witty, paving the way for Stray Kids’ journey and establishing their identity. ‘God’s Menu’ was everywhere, becoming their first music video to reach 100 million views and remaining the most-watched 4th-gen boy group music video of all time. While ‘God’s Menu‘ didn’t earn them any music show wins, this timeless hit earned them a lifetime of success, longevity, and praise. It led to ‘Back Door’ becoming the insane hit it was, making it their first song to earn more than one music show win. A full-length album is also a massive milestone for a group like Stray Kids, who writes, composes, and produces all its songs. Stray Kids didn’t take the task lightly, giving us some of their best songs to this day, including ‘Phobia,’ ‘Another Day,’ and ‘Easy.’ GO LIVE is, without a doubt, where they were finally able to create their haven.
NOEASY (2021)
The release of Stray Kids’ second full-length album can only be considered their magnum opus. Everything about NOEASY was simple perfection. Stray Kids took what they knew how to do best and pushed it to its greatest form. NOEASY was a clap back at every criticism they had gotten for their music, by making their music even louder, even noisier, even bolder, and cementing themselves as a force that couldn’t be denied. NOEASY was their first album to reach 1M in sales, making them the first 4th-gen group to do so, and ‘Thunderous‘ earned them six music show wins, including their first double crown, and made them one of the two first 4th-gen groups to win a Daesang, for best performance at the 2021 Asian Artists Awards. If there had been any doubt that Stray Kids was simply a trend, NOEASY kicked it right out of their minds with unique music that reflected Stray Kids‘ passion and confidence in their own art. It also emphasized even more in their roots and served as a way to honor and highlight Korean culture. The achievements and records were piling up in early 2021, and the release of NOEASY in August 2021 was the result of one of Stray Kids‘ most challenging yet most gratifying eras.
ODDINARY (2022)
Several moments in Stray Kids‘ history led to the lightning-in-a-bottle that was the release of ODDINARY. This mini-album shook the world and confirmed all the success we knew Stray Kids could achieve. The seven-track mini-album was enough to create the perfect storm for Stray Kids, being daring, unique, innovative, and true to who they’ve been since day one. They made history with ODDINARY becoming their first release to debut on the Billboard 200 and reach none other than the No. 1 spot. It would, of course, be followed by every subsequent release, making Stray Kids one of the few artists to have as many consecutive No. 1s. On top of that, ODDINARY officially opened Stray Kids to the world again as they kicked off their second world tour, the MANIAC World Tour, and made it three times bigger than their first tour.
5-STAR (2023)
Stray Kids‘ third album, 5-STAR, while meaningful at the time of its release, hasn’t stopped gaining longevity with all its songs and compositions. While it was, beyond a doubt, a massive hit even at the time of its release, with ‘S-Class‘ specifically continued to go viral throughout 2023, 5-STAR has aged like fine wine. With a jaw-dropping intro track like ‘Hall of Fame,’ iconic tracks like ‘TOPLINE,’ and laid-back yet genius songs like ‘Collision,’ this album is the one in Stray Kids‘ discography that, no matter how many times you listen to it, keeps getting better. It’s an album like this, along with constantly coming out with the best music and staying true to their unique style and highlighting their roots, that allowed Stray Kids to debut later that year on the Billboard 100 chart with ‘LALALALA,’ a song that also earned them their first Show! Music Core win. 5-STAR has continued to blow people’s minds with how daring it was and it will, without a doubt, be forever remembered as one of Stray Kids‘ best releases for years to come.
ATE (2024)
Right before the release of their very anticipated 9th mini-album, ATE, Stray Kids broke the seven-year curse with the eight members all renewing their contract and deciding to stay together, nearly a year before the expiration of their contract. ATE reflected much of the turmoil and struggles of that time, but it also reflected Stray Kids‘ strength as a group and their ambition for even bigger and better things in their music. ‘Chk Chk Boom’ opened a new sound for Stray Kids, a song like ‘JJAM‘ embodied everything unique aspect of Stray Kids‘ aura as a group and individually, a song like ‘I Like It’ gave us the fun, witty side, but songs like ‘Runners’ reflected vulnerability, and the self-titled ‘Stray Kids‘ embodied their entire journey, the ups and the downs, the struggles and the wins. ATE gave a new life to Stray Kids, and it was the beginning of their most successful era yet as they embarked on their biggest record-breaking tour: the dominATE Tour, which brought them all over the world, performing in stadiums and breaking record after record, cementing themselves as one of the biggest K-Pop groups in history.
KARMA (2025)
As the dominATE Tour came to an end, you could feel in the air that something was about to shift, which only meant Stray Kids was about to make a new comeback, and this time it was their fourth full-length album: KARMA. Just like NOEASY, KARMA saw Stray Kids turn the criticism thrown at them into one of their most spectacular releases. As KARMA extended on Stray Kids‘ sound, they drew even more inspiration from genres that had inspired them since day one, with songs like ‘CREED,’ ‘In My Head’ and ‘Phoenix.’ ‘CEREMONY,’ however, was at the forefront of the release and encapsulated a celebration of Stray Kids’ lengthy, bumpy journey, their sound, and their love for what they do. It all led to KARMA earning Stray Kids their first-ever Daesang at the MAMA Awards for Album of the Year. It may have taken a while, but karma finally came around and crowned Stray Kids as the unstoppable force they were always meant to be.
Which of these Stray Kids comebacks has been your favorite era yet? What’s been the most memorable? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.
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