What's behind Stray Kids' global success?

Stray Kids topped Billboard 200 chart with its latest album "ATE," this week. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

Stray Kids has firmly established themselves as the most successful K-pop group on the global stage since BTS, captivating a devoted fanbase with their dark and experimental albums. As the group carves out a niche, the secret to its global success lies not just in genre-defying music, but also in the ability to connect deeply with fans across diverse cultures.

“This is the most anticipated album so far and we’re even more confident because we’ve had fun working on it. We’ll try hard to get feedback on how this album resonates with listeners.”

When Stray Kids released their new album "ATE" on July 19, the group expressed its ambition to dominate the global music scene with the latest work, as highlighted during the album’s showcase event. Their hopes were realized, as the album and its title track, "Chk Chk Boom," achieved significant success, further enhancing the group’s global stardom.

The new mini album reached a total of 21 Billboard charts, including three of its main charts this week, according to the magazine.

The album topped the Billboard 200, leading the group to land on the Billboard Artist 100. This marks the fifth consecutive time the group has reached the Billboard 200's top spot since first making the chart in May 2022 with "Oddinary," coming just short of BTS’s record of six consecutive weeks at number one.

The title song “Chk Chk Boom,” a Latin-style track with a hip-hop rhythm, reached 49th place on the Hot 100 chart. This marks the group's highest rank on the platform’s main chart since its debut in 2018.

The album features eight tracks, with contributions from the group’s producing unit 3RACHA, consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han. Additionally, member Felix co-wrote the lyrics for one of the tracks, "Runners."

Musical identity

Critics say the group’s self-produced and high-quality music greatly contributes to its popularity.

"It's true that Stray Kids are incredibly talented. And because they have exceptional skills, the performances they create on stage are of a very high standard. And, their music content consistently meets or exceeds a certain level of quality. As a result, I think this naturally led global audiences to discover the charm of Stray Kids,” pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun told The Korea Times.

Another pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik noted the group’s ability to produce its own music and performance makes their work distinctive from other K-pop groups.

“Stray Kids make and execute all their decisions themselves. They create everything on their own, from lyrics, composition, and arrangement to choreography. So, their individual personalities can shine through, and they can clearly express each member’s unique color,” he said. “Because they create their own songs and dances, the message they’re trying to convey comes much more naturally and effortlessly."

Stray Kids perform during its solo concert "5-STAR Dome Tour 2023 Seoul Special (UNVEIL 13)" on Oct. 22, 2023, at Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro District, Seoul. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

The group’s members shared they tried different styles of music with the new album, yet made sure they approached it with their own unique colors.

“We aimed to show a different side of Stray Kids this time. While we previously delivered fiery and radiating energy, this title track is to be more restrained and subtle, yet not boring and it still features our charm and style,” Han said during the album’s showcase in July.

Changbin added: “We have confidence we're making our own irreplaceable music. With this as a base, we continue to reflect and improve, and I think many people love us for this side of ourselves."

The group has proved itself to have a wide spectrum in music with songs like the rock-infused song “LALALALA” and electronica-infused song “S-Class.”

Kim, the pop culture critic, said that the diversity of the group’s genre drew audiences with different tastes.

“They have presented various musical styles from EDM, hip-hop, acoustic to alternative rock … The mood of their music ranges widely, including playful and mischievous tones, lyrical and soft ballads, as well as empowering anthems,” he said. “While they initially focused on dynamic performances with powerful energy, their performances are now more restrained and aesthetic, which is also interesting.”

Stray Kids pose during a press conference held to commemorate the group's new album release, "ATE," at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, on July 19. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment

Challenges at home

All eight members recently renewed their contracts with JYP Entertainment, demonstrating their strong commitment to the group. As Stray Kids follows in the footsteps of K-pop juggernaut BTS on the global music charts, the group holds high hopes for its future career.

Despite the group's popularity overseas, it has underperformed locally. As of Thursday, "Chk Chk Boom" is ranked 29th on Melon, the country's largest streaming site, and 64th on another platform, Genie.

Ha, the pop culture critic, noted that Stray Kids still fall short of securing as broad a fanbase as BTS did while making their mark on the global music industry.

“Compared to BTS, Stray Kids' popularity is somewhat less widespread. While BTS appealed to a much broader range of audience, Stray Kids' fans are incredibly passionate and enthusiastic, but many others are less familiar with them,” he said.

“Going forward, Stray Kids needs to raise their recognition and appeal to the general public to expand their audience and popularity … To achieve this, they also need to create more mainstream content that the general public can easily listen to and enjoy.”