Stray Kids

Formed in 2017 under JYP Entertainment, the South Korean boy band Stray Kids drew its members from the same-named survival program. The octet crafts a high-impact fusion of bass-heavy EDM, intense rap delivery, and R&B-tinged vocals shaped by Drake, Bruno Mars, Big Bang, GOT7, and Block B. Their first EP, Mixtape, arrived in 2018 and anchored the group atop Korean rankings; Clé 1: MIROH and Clé: LEVANTER sustained that momentum. Worldwide traction followed with the chart-topping 2020 full-length GO LIVE and its repackaged counterpart IN LIFE, after which the 3Racha-produced second album Noeasy appeared in 2021. The 2022 EPs Oddinary and Maxident climbed still higher, while 5-Star, Rock-Star, and ATE in 2023 and 2024 became the band’s biggest commercial successes to date.

Stray Kids consists of Korean-Australians Bang Chan and Felix alongside South Koreans Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Seungmin, and I.N. Having prevailed on JYP Entertainment’s 2017 Stray Kids show, the victors were augmented by an additional member and introduced in early 2018 via the pre-debut EP Mixtape. Its single “Hellevator” reached number two on both the domestic albums chart and Billboard’s World Albums list. The follow-up I am NOT coincided with the group’s first concert, after which I am WHO and I am YOU advanced their chart standing. Three more EPs—Clé 1: MIROH, Clé 2: Yellow Wood, and Clé: LEVANTER—appeared throughout 2019.

GO LIVE, issued in mid-2020, led the Korean chart, reached number three on the U.S. Heatseekers tally, and registered across Europe and Japan. Its repackaged edition IN LIFE outsold the original and delivered the second number-two World chart single “Back Door,” while the debut Japanese EP All In also surfaced that year. Noeasy arrived in August 2021, propelled by “Thunderous,” “Wolfgang,” and “Mixtape: Oh,” securing another Korean number one and a number-five World Albums placement. After signing a U.S. distribution agreement with Republic, the group issued its sixth EP Oddinary in 2022, fronted by the hit “Maniac”; it debuted at number one in both Korea and the United States. Maxident, their seventh EP, repeated the feat in October and set a new sales benchmark.

The compilation SKZ-Replay and the Japanese-language debut The Sound bridged the gap to the third studio album 5-Star in 2023. Anchored by the aggressive lead single “S-Class,” it topped charts in Korea, the U.S., and multiple European territories. Rock-Star followed months later, driven by the booming tracks “MEGAVERSE” and “LALALALA” in both pop and rock variants. In 2024 the ninth mini-album ATE again claimed the top spots in Korea and the United States.