[Review] Stray Kids STAY on Top with 3rd Album, 5-STAR

When Stray Kids make a comeback, it is always massively anticipated by their wide range of fans. Though miraculously, they never disappoint. Coming back with 5-STAR, Stray Kids made their mark even before the listeners heard the songs. They now hold the record of most pre-orders for a K-pop album with 5.13 million pre-orders, beating Seventeen’s FML with a recent record of 4.64 million. After creating such a groundbreaking feat, they then had to prove that hype was worth it.

Stray Kids. Back row left to right: Lee Know, I.N, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Han. Front row left to right: Bangchan, Felix, Changbin. Credit: JYP Entertainment.

The album starts with “Hall of Fame,” a song that almost landed a spot with their last comeback, MAXIDENT, but the members decided to wait on it. Thank God they did, because “Hall of Fame” is absolutely the perfect intro song for this album. It is unique, but packed with the classic Stray Kids sound, and sets up the listener perfectly for the songs to come. Though the majority of it is in Korean, there is a lot of English weaved in throughout, just like the album itself. 

The second song is the title track “S-Class.” The music video is addictive, and the song alone is unexpected and powerful. The beat change after the first chorus came as a surprise to many, but Stray Kids have been doing this for so long that it seemed to pay homage to their past music. The choreography matches the high energy of the song and is a true showcase of each member’s talent.

The next three songs keep the hip-hop feeling alive with “ITEM,” “Super Bowl,” and “TOPLINE.” “ITEM” is loud and can be described as controlled chaos in the best way with heavy lyrics clashing with strong vocals, a balance found in many of the songs. A few members have even referred to this song as their favorite from the album. 

The first English song, “Super Bowl,” was actually supposed to be the original “God’s Menu,” a song often believed to best represent the group. It seems as though they have made incredible decisions on when to wait on songs and when to release them. 

“TOPLINE” feat Tiger JK is the only song with a feature, but tastefully done. After the preview video of this song specifically, fans were anxiously waiting for it to be released due to the rough Stray Kids vocals and insane visuals. Hopefully, a music video will be included in the near future. 

“DLC” and “GET LIT” are about as into the traditional pop as Stray Kids get while still adding their own flare and fun to the genre. Both have dance infused choruses and fast paced beats that have grown to capture fans, even though the songs are placed later on the album. 

From left to right: I.N, Han, Hyunjin, and Seungmin. Credit: JYP Entertainment.

An unexpected sound comes from “Collision.” Though a pop song, it’s influence seems to be coming from latin music with a smooth tempo and even the raps are more sung than said. Stray Kids are known to take influence from all musical genres and they’ve executed this one perfectly, and just in time for tropical summer fun. Also a very summer vibe song, “FNF,” showcases vocals and an optimistic tone, which is lyrics about heartbreak in disguise. 

The second English song on the album, “Youtiful,” is dedicated to Stray Kids fans, STAY. They never fail to show their appreciation and love for their fans, and it is always received with open arms and tons of love given right back. After five years from their debut, the passion has only grown and it will surely not be the last love song the group releases. 

A Stray Kids album would not be complete without a translated version of one of their songs and a shout out to a previous song, both for further enjoyment of what has been heard in the past. “THE SOUND” is revisited, but this time in Korean and though most of the song sounds the same, it is the perfect revamp of a recent song to make listening to it fresh again. 

“Mixtape: Time Out” was first seen as a single on Spotify in 2022 and can be heard at the end of SKZ CODE episodes while a cute montage plays, though it has now found its home on 5-STAR.

Back row left to right: Bangchan and Lee Know. Front row left to right: Felix and Changbin. Credit: JYP Entertainment.

5-STAR by Stray Kids is an album that is completely and utterly Stray Kids. They have created something that is new and shows exactly who they are at this stage in their career. Starting off with the highest record of pre-orders and the third highest first day sales for Hanteo with 2.39 million copies sold, Stray Kids aren’t just here to stay, they are here to make history. 

How do you feel about 5-Star?