K-pop sensation Stray Kids has returned to the music scene with ambitions to devour the summer charts and leave no crumbs with its new mini-album “ATE.” The excitement is bolstered by the surprising news that all Stray Kids members have renewed their contracts with their current agency, JYP Entertainment.
Now heading into its seventh year since its debut, the eight-piece act — consisting of Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N. — has been actively expanding its global presence through extensive overseas promotions.
On July 14, the group headlined the BST Hyde Park music festival in London, the U.K., following their electrifying performance at I-Days Music Festival in Milan, Italy just two days earlier. The group is now looking forward to perform in the United States at Lollapalooza Chicago in August.
Building on its momentum, Stray Kids has now returned with “ATE,” just eight months after their Billboard-topping album, “ROCK-STAR.”
A few hours before the album’s release, the JYP stars gathered for a press conference at a hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, Friday, to discuss the secret to their global popularity.
“Even though we attend numerous overseas festivals, it still feels surreal that we’re so popular,” Changbin, the group’s rapper and primary producer, noted.
“It’s amazing to witness fans singing along to our songs in Korean, even when we’re performing overseas,” he said. “I think our secret to success is that we’re confident in creating music that’s truly unique to Stray 한국을 Kids.”
Hyunjin also offered insights into his enthusiasm for performing internationally.
“I love being on stage and enjoy the excitement before going on. No matter how hard the practice is, thinking about the excitement and the fans’ cheers makes me give my best,” he said.