Stray Kids released a new album titled “ROCK-STAR” on November 10, 2023. The album includes eight tracks: MEGAVERSE, LALALALA, BLIND SPOT, COMFLEX, Cover Me, Leave, Social Path (feat. LiSA) [Korean Ver.] and LALALALA (Rock Ver.). This comeback is the first time Stray Kids have shown off a rock concept, and many fans love it. Each song of the album has a unique vibe to it and has the potential to get more people interested in the group.
The title track of “ROCK-STAR” is “LALALALA”. It’s a song that empowers and lifts up the listeners. Seungmin of Stray Kids stated in the Apple Music breakdown that “This one is all about one core message, which is: ‘Our rock will go on, no matter how tough things might get.’” Stray Kids’ personal ‘rock’ is it’s own concept, and it resonates with a lot of their fans. Whether it’s someone’s first time listening to Stray Kids or their thousandth, embracing their own idea of ‘rock’ adds a very personal connection to the listening experience. The chorus of “LALALALA” repeats two lines that embrace the rock concept: “We let it rock” and “Just feel the rock”. “LALALALA” is for people who just want to rock out and feel high up in the world. It’s like a hype song, especially for hardcore fans.
One of the more hopeful songs on the album is “BLIND SPOT”. HAN of Stray Kids said in the Apple Music breakdown, “This song is about how all the scars we get while striving, unseen, to reach our dreams will end up becoming wonderful trophies. It’s a message of hope and courage. I hope it will both comfort and pump up whoever listens to it.” Some of the lyrics of “BLIND SPOT” are as follows: “Show them what you’re made of / Your endless nights deserve a loud ovation / Shine bright and prove them wrong / ‘Cause we can feel our progress”. These lyrics show the mind of the songwriters and can give feelings of being understood. It almost feels personal to people listening, like they’re being truly seen for the first time. It’s impressive to be able to capture the feelings of insecurity, comfort and newfound confidence in just over three minutes. HAN, one of the songwriters, said in YouTube video “Stray Kids [INTRO “樂-STAR”]” that he cried listening to the song at first. “BLIND SPOT” is definitely for people who are feeling down and not confident in themselves.
Then there’s “Leave”. It’s a sad love song, but it’s not slow. It’s more fast-paced at parts, but it still really captures the feeling of loss. It slows near the end before increasing the pace once again. It’s similar to the emotional transition from suddenly not caring to feeling passion for someone again. Changbin of Stray Kids noted in the Apple Music breakdown, “This a heartbreaking song about lovers saying goodbye.” The sound of a guitar strumming in the back is present for the whole song, but it changes from an acoustic sound to an electric sound near the end, symbolizing a sort of realization. One of the repeated lines is “Oh, baby, please don’t hurt me”. It does a good job of showing the emotions of the song, but the second verse (when translated into English) reveals beautiful words and imagery. This includes lines like “Say good morning to the moon again”, “Hate myself blindly searching for you”, “I walk alone under the falling starlight” and “No use trying to piece together the fragments of my heart”. “Leave” is a very emotional song and is for anyone going through a rough time with love.
Overall, ROCK-STAR is a diverse album displaying the emotions and talents of Stray Kids. While the concept is different from what they usually do, many fans really enjoyed listening to it. Whether someone is looking for a song to cry to, something to lift them up, or something to relate to, Stray Kids has it. ROCK-STAR truly demonstrates their abilities, but it’s not everything they’ve done. So for those who enjoyed it, be sure to check out their other songs.
