If I'm going to be honest, Stray Kids is definitely in my top three favorite artists/groups. When they announced the release of a new mini album back in October, I couldn't wait.
There are so many things I love about Stray Kids, but one thing that I think is so cool is their concept of trilogy albums. They now have a total of seven albums, one being their unofficial debut album, so they have two sets of trilogies.
Their first trilogy set followed the pattern of "I am ...". They debuted with "I am NOT," and then released "I am WHO" and "I am YOU".
The mini album Stray Kids just released completes their second trilogy of "Clé," which came out March 25th, 2019. They kicked off this trilogy with "Clé 1: MIROH" and followed it with "Clé 2: Yellow Wood" on June 19th, 2019.
Map for "Clé" trilogyhttps://twitter.com/Stray_Kids/status/1202512955306205185
The third album in this trilogy, "Clé: LEVANTER," finishes their second trilogy set and doesn't disappoint. I can truthfully say that I've been listening to both this album and Stray Kids discography nonstop this entire week.
Before this newest album was out, I was expecting lots of upbeat/hype songs because both "Clé 1" and "Clé 2" featured title tracks that were focused more on intense rap and choreography. However, "Levanter," the title track, takes on a less intense sound.
This song is about finding your true self after ending a relationship with somebody. The chorus resounds this theme with the lyrics, "I wanna be myself (I don't care)/ Even if it's still strange (Just don't care)/ As soon as I broke away from you, I can see myself," as well as, "Now I know (Now I know)/ The one I needed has been me."
I highly recommend turning on the closed captions while watching this music video because the lyrics are beautifully written. There are also two parts in this song/music video that I think are important to note, and one of them is Minho's falsetto that starts at 0:39. Minho went into Stray Kids as a vocalist, but over time he became more of a rapper, so I was surprised and excited when he sang in the pre-chorus.
The second thing I want to mention is Felix's solo dance part at 2:37. Even though each member in Stray Kids is an excellent dancer, Felix is one of the three main dancers in the group. I initially saw that he got a center dance position in a teaser and became so eager to see the choreography. Later, when the video finally came out, he also got a little solo part, and it's so good.
Stray Kids "바람 (Levanter)" M/V www.youtube.com
In addition to "Levanter," there are six more tracks on the album. I want to write about two of my current favorite songs, but I promise this whole album is incredible.
Before this mini album dropped, Stray Kids released two songs, and one of them was "Double Knot". I've probably listened to this song a solid hundred times since it came out in October. Personally, I think this song fits the theme of the title tracks from the previous "Clé" albums more than "Levanter".
This song is primarily rap with short vocal parts, and the lyrics talk about having the freedom to do what you want and being determined in what you do.
Even though I enjoy the music video, I think dance practices are a better way to showcase the group's talent. This is one of my go-to dance practices because the choreography paired with the song makes it even more powerful.
Stray Kids "Double Knot" Dance Practice Video www.youtube.com
Another song I want to talk about is "Sunshine". I fell in love with this song immediately because all eight of the members sing and showcase their vocal talent.
Even though, Stray Kids always write their own music, I think this track is special because Han wrote this one alone when typically Chan, Changbin, and him all write together. The beat is slower than their upbeat title tracks, but the lyrics fit and flow really well.
This honestly goes for all Stray Kids songs, but the lyrics are so meaningful and catchy. My favorite lyrics double as the opening and the chorus, "Even in a noisy city, ye ye ye/ Do whatever you want, ye ye ye/ Sit in the sunshine and close your eyes/ Look at me for a second."
STRAY KIDS - 'SUNSHINE' Lyrics www.youtube.com
If you've never listened to Stray Kids, please give them a chance! They are extremely talented and deserve more recognition for their vocal, rap, and dance abilities.
