7 Things to Know About Stray Kids’ Bang Chan

Stray Kids made their much-anticipated comeback on June 2 with their full-length album, ★★★★★ (5-STAR). The album came after the release of their Japanese debut album, The Sound, and their second world tour, The Maniac World Tour. To celebrate the 12-track album’s release, EnVi spotlights the group’s leader Bang Chan. The versatile artist, born on October 3, 1997, has been recognized for his leadership and musical talent. Here are seven things to know about the Korean Australian music star. 

True Blue Aussie Champion

Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, Chan, also nicknamed “Kangaroo,” has always been proud of his heritage. During interviews, variety shows, vlogs, and live broadcasts, he sometimes mentions Australia and shares stories from his time in his birth country. Amidst his memorable mentions is his small talk about seeing the Southern Cross constellation in Australia, one of his favorite things to do in the country. 

Further, Stray Kids’★★★★★ (5-STAR) album features “FNF,” a song dedicated to Australia’s wildlife and nature loss from bushfires from 2019 to 2020. The song was written by Chan and fellow Australian member Felix, further showcasing his love for his homeland.

Whiz Kid

A multifaceted artist, Bang Chan has been praised for his vocal and rap performances as well as his songwriting and production skills. On several occasions, STAYs — fans of Stray Kids — have described his vocals as “angelic” and “beautiful.” He has also been commended for his rap parts, which are sometimes the fans’ favorite part of a Stray Kids song.

Chan has also actively participated in the writing and production of most Stray Kids songs, including “MANIAC,” “God’s Menu,” and “Levanter,” to mention a few. In addition to group songs, Chan is involved in composing Stray Kids unit songs such as “Red Light,” and solo tracks by the Stray Kids members such as HAN’s “VOLCANO.”

He has also lent his composition skills to Stray Kids collaborations like “Going Dumb” with Swedish DJ Alesso and Chinese DJ CORSAK. Outside of Stray Kids, Chan has composed songs for JYP Entertainment artists TZUYU (TWICE) and NiziU, as well as former JYP Entertainment trainee and Chinese singer YAOCHEN. 

Furthermore, Chan has delivered captivating performances with his dancing skills, engaging expressions, and stage presence. On the non-music side, the Australian-born singer is fluent in Korean and English. This allows him to communicate easily with Korean and English-speaking fans. 

One-of-a-Kind-Leader

As the driving force behind Stray Kids, Chan had the responsibility to select the members for Stray Kids. He also chose the group’s name and drew its official logo. In the words of J.Y. Park, the goal was to form a group that was “tightly knit and like one body, but the company could not organize that.”

In a special interview to promote Stray Kids’ first Japanese mini-album, ALL IN, Chan revealed the instances that led him to select the current members of Stray Kids. For the youngest I.N, it was his stage confidence during a performance with a Halloween concept. He cited Seungmin’s diligence and attitude and Felix’s charismatic deep voice as the rationale behind their selection. 

In hopes of balancing the dancing ability of the group, Chan chose Hyunjin, who displayed great skill and potential. Lee Know’s dance knowledge and vibe got him a spot. For the rap side, Chan chose Changbin, whose wit on stage, rap, and songwriting skills impressed him. Finally, referring to HAN as an “all-round cheat key,” Chan revealed he picked his co-member for his versatility. 

Chan’s Room

Fans interact with Bang Chan in a more relaxed and casual setting thanks to his livestreaming series dubbed Chan’s Room. In the spontaneous broadcasts, devoid of a fixed time, the singer shares personal stories and behind-the-scenes moments from his life as an idol. Rotating between English and Korean, Chan also reacts to music videos from other K-pop artists, giving his two cents on the production and cinematography. 

Additionally, Chan uses the broadcast as a medium to share snippets of unreleased songs. In 2020, he played a snippet of his 2022 solo,“i hate to admit” and previewed Stray Kids’ “Sorry I Love You,” months before its release. The livestream series, with over 200 episodes, started as a VLIVE broadcast but moved to YouTube following the termination of the social media platform. The format typically features Bang Chan sitting in his room, or the studio space, mostly wearing black outfits, and ends with the famous “big hug,” which involves the rapper coming closer to his screen to give his audience a virtual hug.

KOMCA Icon 

In September 2022, Bang Chan became the youngest K-pop idol to earn a Top 10 rank in the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) list. Aged 24 at the time, the all-rounder had 138 songs to his writing credits following the release of “HEYDAY,” a Street Man Fighter Vol. 4 dance crew soundtrack. 

The prolific songwriter has earned acclaim for his participation in writing a lot of Stray Kids songs, including hits such as “DOMINO” and “Thunderous.” As of December 2022, Chan had 144 songs to his credit. A multilingualist, he has written songs in English, Korean, and Japanese. 

1 of 3RACHA 

Before his debut with Stray Kids, Bang Chan debuted as a member of the rap and composition sub-unit called 3RACHA. The trio, made up of Stray Kids members Bang Chan (CB97), Changbin (SPEARB), and HAN (J.ONE), was formed in 2016 and debuted on January 18, 2017. Mostly releasing songs on SoundCloud, the hip-hop subunit has three mixtapes to their credit – J:/2017/Mixtape, 3Days, and Horizon, all released in 2017. 

As a member of 3RACHA, Bang Chan has played a pivotal role in shaping Stray Kids’ musical identity. His work as a rapper, producer, and songwriter within the sub-unit has showcased his exceptional talent and creativity. Bang Chan’s involvement in 3RACHA’s music production has resulted in the release of impactful mixtapes and tracks that explore a wide range of genres and delve into introspective themes. Currently, 3RACHA are active as a production unit, primarily on producing and writing music for Stray Kids. They occasionally perform their tracks live during fan meetings and hold collaborative stages during award ceremonies and concerts. In 2022, they teamed up with Japanese rapper SKY-HI for a single titled “Just Breathe.”

Family-centric Enthusiast

Chan has mentioned his family several times, especially during live broadcasts and vlogs. The older brother of two has consistently expressed love and appreciation for his younger siblings, Hannah and Lucas. While he does not share private details about his family members, he speaks about the support his parents and siblings have given him and shares heartwarming memories from his time in Australia with them. During an episode of Chan’s Room, he revealed he had never fought with his siblings but nagged them a lot. He also regretted not being able to spend time with them as he moved to South Korea. 

Bang Chan has had on-camera interactions with his family, including an episode of Finding SKZ which involved the members visiting Chan’s house for the first time. In the MNET M2 variety show, the singer displayed his closeness to his parents. 

For more updates on Bang Chan and Stray Kids, follow the group on Instagram and Twitter.

Want to discover more Stray Kids content? Check out our eight favorite Stray Kids B-side tracks here.