Stray Kids is back with their second full-length album, NOEASY. Released on August 23 at 6 PM KST, the group came together for 14 tracks, including title track “소리꾼 (Thunderous),” three unit tracks, and their single “Wolfgang,” from the survival show Kingdom

 

 

The Thunderous Stray Kids Have Arrived  

Alongside the album, Stray Kids released the music video for the title track ‘소리꾼’ (Thunderous). The video opens up with animation side by side, beginning with a sound that builds up and sets the listener up for an adventure.

The animation breaks out to main rapper Changbin’s first verse, opening up with the lyrics “so they call me, the one shouting/Changbin, I choose my own path/Attitude tough/Like a runaway train going recklessly down the track.”

The strong rap is a perfect introduction to the track, which boasts a similarly raucous sound. As Stray Kids says, they “don’t play by the rules”they do their own thing without care for what others think.

The art and visuals of the music video combine traditional and modern elements. The temple contrasts with luxurious cars as well as the members in flashy modern clothes while surrounded by dancers in hanbok. 

 

Behind the Stray Kids Sound

NOEASY is Stray Kids’ way to make a statement about their music. When they  introduced the new tracks, members Seungmin and Changbin spoke about the differences between NOEASY and their previous full album, GO LIVE. In GO LIVE, they tried to bring out a new personality as a group, and with NOEASY, they wanted to make their characteristic “Stray Kids” sound more distinctive. “We worked on it while knowing what we are good at, and I think it came out very well,” Changbin said.

With the participation of 3RACHA, composed of members Bangchan, Changbin, and Han, in the production of the album, they demonstrate once again the creativity and professionalism of the producing unit.

 

NOEASY Dominates the Charts

Upon the album’s release, the group trended worldwide on Twitter with several hashtags NOEASY dominated the iTunes charts, with “소리꾼 (Thunderous)” ranking #1 worldwide, and the rest of the album all ranking in the top 20.

 

Fan Reactions

With the new release, Stays could not hold in their excitement and took to Twitter to share their reactions and support.

Stray Kids is set to appear on “Weekly Idolon August 25, MCOUNTDOWN on August 26, and Music Bank on August 27. There is no doubt that the 4th generation group has grown as artists, and fans can’t wait to see what they do next. Listen to NOEASY on Spotify and Apple Music, and follow Stray Kids on Instagram and Twitter for more! 

Craving more new music? Check out EnVi’s coverage of 777 (Triple Seven)’s debut single!

Thumbnail courtesy of JYP Entertainment.