TITLE: MAXIDENT
ARTIST: Stray Kids
LABEL: JYP Entertainment
RELEASED: October 7th, 2022
Not gonna lie, I had forgotten this was coming out. I had been so sidetracked since seeing them live this summer that I was hit in the face this morning.
CASE 143 – Title Track
It has been a while since I’ve instantly loved a title track from Stray Kids as much as I do this one. It has that typical synthy sound they have started to perfect. However, the song has so many elements within it that I don’t know where to start. I think the samba sound that is injected is really my favorite. That mixed with the hard-hitting raps from Han and Changbin contrast really nicely. Also, the video is so stinking cute, and fun. The dance alone reminds me of some twist on the Macarena that I want to laugh at every time I see it. This song is highly addictive and I already have it on repeat.
CHILL
From a love song to an upbeat breakup song. When I first listened I wanted to skip because it felt like the build-up was taking too long but on a repeat listen, I fell in love. The soft drop in the chorus is nice and unexpected. A more R&B sound from the SKZ which is rare.
Give Me Your TMI
I thought with a title like this one, the song would be a little more fun. It isn’t. A lot is happening in the song but for some reason, it feels a little hollow. It is a lot of SKZ brand of noise but the song feels lost in direction. Has nice moments but is definitely not a favorite.
SUPER BOARD
Not a bad song but also one that isn’t really memorable. I like the sci-fi hip-hop vibe it has but other than that, I would forget it was on the album.
3RACHA (Bang Chan, Changbin, HAN)
Underwhelmed? I feel like that is too harsh. I just think I had higher expectations for a 3RACHA song. The bars are there because that’s what they do. But the closest thing I can compare this song to is Korean Drill music. Like, what hood y’all repping? I am not a big Drill fan so maybe that’s why I’m like meh.
TASTE (Lee Know, Hyunjin, Felix)
Can we change the name from DanceRacha to HoeRacha? There was no doubt that this was going to be the vibe of TASTE so there was no surprise at how sultry this song is. The surprise comes with how hard it hits as well. Perfect song for them to perform to actually.
Can’t Stop (Seungmin, I.N)
I am so in love with this song. The last thing I expected was a song worthy of being on an anime soundtrack. It’s rock-filled and fun and really showcases the youthful sound of the group’s youngest members. Seungmin’s vocals are improving every day and I love that for him.
CIRCUS (Korean Ver.)
The song was a bop in Japanese (see below) and it translates well into Korean. I usually hate songs that they switch into a Korean version because the song just doesn’t hit the same but that is not the case here. It’s just a real feel-good song.
FINAL THOUGHTS
What I like about Stray Kids is that they have been constantly trying to evolve their sound and this EP is another example of that. Just like ODDINARY before it, they have been giving the other members time to shine in the production aspect and it really shows how each has a different flavor and approach to music. There is no question that they are leading the pack in the 4th gen boy group race because of their constant love of music and their willingness to change the sound, change the dialogue. I love it.
PRODUCTION: 4 / 5
VOCALS / RAPPING: 3.5 / 5
VISUALS / CONCEPT: 4/ 5
OVERALL: 3.5 / 5
Favorite Track(s): CASE 143, Can’t Stop
Unbothered Unnies 