A confident cross-cultural statement from one of K-pop’s biggest groups

In between world tours and festival-headlining performances, fourth-generation K-pop superstars Stray Kids released their ninth mini album. Titled ATE, a reference to the TikTok-maximised slang that comes from “dominate” and refers to an action done with unqualified style, the eight-track effort takes the theme to heart. Lead single “Chk Chk Boom”, a thumping Latin-pop-inspired hip-hop track, goes characteristically K-pop-hard with its confidence: “I'ma pop, pop, pop, take a shot, yeah/Shoot down my goals one by one, I snipe them.” The eight members are metaphoric giants in anthem “MOUNTAINS” (“Tower over crowds, don’t pause ’cause I’m lovin’ it”), but approach the central theme sonically softer in “Stray Kids”, a sentimental drum-and-bass number reflecting on the group’s ascension since their 2018 debut: “Know that this is who we are/There ain't no last step out, oh, we'll never stop.”

Stray Kids’ members—mostly Bang Chan, Changbin and Han, aka producing subunit 3RACHA— have production credits on every track. Australian rapper Felix helped write the English-language “Runners”, which begins with his husky vocals declaring the group’s energy: “I'm just getting started, yeah, I know/I’m on my way ’cause this is all about me, ’bout me.” As with most pop albums, there’s still room for love songs. The upbeat pop track “I Like It” explores the heady beginnings of love (“I think I’m addicted to the title ‘You & Me’/Don’t ask, ‘What are we?’/Ooh, ooh, I like it, baby”), while the moody Korean-language ballad “twilight” takes on the chilly aftermath (“It cooled down, did the temperature of you and me burn so hot that it turned to ashes?”).

It’s not all serious, though. Trap-pop track “JJAM” gets deliciously silly with its cross-cultural wordplay, making plenty of English-language jelly jokes (“We stick together day and night, yeah”) while also bringing in the Korean-language slang phrase “노잼,” pronounced similarly to “no jam” and meaning “no fun”: “I got no 잼/You got no 잼/We gotta jam.” At the top of their game as K-pop superstars, Stray Kids refuse to sacrifice their fun: “It’s our playground, it's getting crowded.”