When Stray Kids previewed upcoming new music following their Charlie Puth collaboration and second Billboard Hot 100 hit “Lose My Breath,” leader Bang Chan teased to Billboard that it would be “very new, very different.” He also hinted that the forthcoming record would remain “very genuine and authentic,” because “the messages that we want to say through music are all packed inside.”
Indeed, just eight months after the boy band released their Rock-Star EP, the octet delivered something genuine and fresh for the Stray Kids brand with ATE to secure a record-breaking fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Helmed mainly by the group’s in-house production unit 3RACHA (consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han), the new mini-album serves a smorgasbord of sonic flavors that expand Stray Kids’ musical palette. Lead single “Chk Chk Boom” boldly ventures into Latin-inspired hip-hop and reggaeton while incorporating Korean, English and Spanish lyrics. Elsewhere, ATE demonstrates the group’s versatility and willingness to experiment on tracks like the piano-led jazz composition “twilight” (written entirely by Han) or the English track “Runners” (written by and composed by Bang Chan and Felix).
Even through the stylistic changes, Stray Kids ultimate message of representing underdogs is never lost. Perhaps it’s why the record closes with the eponymous anthem “Stray Kids” where they declare: “So proud of myself / Never doubt who we are.”
From Stray Kids’ most experimental tracks like “Chk Chk Boom” and “twilight” to soon-to-be classic concert jams like “MOUNTAINS” and “JJAM,” here’s our ranking of the songs on the group’s latest chart-topping EP.