Stray Kids are a group that quickly went from a band where I like a few songs to shooting up into my top 5 favorite groups (sometimes top 3 but that changes all the time). A couple months ago I had written a post about my reaction upon hearing Side Effects and after that I really fell down a Stray Kids rabbit hole. So of course, when they announced this album I was hyped! This would be their first full length project so I would get so much content and new songs to add to my "K-Pop songs that make me go hard" playlist because they are the kings of going hard. Not only that, but from the teasers it really sounded like this album would showcase a very hip-hop heavy sound. Needless to say I had a lot of expectations coming into this record.
One of the reasons I love Stray Kids so much is because they really are self-producing idols which is something unheard of in the industry (although it becoming somewhat more common). All the songs on this record are written and produced by them. For me, that's something to appreciate even if I didn't end up liking this record. There's a lot of hard work that goes into making a record and for them it really paid off for them. Their hard work certainly doesn't go unnoticed.
As stated before, I thought this album would be hip-hop heavy and it certainly is. Every track shows their rap line come to the forefront, except the ballad Another Day that sits tightly in the middle of this record. It serves as a nice palate cleanser from all these aggressive raps and gives the listener a chance to breathe. The other tracks are so spicy and in your face that there really isn't a chance to take it all in but that's what makes it great.
The openers GO LIVE and the title track, God's Menu really waste no time getting to the point. These two tracks really flow together and really showcase what this record is about. The opener is the rap line going aggressive over this really insane beat. God's Menu shows what Stray Kids are really going for. This is a song about their versatility that pairs well with those sweet vocals and hard du-du-du-du-du-du's that take over the chorus. But even in the lower key tracks the rap line still manages to push through. Easy isn't as aggressive as the two openers but it still goes. They showcase their speed and flow on this track. There's also tracks like Airplane and Blueprint where they fit nicely between the vocalists.
While the rap line certainly gets a lot of time to shine, the vocals on this record certainly go unnoticed. The ballad, Another Day as mentioned gives us a nice refresher. The vocals are sweet. Phobia comes right after and that song has some angelic vocals on it. The closer, Mixtape: On Track (which has been heard before like the other last four tracks), gives us a great closing credit song with beautiful harmonies and melodies that I really like. There's also TOP (which I have written about before) that is an insane track that features some insane notes.
All in all, we're seeing Stray Kids at their best. This is a group of guys who know how to work well together. The rap line knows how to flow well together and the vocal line knows how to deliver powerful vocals together. When you put them together they make cohesive tracks. Not to mention the production on this record that is top quality which is insane to think about considering how young they all are. They made a record that some bands could only dream of making. I feel like world domination is on their agenda and they have begun ticking off some boxes and I'm excited for them.
Favorite Track(s): GO LIVE, Easy
I went back and forth with myself trying to figure out which track I would name my favorite. The first three tracks, GO LIVE, God's menu, and Easy really are a trio made in heaven, how could I choose just one? So I chose two. These two tracks really showcase how good the rappers are. They have speed, flow, and they build off one another really well. These tracks absolutely blew my mind. I knew what these guys were good but they still managed to hit it out of the park.
Other Favorites: God's Menu, Pacemaker, TA
Pacemaker and TA are both changes of pace. Pacemaker comes right after the first three opener tracks and it's a bit more poppy. While the production is still heavy the vocals make it less in your face than the other three tracks. TA on the other hand is a track that really took me by surprise. This is a song to sing along to while dancing around to that fun beat. It really isn't a song I expected from Stray Kids but I'm really glad it exists.
Now to talk about the insane title track. The teaser came out for this on Monday and I found myself re-watching the thirsty second clip over and over again. Upon hearing the full track, I felt so blown away. Stray Kids know how to deliver on title tracks so it's not surprising that this isn't any different. But it's got a different sound than their previous title tracks so that's what was so surprising about it. I read somewhere that this track was actually not going to be on the album because it was already planned and finished. But one of the members wrote it and they decided to put it on the album. I'm so glad they did because it's a banger for the ages.
Check out the music video for God's Menu below! GO LIVE is available on your preferred streaming service and I recommend you check it out!
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