Stray Kids looks to follow up on Billboard No. 1 albums with ‘Rock-Star’

K-pop boy group Stray Kids returned with a new EP on Friday, following up on the success of its three Billboard 200 No. 1 albums — “Oddinary,” “Maxident” and “5-Star.”

“Rock-Star” is the first release from the group since “5-Star,” its third full-length album released in June.

“We imprinted our unique colors with ’5-Star,” and in ‘Rock-Star,’ we want to show our side as free souls,” team leader Bang Chan said during a press conference in Seoul to promote the new EP. “If you listen to the tracks, you’ll discover a new side of Stray Kids.”

Seungmin recommended music fans listen to both albums as they center on the same theme, “People who know how to enjoy life.”

Like in the two previous hit albums, “Oddinary” and “Maxident,” the original Korean title of the new EP also uses a portmanteau of a Chinese character for “pleasure” and the English word “star.” The Chinese character again shares the exact same character for “music” and the same pronunciation for the English word “rock,” the music genre.

Asked why the group loves to create such witty titles for albums, Changbin answered: “We wanted to pique listeners’ curiosity with the titles. I think the use of unique wordplays and homonyms can add to the fun of listening to songs.”

The group says they get ideas for new titles in their daily routines, often coming to mind at unexpected moments like when they play on words or after taking a shower. The members then discuss the ideas and write them down.

“There are so many things we want to talk about. You can describe the same topic in a different way,” Bang Chan said.

The new EP carries eight tracks, including “Lalalala,” “Megaverse,” “Comflex” and “Leave.”

3Racha — an in-house production team of Stray Kids members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han — composed and wrote the lyrics of the main track, “Lalalala,” featuring an addictive chorus and a rock sound.

Debuting in March 2018, the eight-piece group has slowly expanded its presence in the K-pop industry based on its self-producing capabilities and powerful performances.

After securing three No. 1s on the Billboard 200, Stray Kids became the first K-pop act to headline the Lollapalooza Paris music festival in July.

In September, it won the Best K-pop award at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards in New Jersey for “S-Class,” the main track of the album “5-Star.”

The group later had a sold-out dome tour of five cities in South Korea and Japan.

When asked about the group’s appeal, Changbin said: “I think fans like our albums that tell our own story and our unique charms a lot, and I appreciate that. We will continue to stick to our own style of music in the future.”