SEOUL, August 06 (AJP) - Stray Kids are now spoken of in the language of K-pop scale: record album debuts, sold-out tours and the kind of commercial weight that makes a group more than a performing act.
But at a press event in Seoul ahead of the release of the group's new EP, "THIS & THAT," the eight members kept returning to a different idea — that the safest version of Stray Kids is not necessarily the one they want to repeat.
The EP will be released Friday at 1 p.m. KST, following a run in which Stray Kids became the first act to debut eight consecutive releases at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, according to JYP Entertainment.
A reporter at the event also cited a recent paper by a Sungshin Women's University researcher that placed Stray Kids among a small group of K-pop acts with more than 10 million cumulative album sales — a tier described in the question as "mega IP."
That is the kind of status that can pressure a group to protect its formula. Stray Kids said it chose the opposite.
"There are always safe choices," Bang Chan said. "We could have brought back the same energy we had before. But the reason we keep trying new things is because that feels more fun."
He said taking a new path can bring difficulties and variables, but that the process also gives the group something to learn.
"If we did the same thing every time, it would lose interest," he said. "That is why we keep starting something new."
That idea sits at the center of "THIS & THAT," whose title track marks a shift from some of the high-intensity songs that have defined much of Stray Kids' image.
Changbin said the title track shows a more relaxed side of the group while still carrying the confidence implied by the album title — the idea that Stray Kids can try "this and that" without losing its identity.
Han described the track as experimental because of its unusual sound, but said the group tried to make it easier to approach by repeating simpler lyrics in the chorus.
The members said they were drawn to the song early in the writing process in the United States, when the hook came together quickly and the rhythm made them want to move.
Even so, the group isn't pretending the numbers around it don't exist. Asked about expectations for extending its Billboard streak, Changbin said the members do not build albums around chart targets.
"When we prepare an album, a concert or a new project, we do not start by setting achievements as the standard," he said. "We try to show and share our sincerity with STAY."
Asked later about awards, including the Grammy Awards' new Asian pop category, the members again avoided talking about submissions or odds and returned to the same point: music first.
Seungmin said Stray Kids builds its music and performances from stories that come from inside the group rather than from outside expectations.
Felix said the group's biggest goal with "THIS & THAT" is to show what it can do and make fans happy.
"The most important thing is that our fans are satisfied and happy," he said.
The event also placed Stray Kids' next stage in view. Lee Know, born in 1998, addressed the mandatory military service question that will eventually reach every member of the group.
He said fulfilling the duty would be natural when the time comes, while adding that detailed plans for post-service album activities have not yet been discussed.
"What is certain is that we will gather again," Lee Know said. "Please wait a little. I'll be back soon."
That answer gave the album another layer. "THIS & THAT" is arriving at a point when Stray Kids has little left to prove commercially, but also when the group is beginning to face the time limits that come with military service — a stage every Korean male act eventually reaches.
Seungmin said the group did not want to lose the happiness of the present by thinking too far ahead.
"Our goal is to do the best activities we can in the present," he said, "and show the best music and performances with sincerity."
For Stray Kids, the message around "THIS & THAT" is not that records no longer matter. It is that the group does not want records to decide the shape of its music.
At the moment when the safer choice may be easiest to justify, Stray Kids are still making the case for risk.
AJP Takeaway:
- Stray Kids will release the EP “THIS & THAT” at 1 p.m. KST on Aug. 7, 2026, after becoming the first act to debut eight consecutive releases at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, according to JYP Entertainment.
- A recent academic paper cited at the Seoul press event placed Stray Kids among a small group of K-pop acts with more than 10 million cumulative album sales, a commercial tier described as “mega IP.”
- Despite that scale, Stray Kids said it deliberately avoided repeating a proven formula, using the title track to explore a more relaxed and experimental sound while preserving the group’s identity.
- The members said chart records and awards, including the Grammy Awards’ new Asian pop category, do not determine how they make music, emphasizing internal storytelling and fan satisfaction instead.
- Lee Know said Stray Kids will reunite after completing mandatory military service, while the group’s immediate priority is to focus on its current music and performances rather than distant plans.
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