Client: DAZED
There’s rarely a single, completely standalone reason for an artist’s success but there are undeniable defining factors: for Stray Kids, their authenticity and vulnerability has propelled them to pop’s upper reaches. As lyricists, songwriters and producers, they’ve been unafraid to pin their fears, hopes, dreams and nightmares for all to see in a constant exploration of growing up and belonging, the desire for success, and the highs and lows of achieving it. The music they wrap around it is often gloriously abrasive and extravagant (“Thunderous”, “Back Door”, “God’s Menu”) but they’ll ground themselves in the delicate and subtle (“19”, “Another Day”, “Cover Me”), frequently on the same record.
That they’ve rarely played Europe is even more reason for the visible ripples of excitement across Hyde Park, why there was a hundreds-long queue at dawn to get in, and why, among the pyrotechnics and fireworks and glitchy, hypercolour video backdrops several stories high, you can feel the air vibrating as their fans – known as ‘Stays’ – scream themselves hoarse.
By the close of their propulsive 100-minute set, the night has felt like a much-needed escape from reality but, several hours before they’re due on, the mood backstage is almost languid. Rather than back-to-back interviews, the band opts for a roundtable with a handful of media. They’re relaxed and affable, exchanging quips with the expected ease of a band who have spent almost every waking hour together for years, and settle in to discuss performing, their rituals and their upcoming release.
What does it mean to you to be the first male K-pop act to be headlining BST?
Bang Chan: It’s a legendary festival, a big honour. And, like our comeback is in five days, so we’re very honoured to have the opportunity to get a lot of energy from everyone to really explode (with) our comeback.
How do the pre-show sensations compare to early days of performing?
I.N: I still feel nervous and shaky, hopeful and excited for the stage and it’s a similar feeling to how it was then but it’s something that everyone feels [because] we still have that thirst and passion for the stage.
Taylor Glasby 