Stray Kids is nominated for Best Male Group, while Stray Kids’ rappers (HYUNJIN, HAN, CHANGBIN and FELIX) are nominated for Best Rap Performance. Their comeback single S-Class is nominated in a number of categories including Best Male Performance (Group), Best Electronic Song, Best Music Video etc. Support Stray Kids, S-Class and your other favourite acts from 2023 by clicking here to vote today.

Stray Kids have gone above and beyond again with their latest comeback, ROCK-STAR, and the title track LALALALA. In addition to the title track, Stray Kids have also unveiled the music video for MEGAVERSE, thus making it eligible for a song review – the reason as to why we are here today.

MEGAVERSE is quite an intense track, with the track being at its best when the intensity is at its peak. The song goes for some really dramatic synths that sets the tone of the track in a matter of seconds. The flute-y synth in the chorus is very memorable, giving MEGAVERSE that really defining element that instantly makes you remember the likes of MEGAVERSE if you were to hear it standalone elsewhere. But as mentioned at the start, the best part of MEGAVERSE’s instrumentation is towards the end when they really went in hard with the very wild and powerful synth concentration. As for Stray Kids, they did a really great job. FELIX and BANGCHAN’s opening line were so epic, while CHANGBIN, HAN and HYUNJIN’s rapping in the verses were so engaging and had great flow. LEE KNOW did a really good job fitting into the song, as well. SEUNGMIN and I.N were the members I had most concerns, given they shine brightest with more delicate material and MEGAVERSE doesn’t really reflect their wheelhouse. But I am happy to be corrected, as their vocals moments in the pre-chorus ends up being really nice moments of relief, which allows the song to ‘reset’ itself, so that the chorus drop can continually feel invigorating and less tiresome every time it comes back around. MEGAVERSE is a very strong opening track that really showcases who Stray Kids are and their style of music.

The music video opens up with a bored security guard, munching on some food and scribbling on an image of Stray Kids in the newspaper. Yeah… he shouldn’t have done that. Each member of Stray Kids make themselves known to the security guard in the video, with the group first appearing in the elevator on one of the guard’s screen out of nowhere. And without touching him, he faces the force of Stray Kids, who sends him flying into a glass wall and falling down a floor through the floor. This pretty much terrifies the guard, who tries to run away. But he can’t seem to do that, as he finds himself in a constant loop circling back to BANGCHAN, who we all know would go out of his way to protect his fellow members.  In the end, he snaps out of it after a fellow security guard interrupts what appears to be just a moment for the guard. That fellow security guard is TABLO from EPIK HIGH, who makes an unexpected appearance in this video. He is also intrigued by the newspaper. But rather experiencing what the other guard went through, he simply writes his name alongside Stray Kids in the crossword section of the newspaper (which interestingly has a “Next ‘X’?” title), which might be hinting towards a future collaboration between the two.

Ahead of the album drop, MEGAVERSE was performed as part of the group’s 5-Star Dome Tour. Said performance is very angsty and aggressive, matching up with the atmosphere that MEGAVERSE brings out and the delivery the group gives. It is a bold piece that definitely grabs your attention. And like the song itself, this might just become the very performance you might want to introduce non-fans to  Stray Kids.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.5/10