Over the last week, Stray Kids have celebrated STAYs in their annual STAYweeK event. Amid the behind-the-scenes video, special dance practice of their latest single, Chk Chk Boom, and other special videos, Stray Kids have also released music videos for two side tracks from their recently released ATE mini-album. The first was MOUNTAINS, which is the first song on the mini-album.

Stray Kids knows how to select a song to kick off the album! MOUNTAINS is an explosive hype track that will undoubtedly get the crowd roaring when performed live during their world tour later this year. One thing that has me addicted to MOUNTAINS is its instrumentation, which features a mixture of rock influences and some hip-hop on the side. The stomping drum beats definitely bring on the adrenaline, while the electric guitar keeps an ongoing vibrant and electrifying factor in MOUNTAINS. The rapping from CHANGBIN, HYUNJIN and HAN was very boastful and powerful. If you have been a Stray Kids listener for a while now, you would know they are more than capable of this. But something in MOUNTAINS just took their delivery to a whole new level. BANGCHAN, LEE KNOW, SEUNGMIN and I.N’s vocals sounded very crisp and fresh. Some of their parts coincided with the less powerful moments of MOUNTAINS, giving us great moments of reprieve from the explosiveness of the track. But later on, they roared when carrying us through the chorus and delivering shouty yet memorable lines like “Mountains, Mountains, I woke up on the mountain“. But FELIX’s deeper and raspier vocals were the best out of the team. It gave MOUNTAINS an aggressive texture suitable for the rock influences that MOUNTAINS channelled. With the praises (and the lack of criticisms), it is safe to say that MOUNTAINS is one of my favourites from the ATE mini-album, for the hype it brings and how well Stray Kids executed it!

MOUNTAINS speaks to where Stray Kids are now in their careers—their journey now leads them to the top of the mountain. In the video, FELIX and HYUNJIN create their own content, alluding to their self-producing reputation. HAN roams around people who aren’t interested in them (which speaks to their beginnings in the industry), while BANGCHAN has lasers pointing at him, representing the hate and criticisms that Stray Kids got. I also like how the lasers are pointed at him only and not the rest of the group, indicating that he would do anything to protect the rest of his team. Later in the video, the same people HAN was walking around join Stray Kids at the foot of the mountains, creating a path for Stray Kids to walk up the mountain to reach the top, which is undoubtedly where they are in their careers. Elsewhere in the video, some other members are playing chess with buildings and interacting with a smaller city. I’m not sure the exact meaning of this, but I think it has something to do with the power they feel they have now – they can control the weather and the city. The ending (per the featured image) shows the group peering over a bright, cloudless city, which I assume represents their fandom. On their faces are proud looks. I’m not sure if my interpretation is correct, but I like the confident messaging that the video sends and the energy it boasts throughout the video.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.6/10