The biggest release of the day is Stray Kids’ fourth studio album, KARMA, led by their newest single CEREMONY. This is their latest release since April’s Mixtape: Dominate (which features the Korean version of GIANT) and their Japanese comeback single Hollow. I am in the process of reviewing their solo tracks from their mixtape mini-album, Hop, which featured the single Walkin’ On Water.

CEREMONY is probably the first Stray Kids title track in a while to get a lukewarm first impression from me. Each time I have listened to the song since its release a couple of hours ago, I’ve consistently felt like a lot was held back in CEREMONY. The usual bombastic energy common to their title tracks was missing, and none of the members really stood out for me. I am surprised that you have to wait for the end of the song for the chorus to really give some impact in CEREMONY. And finally, the song just ends in such an abrupt and unsatisfying manner. Had the song been more robust and stronger in these areas, CEREMONY would have been much more appealing. That being said, I did like some elements in CEREMONY. The “Hip hip” by BANGCHAN, followed by the crowd’s “Hooray” that started off the first and second choruses, definitely had the engaging energy intended to get a crowd to join in. And I liked the hip-hop twist they gave the subsequent “Hip Hip … Hooray” in the chorus. The instrumental was rather intriguing, and I liked how it showcased that some hip-hop flair. The bombastic energy I mentioned as being missing could have been delivered by sharper beats, but I did appreciate the percussive and detailing synths. Overall, CEREMONY could have been better.

What I really enjoyed about this comeback so far is the sports concept in the music video. The intensity, especially from their focused/serious looks, as well as their competitiveness with one another, in the music video was definitely very pronounced and delivered very well by all members. I liked how the balls somehow connected all sports in the music video, even if the sports were all very different. And of course, the music video would not feel complete without some sort of celebration scene, which is precisely what the group gave to us towards the end. The music video closes off with a surprise cameo from professional gamer FAKER (If you didn’t see the group’s reaction to the music video, they were also shocked by his cameo.) Definitely very cool, and it adds e-sport to the mix of sports referenced in the music video.

The accompanying performance for this comeback shares similar intensity to the music video. I also get the impression that the members are excited for this comeback, based on their enthusiasm and the energy they put into their moves. I really liked the footwork, bouciness and the hip-hop motif in the routine.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 9/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8/10