Changbin (Stray Kids) – KPOPREVIEWED

Stray Kids recently made their comeback with their fourth studio album, KARMA, led by the title track CEREMONY. However, I still have a backlog of song reviews related to Stray Kids that I have yet to post, including the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape and the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album. I have already made a start on this backlog, with CHANGBIN’s solo single from Hop, ULTRA, up next. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video.

It came as no surprise to me that CHANGBIN’s ULTRA would be the most powerful of all the solo singles. This resonates with his rapping in Stray Kids’ title tracks. ULTRA features two sides that showcase its power. The first is, as expected, CHANGBIN’s rapping. He always ensured his delivery had impact in ULTRA, with the parts where he gives his most angsty delivery being the peak of this power. I really liked how he played with the tempo of his delivery, helping make ULTRA dynamic and engaging for me. I also really liked it when CHANGBIN went slightly into vocal territory, which was something a little different and unexpected from CHANGBIN. The second form of power we got from ULTRA was the instrumental breaks. These breaks, each featuring a different synth and EDM profile, build upon everything I have mentioned about CHANGBIN’s rapping and help him expand into other areas (more on this in the next section). Overall, ULTRA comes together to emphasise and push further CHANGBIN’s usual powerful style and dynamic from the Stray Kids track.

The music video for ULTRA is dark and edgy, fitting well with the music. I really liked the green lighting in the background, which helps convey a villainous and angst-ridden energy with minimal effort. To me, CHANGBIN’s leather long coat look is probably one of the most iconic looks in this series of the Stray Kids’ solo work. I just wish they had explored the chemistry or the drug creation in the video further. I feel that there is a storyline here worth expanding on.

Earlier, I mentioned that the instrumental breaks allowed CHANGBIN to expand into other areas. What I meant by that was CHANGBIN’s top-notch performance. I personally felt he outdid himself with his performance, with the instrumental breaks/choruses giving him a chance to explore a sensual yet powerful side. The flexed bicep and body wave move is definitely one of the memorable moves in this series of solo works, and I liked how each break was something different, performance-wise.

Song – 8/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.2/10

Next up on my way to review Stray Kids’ second studio album is Surfin’. This side track is performed by members Lee Know, Changbin and Felix, and is the second unit track from the studio album.

Fun, light-heart and care-free are the words that I would use to describe Surfin’. Once again, it is a different dynamic to the other tracks on the album, But this time around, it isn’t necessarily new territory for the group overall. This doesn’t harm the song, as Surfin’ does have some charm. But unlike the other side tracks, I am not drawn to Surfin’ as much as the other side tracks I have/will be looking at. The song’s upbeat nature definitely suits the Summery season, and definitely has this undeniable bright energy within it that I feel would fit the group’s overall personality. But apart from that, I don’t find anything that memorable within the song. The vocal work and rapping felt like it had too much autotune applied to it, which really distracted me. While there is some appeal to it (I assume its main intention is to make the song fun, which kind of came through), I just didn’t like how it was used to style the vocals/rapping in this song. I am usually fine with Stray Kids’ usage of autotune in other songs, but it just doesn’t feel the same in Surfin‘. But Surfin’ still a decent listen, especially if you are looking for something fun in the midst of the loudness that the NOEASY album.

The music video starts off with some spoken vocals, with Lee Know playfully mocking Changbin, who is in turn mocked by Felix. Based on this, you can tell that the video was going to be fun and non-serious. We then get a snippet of them in the dance practice room, before they are magically (by the power of editing) transported to outside. From then on, it all was a pool-side party. It looks fun and feels fitting for the song.

There is a bit of choreography for this release, and I am have opted to review it in a separate paragraph as it felt secondary to the music video. It more so a simple routine that highlights the lightness, brightness and carefree nature of the song.

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