I.N (Stray Kids) – KPOPREVIEWED

With news that Stray Kids will be making a comeback soon with their fourth studio album, KARMA, I thought I would start on the many reviews I have not posted for Stray Kids – the solo tracks from their Hop mixtape and the unit tracks from their Mixtape: Dominate album. First up is I.N’s solo single from Hop, HALLUNCINATION. For the other reviews of Stray Kids’ solo songs from the Hop mixtape, see the links below the music video.

HALLUCINATION ended up being the solo track that stood out the most to me. It was just an unexpected track from the youngest member of Stray Kids, or any member of Stray Kids for that matter. But the unexpected can be intriguing at times, and that is what I felt about HALLUCINATION. The more I listened to it, the more I enjoyed it. There is an abundance of percussive textures throughout the track that just give HALLUCINATION so much character and style. This, alongside the hooks, made HALLUCINATION catchy, as well. The song makes good use of I.N’s vocals, which brought maturity and sensual energy to the song. I was particularly impressed with the way he launched back into the song following the instrumental break. There was so much oomph behind that note. However, the song’s main weakness was the vocal processing. It brought texture to the song, complementing the instrumentation well. But it was so thick, and this became a constant distracting thought each time I listened to the song. I wish that HALLUCINATION let up at certain moments to give us reprieve. I’m sure it wouldn’t have compromised the quality and final result of HALLUCINATION.

For this review, I will be combining the music video and performance aspects of my review together. HALLUCINATION, as a mature and sensual sounding song, gave I.N a unique opportunity to do something different. He took full advantage of the opportunity, making it a key asset (and drawing point) of the release and adding to the intrigue of this particular solo release that I mentioned earlier. What came about is a sensual and bold image of I.N. From the wet look, to the stylish skirts and cropped outfit, and to the body waves in the performance, I.N definitely showed a whole new side to himself in this release.

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

The final side track that I will be reviewing separately from the upcoming album review for NOEASY is Gone Away. This side track is performed by the three remaining members who have yet to appear in a unit track, HAN, Seungmin and I.N.

Gone Away is a beautiful ballad. It too takes us on a different direction from the other tracks on the album, but it isn’t a new direction for Stray Kids, who have put out ta few heartfelt songs in the past. Due to the nature of ballads, the vocals of all three members were on display throughout Gone Away. Seungmin, the group’s main vocalist, takes my pick for outstanding members as his voice resonated the greatest for me. HAN and I.N did a great job themselves. HAN manages to surprise me every time he sings. Every time he sings, I forget that he is one of the rappers on their team. I.N vocals are extremely pure, and this aspect of the youngest members’ vocals are definitely highlighted in Gone Away. For the instrumentation, the piano and classical elements really helped concentrate more of that emotive side of the song. I also liked how Gone Away‘s instrumentation builds and progresses. The change up for the bridge was probably my favourite bit in the whole song, as it allowed the members to add some power behind their delivery and give the ballad the peak it needed, whilst also allowing HAN (and Seungmin to a lesser extent) to add some emotional rapping to further this peak. Overall, the trio presents with a stunning ballad that sounds so good.

The song is about letting go someone who loves someone else. In this video, the three members are all interested in the same girl (though at different points in time). I.N wants to confess to the girl by buying flowers. HAN becomes shy when she enters the store and buys the top she was looking at to gift to her. Seungmin is staring at her lovingly while on their field trip and pulls the blanket up on her while she naps away. But each realises that she is with someone else, so each member makes the decision to not pursue her. I liked how the members are shown to be older at the end, reminiscing over the memory. It is a bittersweet moment for them, but it was what felt right and ultimately a decision made with the best interest of their crush in mind. I feel the acting from the three members in this video was really good, with Seungmin standing out, particularly during his closeups around the campfire.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 8.7/10