This is my first post here,and I want to share a reflection of mine about Skz and their trajectory throughout the years. English is not my first language,so I apologise for any mistakes. Feel free to debate about my opinion,respectfully! I first shared this elsewhere, but I thought tumblr might be the best place for me,so here is my perspective-
Wether you like Stray Kids or not,there is one thing that at least for me,is krystal clear:Stray kids changed the kpop industry. Rookies writing their own songs:too noisy,too loud,too different,too…real. 8 literal teenagers who were discovering life,writing about their own stories and experiences,daring to share their paths with honesty. Something that in 2018-2019 wasn’t that common. In that time,the main theme of kpop was love songs and softer beats,such as “What is love?” By TWICE. But then,out of nowhere,a group of rookies debuts with an odd song called “District 9”. Annoying sirens blaring,chaos,messy energy. And that approach made people…confused,I’d say.
Self-production wasn’t exactly common.BTS and BigBang,for example,had their producers inside their groups,such as BTS’s rap-line members and G-Dragon,but they weren’t the norm. They were an exception. And suddenly,what people used to hate as too noisy and too raw,too honest,became what people crave the most now-truth. They never showed us nothing but the truth in their lyrics. They showed us immaturity in the beggining,with fears and doubts.And then,their whole trajectory as people. Stray kids made a huge difference in the industry,and I can sense that despite that,JYP seemed to be sure about it. Giving rookies such a enormous power of self writing was…risky,to say the least. But in the end,it became what people desire the most.
I absolutely love how we can see their growth trough their music,because they weren’t just given songs that they were supposed to perform perfectly. They ripped their hearts open,flooded papers with their feelings,and got up on stages to change the world they lived in. Yes,Stray kids of 2018/2019 isn’t the same as now. They made many mistakes,they were immature. But something from that time never died inside them-that truthfulness and honesty. They never stopped being raw,loud and different. Because their songs are their weapons.Their hearts are their army. And for me,it’s incredibly beautiful to watch them grow. Past the mistakes,past the tears. Finally witnessing 8 flowers who bloomed brightly,and now,are claiming the good karma they deserve.
It’s just…so incredibly bold. For 2018,that kind of approach was absolutely jarring. But now,that’s why so many people love them. And I’m proud of that. Of them. Of this. I do acknowledge their mistakes. I do see the messed up things they did. But that only makes them more real. They aren’t perfect. Far from it, actually.They are 8 men who stepped onto a steady ground only to make it shake with sincerity. And seeing who and where they are now? Makes me feel like we’ve both won.
Disclaimer: I do not mean to claim that Stray Kids single-handedly revolutionized K-pop. My point is that their raw, personal style as rookies, and their growth from immaturity, changed the conversation and gave more space for self-produced, honest, experimental music. I know they aren’t the only ones, and I’m not putting them on a pedestal. I also acknowledge that they aren’t 100% self produced and had an entire production team behind them,specially in their early days,but that doesn’t take away the credit they deserve for their songs. Feel free to disagree with me,but please do so respectfully and without aggression.Real opinions are welcome,but straight up hate will not be tolerated.
District Of Reflections out.
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