Konbini [exclusive interview] Stray Kids at Lollapalooza: “No matter what people think or say about us, we will always do what we want”

 

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Stray Kids at Lollapalooza: “No matter what people think or say about us, we will always do what we want”

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by Thilda Riou

Headliner of Lollapalooza Paris, Stray Kids confided in Konbini during an exclusive interview, just before treading the biggest stage of the festival.

Stray Kids at Lollapalooza: “No matter what people think or say about us, we will always do what we want”

StrayKids. (© eastsidezem)

It was time for K-pop to invest in French festivals! Friday, July 21, the entire community of the phenomenon from South Korea turned to Lollapalooza Paris, while Stray Kids closed the first day with an explosive show. An unprecedented event, since no South Korean group had yet had the opportunity to headline the international festival.

Renowned for the writing and composition work of its members, Stray Kids has distinguished itself within the vast community that is K-pop. With titles that are both powerful and daring (we think of “God's Menu”, “Thunderous” or even “MANIAC”), the group continues to renew itself – and this, since its debut in 2018. Latest example: the release of their album 5-STAR which, carried by the single “S-Class”, reveals the growing confidence of the singers .

A few hours before their appearance on the Main West stage of the festival, the eight members of the group gave an exclusive interview to Konbini. The opportunity for Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Felix, Seungmin and IN to reveal behind the scenes of their new performance and their new album, but also the French-speaking artists they appreciate as well as their ambitions for the future.

Konbini | Welcome to Paris ! How do you feel about performing not only in front of your fans, but also the French public present at the festival today?

seung min | We have in mind that our audience today is not only made up of STAYs [name of their fans, editor's note], but also of French people who have never listened to us before. Our performance at Lollapalooza Paris will therefore be their first impression of Stray Kids! It's a challenge, but we love performing on stage and we'll do our best, we'll give our all and show our sincerity.

I can't wait to see your performance! How did you prepare for this exclusive show?

Lee Know | It's been a while since we learned that we were going to play Lollapalooza Paris. It's a great honor for us and we thought long and hard about the songs we wanted to perform. We took a lot of time to practice in order to give the best possible performance as the headliner.

Several French artists are also performing at the festival this year. Are there French-speaking artists that you like to listen to?

bang chan | Oh, I know Stromae!

Felix | For my part, I listen to Aya Nakamura, especially her title “Copines”. I really like this song, I listen to it from time to time!

Let's talk about your new album, 5-STAR , released on June 2. What does the title of this opus symbolize?

bang chan | In 5-STAR , we show a lot of strength and self-confidence! I think the work we put into this album deserves 5 stars… We put a lot of energy into it and we hope STAYs and other listeners can really appreciate the strength of this album.

StrayKids. (© @eastsidezem)

Many themes are covered in the album. Why did you choose “S-Class” as the lead single?

changbin | There were many candidates for the single, but “S-Class” was the member's favorite song! When writing the track, we were inspired by ourselves, because we are constantly looking for new ideas. Some will say that [this title] is atypical, but we wanted to make it clear that the difference in itself is special and that everyone has this characteristic.

Since your beginnings, you have written and composed all your songs, I am thinking in particular of your production team, 3RACHA. Has the way you work changed over the years?

bang chan | Of course ! We are constantly evolving and our perspective on music continues to change. As Changbin said, we always try to show something new. But our teamwork never changes.

Are there any lyrics that you particularly like in this new album?

IN | I would say the moment when we sing “'Cause we don't give a f-“ in “TOPLINE (feat. Tiger JK)”. [Laughs]

bang chan | There is a good energy [during this passage]  ! [Laughs] And finally, that describes us well. No matter what people think or say about us, we will always do what we want.

Earlier this year, you shot the music video for “DLC” in Paris. How does this city reflect the message of the song?

seung min | When we came to perform in Paris before, we thought that the mood of the song and the concept of the video fit this city very well. On the day of the shoot, it was raining in Paris and the song “Paris in the Rain” [by Lauv] came to mind.

StrayKids. (© @eastsidezem)

Your choreographies have always included energetic and captivating movements. How do you manage to offer something innovative, while remaining true to your identity?

Felix | Every time we prepare a new song, we think of ideas [for the choreography] . We try to create something very unique and not necessarily trendy. We want to create our own style!

Your discography also includes certain titles interpreted by one or more members of the group, in the form of sub-units. Do you think these songs allow you to express yourself a little more personally?

bang chan | Recently, I worked on a track with Hyunjin. It was a song he created on his own and he asked me if I could write a part for him. While working on it and listening to the result, I surprised myself. I didn't know I was capable of creating something like this. Each member is very artistic and has their own musical identity, so when we work together I often discover something new in myself. I really like the way we help each other when we write together. I really want to thank the band members for that!

Is there a musical genre that you haven't tried yet that you would like to explore in the future?

bang chan | Is there one we haven't tried yet? [Laughs]

HAN | Have we ever tried Latin music?

bang chan | There's “Maknae On Top” [by IN ft. Bang Chan and Changbin] .

HAN | But we haven't tried that as a band yet.

bang chan | It's true… Finding a new genre could also be one of our missions!

What would be your ultimate goal as Stray Kids? How would you like to be remembered in the future?

Felix | The goal this year is for everyone to stay healthy. We work very hard and we always try to give our best on stage, so this is clearly one of our priorities. I would like to be remembered as a band that really cares about their fans, the STAYs. We want to make music not only to entertain them, but also to feel close to them. Its very important for us. This is how we communicate and connect with our STAYs.

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