Review | Review: Stray Kids’ album Noeasy is noisy, fun and the crowning glory of their K-pop career to date
- The 14-track album by Stray Kids paints a picture of a world that hasn’t always been easy for them or kind to their slightly industrial brand of pop music
- Listen out for elements of traditional Korean music in Thunderous, pause to take in the reflective Secret Secret and get ready to howl along with Wolfgang
Stray Kids are back, and with a new album that proves that being noisy – in the best of ways – is Noeasy thing to achieve.
The 14-track album of that name, released on August 23 and co-produced and written largely by the eight-member K-pop band, paints a picture of a world that hasn’t always been easy for them or kind to their slightly industrial brand of pop music (often described as “noisy”).
Noeasy is fronted by Thunderous, a single in the brash, rambunctious style that the boy band is known for. Although the new track launches Stray Kids into a new era, it also takes inspiration from the past.
The lyrics also include cultural nods and onomatopoeic references to various “thunderous” exclamations reminiscent of elements in traditional performances.
Changbin’s second verse is especially notable for this, as the rapper-songwriter uses a speak-sing style often featured in pansori and mentions a woodcutter, an apparent reference to one of Korea’s most famous folklore characters.
Beyond its infusion of cultural heritage, Thunderous is a show of Stray Kids’ panache and performance style as they call out those who nag them. The title also is a nod to the Korean term jansori-kkun, or someone who nags.
Thunderous is the lead single on Noeasy, but it is far from the only impactful moment among the tracks. The album is split into a few distinct sections and showcases all the flavours of Stray Kids that their loyal fans love.
It begins with Cheese, Thunderous and Domino, a trio of aggressive, confident bass-fuelled tracks that explore their public image and how they represent themselves to the world.
From the fourth track, Ssick (still upbeat but funkier than the previous tracks), the album reflects more groove and harmonies then the bombast of the earlier trio, before leading into softer, more introspective moments.
It’s followed by the bright electro euphoria of The View – a rare song in the middle of the album not to begin with an “s” – and the romantic Sorry, I Love You, which blends trap beats and heartfelt balladry, which then lead into the stand-out slinking R&B of Silent Cry.
The reflective Secret Secret comes next, with sweeping string melodies and heartfelt thoughts about the confessions and secrets you share with the rain (but not the world), before the group’s sentimental declaration of being together in the concert-closer-ready pop of Star Lost.
As a listening experience, Noeasy offers a lot of different styles to suit listeners and finds its strength in the band’s creativity and storytelling. Stray Kids have grown with each release, and their third LP is the crowning glory of their career to date.
