Having almost been into K-Pop for a full year now, I am absolutely shaken at how quickly these groups turn over new music. Stray Kids for example. HOP is their third release for 2024.
A part of me wonders why they don’t just put out one full album every year at the rate they’re going, but money makes the world go round, so why not have little mini-albums with different variations and merch and themes and all of the other things that rake in the cash. That’s just smart business and maybe some other bands outside of the K-Pop genre should take note. Heck, Taylor Swift is all over this shit and she’s loaded and insanely popular. And I think this method of business is part of the reason why K-Pop is blowing up all over the world recently. I mean, I’m a prime example. And I only listen to a handful of groups at this point. I still can’t wrap my head around liking too many more. It’s no wonder Gen Z, and whatever the newest generation is, are broke.
Anyway, all of that to say I was not expecting another full-blown album from Stray Kids given that they released ATE in July and then their Japanese album, GIANT, a month ago. When are these guys able to sleep?! Longer albums or mixtapes gives Stray Kids’ the opportunity to get a guest or two involved, but also flex their solo muscles. It’s honestly a shame they don’t do it more often. Who’s to say one of them doesn’t get bored with the group work one day and want to fully go at it alone. Getting a solo song here and there can at least whet their appetite and keep them satiated. They’re still so new though that I imagine it will be a while before they putter out. I think that would be devastating to the fandom. I know I was crushed when One Direction called it quits.
HOP is apparently the groups first mixtape. I had thought they’d released a mixtape before, but that was only an EP by name. They’ve released several compilation albums, but this thing is brand new. It apparently is also introducing a “new genre.” I think they meant that specific to Stray Kids, and I’m not even really sure how you’d differentiate it that much compared to hip-hop. Sure, there’s probably a traditional flare to it, but by and large the base of the whole thing is hip-hop. Which they totally kill! The vibe still seems pretty dark like the short lived ATE-era was, so I’m still here for it. Hip-hop doesn’t have to be obnoxious.
The first three tracks on this mixtape feature the entire group and I can say with certainty that they are awesome. “Walking on Water” and “Bounce Back” were first-listen bangers for me. I love the old-school hip-hop used in the former, and it’s a great way to open up an album seemingly influenced by the genre. “U” is also a pretty incredible song where in a rare moment we get all eight members primarily singing. Rapper Tablo is the only one lending his flow here, which I think is smart. Bangchan and Changbin’s vocals really stood out to me the most, but Lee Know and I.N. always have a beautiful quality when the sing. I could have done without the remixed version of “Walking on Water,” but I’m sure it appeals to some out there.
The rest of the album is dedicated to the solo songs. While all of them are strong and unique to the others, there are a few that really shine for me. Hyunjin’s solo song “So Good” comes with a really cool beat and I like how he’s able to manipulate his vocals in so many ways. Changbin’s “Ultra” utilized some really cool distortion and reverb on the vocals in the pre-chorus and by the end of the track I was able to sing along. Han stole my heart with his pure pop-rock turn in “Hold My Hand,” but the top spot on the solo tracks goes to Lee Know. “Youth” is really fun with an 80s vibe that made it instantly catchy. I hope I get to see this late spring and I hope he has a blast performing it.
Overall, this was a solid effort from Stray Kids, but it’s even more impressive if you think of when they would have ever had the time to put this record together. I like that there are so many music videos for this mixtape, as well, though I still have to watch most of them. Definitely worth a STAY’s time!