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  • A Guide To 3RACHA’s Discography

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    Here at The Honey Pop, we take ancient texts very seriously, and when it comes to Stray Kids, our beloved ancient text is 3RACHA’s discography. Before making music that would take over the world and define a new generation in K-Pop, before Stray Kids‘ debut, before even the survival show, 3RACHA was already an established unit making music and uploading it to SoundCloud—under the stage names of CB97 for Bang Chan, SPEARB for Changbin, and J.One for Han. And while we now have an extensive and varied catalog of Stray Kids music written, composed, and produced by 3RACHA, their early discography is something no Stray Kids fan should miss. The tracks might be direct homages to some of their favorite rappers, but there was also a spark of something new and refreshing—what would come to be Stray Kids.

    If you don’t know where to start when it comes to getting familiar with their music, then you’ve come to the right place! We’re here to guide you through their discography from January 2017 to now!

    J:/2017/mixtape

    On January 18th, 2017, 3RACHA released their first mixtape on SoundCloud, featuring two songs: ‘Intro’ and ‘The Dreamz.’ It marked the beginning of 3RACHA for the public, and it’s the day now remembered as their anniversary. After this initial release, they released two songs together every two weeks: one self-produced song and one song that followed the mixtape formula of relying on samples. All the original tracks were combined into one single mixtape, J:/2017/mixtape, released on April 26th, 2017. Unfortunately, the secondary tracks were deleted, but fortunately for us, the internet is forever, and you can absolutely still find them.

    This first mixtape already featured some of their most iconic songs, including ‘Runner’s High‘—which they performed several times in their rookie years, including during the survival show—as well as the infamous ‘WOW,’ the only track in the mixtape to be produced by Changbin, as opposed to the other tracks, produced by Bang Chan. The first line in the mixtape—“1, 2, 3RACHA spotlight“—is also what serves as the unofficial 3RACHA greeting. The mixtape already had energetic tracks, but it didn’t shy away from heavier topics such as mental health and school bullying. One mixtape was all it took to lay the foundation for what Stray Kids would become.

    Tracklist:
    • ‘Intro’
    • ‘Tik Tok’
    • ‘Runner’s High’
    • ‘Don Quixote’
    • ‘은석이 (Eunseoki)’
    • ‘WOW’
    • ‘NXT 2 U’
    Deleted Tracks & Their Samples:
    • ‘The Dreamz’ (‘Wet Dreamz’ by J.Cole)
    • ‘Complain’ (‘Who I Am’ by Pusha T, 2 Chainz, and Big Sean)
    • ‘₩1,000,000’ (‘Senile’ by Young Money, Tyga, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne)
    • ’42’ (‘Too Young’ by Post Malone)
    • ‘Cloud 9’ (‘Killas’ by Ca$hfromtheb and Lilyoungstunnal)
    • ‘건들지마 (Don’t Touch Me)’ (‘Hip Hop Is Dead’ by Nas and will.i.am)
    • ‘Bucket List’ (‘King Kunta’ by Kendrick Lamar)

    3Days

    3RACHA didn’t waste any time and continued to release music shortly after their first mixtape. 3Days followed the same release pattern: two tracks every two weeks, one self-composed and one sampled. And just like J:/2017/mixtape, the sampled tracks were deleted when 3Days was released on August 16th, 2017. However, two additional unreleased tracks were added to the tracklist: ‘IF,’ a Changbin solo song, and ‘I SEE,’ a Han solo song. Bang Chan was once again the one to produce the most tracks, with Changbin and Han also taking part in the production of their respective solo songs. Additionally, ‘힘이 돼 (Become My Strength)’ was the first song entirely produced by Han.

    While this is probably the least remembered mixtape, it showed significant growth both lyrically and stylistically for 3RACHA. The iconic ‘Small Things’ is in this mixtape after all. They continued to delve into heavier topics like in ‘Peer Pressure,’ and showed more vulnerability and rawness, especially in Han’s solo track. They also experimented way more with their sound, as showcased in a song like ‘-.+.’ 3Days also features a song that would later become a Stray Kids mixtape. ‘If There’s a Shadow, There Must Be Light’ was a deleted track from 3Days, but it was rewritten as a Stray Kids song as a CD-only bonus track for I am WHO—first named ‘Mixtape#2’ and released on streaming platforms with Clé 2: YELLOW WOOD, and later re-recorded and re-named ‘Behind The Light’ in SKZ2021.

    Tracklist:
    • ‘쉿’ (Shh)
    • ‘작은 Dragon Three 마리 (Three Little Dragons)’
    • ‘Peer Pressure’
    • ‘Small Things’
    • ‘-.+’
    • ‘국산 바나나 (Domestic Banana)’
    • ‘힘이 돼 (Become My Strength)’
    • ‘IF’
    • ‘I SEE’
    Deleted Tracks & Their Samples:
    • ‘그림자도 빛이 있어야 존재 (If There’s a Shadow, There Must Be Light)’ (‘Too Far’ by Primary and Beenzino)
    • ‘깨 (Sesame)’ (‘Caroline’ by Aminé)
    • ‘ID:a’ (‘Fade Away’ by Logic)
    • ‘Subway Pt. II’ (‘After Surgery Thoughts (Cole Summer Remix)’ by JeterCT)
    • ‘Cypher I’ (‘Yonkers’ by Tyler, the Creator, ‘Butterfly Effect’ by Travis Scott, and ‘Soliloquy’ by Isaiah Rashad)
    • ‘지갑방 (Wallet Room)’ (’44 Bars’ by Logic)
    • ‘Alchemistry’ (‘Tokyo Drift’ by Kaseem The Skywalker)

    Horizon

    The final mixtape by 3RACHA, at least for now, followed the same bi-weekly release schedule, but they left behind the sampled songs. And so, Horizon was completed on December 20th, the day after Stray Kids‘ debut was confirmed, with all its members. Horizon is by far the most iconic and most well-known 3RACHA mixtape. Not only does it have truly iconic songs such as ‘Matryoshka’ and ‘P.A.C.E.,’ but it also has that sound that can only be described as Stray Kids‘ own genre.

    Horizon is the mixtape from which they also took the most songs to turn into Stray Kids songs: ‘Placebo‘ was released as ‘Mixtape#1’ as a CD only exclusive in their debut mini-album, I am NOT, ‘For You’ was released as ‘Mixtape#3’ for I am YOU, ‘Broken Compass‘ was ‘Mixtape#4’ in Clé 1: MIROH, and they all were released on platforms with the special album, Clé: YELLOW WOOD. ‘Hoodie Season’ was the last of the series, ‘Mixtape#5,’ a CD exclusive to Clé: LEVANTER. All songs regained their original titles with the release on SKZ2021.

    In many ways, Horizon marked the ending of an era for 3RACHA and the beginning of a world changing career.

    Tracklist
    • ‘Matryoshka’
    • ‘Hoodie Season’
    • ‘P.A.C.E.’
    • ‘고장난 나침반 (Broken Compass)’
    • ‘Placebo’
    • ‘SCENE STEALERS’
    • ‘Double Knot’
    • ‘For You’

    3RACHA Songs Since HORIZON

    Thankfully for us, 3RACHA didn’t stop making music as a trio just there. Of course, Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han have had their hands in Stray Kids‘ discography from A to Z, to the point where all three of them are in the top 10 of idols most credited on KOMCA, with Bang Chan coming at second overall. But aside from performing their songs, released and unreleased, on huge stages such as KCON and the MAMAs, there have also been a couple of additions to their 3RACHA discography.

    Official Songs

    ‘Start Line’ – The song was released on the anniversary of 3RACHA‘s first upload, a few months before their official debut in Stray Kids. It is a raw, emotional song that traces their journeys and explores their love for music.

    ‘ZONE’ – With the kickoff of Stray Kids‘ series, SKZ-Player, each sub-unit released a special video. In 3RACHA’s case, they released a brand-new song, ‘ZONE.’ They also performed it on MCountdown, and it was eventually released on streaming platforms as part of SKZ-REPLAY in 2022.

    ‘Carpe Diem’ – In 2019, Stray Kids gave one of their most meaningful performances of the year at VLive’s VHeartbeat Awards, by performing ‘3rd Eye,’ ‘Side Effects’ and ‘Double Knot.’ And in the middle of that, Changbin and Han performed a brand new song: ‘Carpe Diem.’ The song was later officially released on SoundCloud on the third anniversary of 3RACHA.

    ‘We Go’ – For Stray Kids‘ first world tour, each unit had a stage with an unreleased song (at the time). And so, 3RACHA gave us ‘We Go.’ It was later released as part of the repackaged version of Stray Kids‘ first full-length album, IN LIFE.

    ‘JUST BREATHE’ – In early 2022, 3RACHA collaborated with the Japanese artist SKY-HI on his song ‘JUST BREATHE.’ It was their first commercial release as a trio, outside of the songs included in Stray Kids‘ albums.

    ‘HEYDAY’ – 3RACHA teamed up with Street Man Fighter to release ‘HEYDAY,’ this time produced by Czaer, and it gave us one of their most iconic, addictive songs yet.

    ‘3RACHA’ – Just like with IN LIFE, Stray Kids included unit songs by the three different “rachas” for MAXIDENT, giving way for the self-titled ‘3RACHA‘ – which Changbin kicks off with the same opening line as ‘Intro’ from J:/2017/mixtape. The outro of the song also re-purposed a part of their song ‘PASSION,’ performed at KCON 2020.

    Special Stages

    ‘PASSION’ – Opening performance at the 2020 Summer KCON:TACT

    ‘Colours’ – Unit performance for Mnet’s Kingdom: Legendary War, alongside BTOB’s Minhyuk and ATEEZ’s Hongjoong

    ‘Hey Monster’ – Special performance during Stray Kids‘ stage at the 2021 MAMA

    ‘YEAH’ – Special stage at the 2022 KCON in Los Angeles

    ‘Music Makes One’ – Special stage for the opening of the 2022 MAMAs, alongside Jung Jaeil and Tiger JK

    It doesn’t stop there because 3RACHA have taken every single opportunity to make new music and show off their skills as writers and composers, as well as their chemistry as a trio. The thing is, these songs don’t always have titles. 3RACHA performed an untitled song alongside N.Flying at KCON LA in 2019, and revamped and performed ‘Back Door’ with the participants of the survival show LOUD in 2021. They also performed at the ON: Hallyu Festival, where Changbin rapped part of his ‘Cypher,’ Bang Chan sang part of ‘Drive,’ and Han premiered ‘Scissor.’ Their AAA 2021 performance is another example of how 3RACHA flawlessly incorporates new music and raps into their performances—yet this one was never given a name. The title doesn’t matter when the music hits, and 3RACHA never fail.

    What’s your favorite 3RACHA song of all time? What’s your favorite mixtape? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

    Want more Stray Kids content? We got you!

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 3RACHA:
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  • 5 Stray Kids Songs You Need On Your Winter Playlist

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    In Stray Kids‘ extensive discography, there is something for everyone, for every day and every season. Winter can be a difficult cold season, and yet Stray Kids have the perfect songs to accompany you on the days you need comfort, a bit of warmth, and a banger to enjoy in the cold. These are some of our favorite winter-coded Stray Kids songs!

    ‘Winter Falls’ (Christmas EveL, 2021)

    ‘Winter Falls‘ is an absolute must in your winter playlist when it comes to Stray Kids‘ songs. The title says it all, but the song goes further than that because no song like ‘Winter Falls‘ captures the season with its melodies, atmosphere, and lyrics quite like this song. Out of Stray Kids‘ special Christmas single album, Christmas EveL, ‘Winter Falls’ has been the soundtrack to all our winters since 2021. The Hanpop song feels like a breeze of cold air as the lyrics explore the falling out of a relationship. It’s full of yearning and pain, yet it’s rhythmic, cozy, and timeless.

    ‘There’ (THE SOUND, 2023)

    While ‘Winter Falls’ explores a sadder, more nostalgic side of winter, ‘There‘ is the song that will comfort you and make you feel like spending the day in bed with some hot chocolate and cookies. From their first Japanese full-length album, THE SOUND, ‘There‘ is a sweet ballad that highlights the softest sides of Stray Kids‘ vocals and their sweetest lyricism. It will bring you peace and comfort in the darkest days of winter.

    ‘One Day’ (ALL IN, 2020)

    One of Stray Kids‘ most underrated songs is ‘One Day’ from their first Japanese mini-album. This is a song that works at any time of the year, but the perfect season to listen to ‘One Day‘ on loop is definitely winter. Despite its joyful melody, ‘One Day’ explores the weight of exhaustion and mental health in everyday life. The constant metaphors between the weather and one’s mood make ‘One Day’ your best friend when the winter weather gets too cold, and the lack of sun makes you lose hope. ‘One Day’ brings happiness with its catchy melody and hopeful lyrics, as they hint for better days.

    ‘Snain’ (2023)

    Something about Changbin‘s writing style is that he loves some good metaphors with the weather and witty puns, and that’s all we get in ‘Snain.’ While his previous song ‘One Day’ is a more gloomy yet hopeful song, ‘Snain‘ sees snow and rain as positive, as a way to wash away everything from the past that hurts you. The sub-unit of Changbin, Felix, and Seungmin is the perfect song to get through winter and know that, after the rain and the snow, there will be sun for sure.

    ‘FREEZE’ (ODDINARY, 2022)

    The winter isn’t just about cozy, soft music; it can also be about one of the biggest EDM hits in Stray Kids‘ discography, and nothing quite like ‘FREEZE‘ to bring you energy in those freezing days of winter. Out of ODDINARY, ‘FREEZE‘ has a sort of harshness to it, with a heavy EDM drop and fast-paced rap verses, making it a perfect fit for the season. It mixes energy and power with darkness and coldness. It’s the perfect energy boost for winter.

    What’s your favorite Stray Kids song to loop during the winter? Which songs would you add to our list? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • 8 Highlights Of Stray Kids’ dominATE Tour We Can’t Wait To See On The Big Screen

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    The news is out: Stray Kids are heading to the big screen! After dominating the world with their biggest tour yet, Stray Kids are bringing this unforgettable experience to the big screen with their concert at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles—Stray Kids: the dominATE Experience. It’s been only a few months since the tour wrapped up, but it remains one of the dearest eras for Stray Kids. And now we get to relive it all over again. From A to Z, the dominATE World Tour had a great setlist that showcased Stray Kids‘ most hardworking side with impressive vocals, killer choreographies, and mind-blowing stage presence, but also their sillier side. All in all, here are some of the things we’re looking forward to seeing on the big screen the most!

    ‘JJAM’

    Stray Kids opened every show with a bang, going from newer songs to older, iconic songs, and in the midst of it, we got one of the songs that never fails to hype up the entire crowd: ‘JJAM.’ This ATE B-side is a great moment for the crowd to shout at the top of their lungs, while highlighting every aspect of the group and introducing the units. Vocalracha opens the second verse with gorgeous harmonies, soon followed by Danceracha’s dance break—and the entire crowd shouting, “you know, we know, Lee Know“—to wrap it up with 3RACHA and a mind-blowing back-and-forth rap between Changbin and Han, as Bang Chan wraps up the entire thing with his unique tone. Everything about ‘JJAM’ was meant to be showstopping, and that’s exactly what they did. Even placed in between such iconic title tracks like ‘Thunderous’ and ‘District 9,’ it was one of the moments we looked forward to the most.

    The Sub-Units

    After serving with every solo performance, one of the most significant changes in the setlist for the second half of the dominATE World Tour—aka the one we’ll be seeing at the cinema—was the addition of the new sub-units. Every song brought something new and refreshing to Stray Kids‘ discography and the tour’s setlist, and they also offered some of the best moments of the entire show.

    ‘Burnin’ Tires’ offered a great stage, with killer choreography, killer moments for both Changbin and I.N to shine, and some of the most comedic moments of the stage, with the baton at the end of the performance. We always knew a song like ‘TRUMAN,’ with its infectious energy and overconfident vibe, would set the stage on fire every night—and that’s precisely what Han and Felix did with their overflowing talent and chemistry. ‘ESCAPE’ served every show as the most gorgeous stage of the night, with a mind-blowing choreography that brought you right into the world Bang Chan and Hyunjin created with their song. And of course, ‘CINEMA’ is one of the big highlights of this entire tour: a song meant to be sung in front of millions of people, celebrating the love for music and the bond between Stray Kids and Stays. The rolling credits, after Seungmin and Lee Know served a dream duet, was the moment for tears to roll. We thought that we had seen the last of it, but the Stray Kids: dominATE Experience is going to bring us right back. Nothing will hit at the cinema quite like ‘CINEMA.’

    ‘Walkin On Water’

    Another big change in the setlist was the inclusion of Stray Kids’ 2024 title track, ‘Walkin On Water.’ Because the song was released in the midst of the tour, we weren’t sure when this one would be included into the setlist—and sure enough, ‘Walkin On Water‘ was one of the best songs in the setlist from the Latin American leg, all the way to the European leg, and through the North American leg—hence why we’ll get to experience this on the big screen. Stray Kids weren’t just content with adding ‘Walkin On Water’ after the explosive and grand ‘GIANT,’ they added it with a twist—one of their best dance breaks. ‘Walkin On Water’ served both as a great moment to interact with the crowd and to showcase their best dance moves and group synergy. It’s a title track for the books, and the stage was just as impressive every night, capturing all the best attributes of Stray Kids‘ live performances.

    ‘Cover Me’

    Stray Kids are mostly known for their energetic, impactful, noisy songs, but their discography also features many songs that show a softer, chill side and showcase their vocals in the most beautiful way. ‘Cover Me‘ is one of Stray Kids’ most vocally challenging songs, but it’s also one of the most vulnerable, emotional, and raw songs in their discography. And something about it live hits even harder. The lyrics may hold a lot of loneliness and struggle, but the way Stray Kids connected every night through this song made it a safe home and an even more meaningful song. Stray Kids’ rendition of the song live makes it even more special, and hearing Seungmin‘s high note live is a religious experience on its own—we’re expecting nothing less as we get to experience it at full volume in a movie theater.

    ‘Social Path’

    If there’s one song in their discography that sums up Stray Kids‘ journey, it’s ‘Social Path.’ This song isn’t just an addictive pop-rock song; it also explores their most vulnerable struggles, their sacrifices, and their love for the music they make, the shows they play, and the people around them. Ever since ‘Social Path’ was released, it has become one of the most special stages. Something magical happens every time they get to perform this song—singing their hearts out, playing around with the public, and eventually huddling up, just the eight of them, right before the explosive last chorus. It was a moment everyone looked forward to every night. The most Stray Kids moment of the entire show was right there in ‘Social Path.’

    ‘MEGAVERSE’

    The entire setlist of the dominATE World Tour gave Stray Kids a chance to play around with each other and connect with the crowd in a way not many groups can. But it was also filled with impressive, showstopping choreographies, and one of the strongest moments of this setlist was by far: ‘MEGAVERSE.’ This 2023 B-side on its own manages to capture every aspect of Stray Kids. It is a track that tells you everything you need to know about Stray Kids: the witty lyrics, the impressive rap verses, the magnetic EDM drop, and the jaw-dropping choreography, all filled with their stage presence. Getting to watch ‘MEGAVERSE‘ live is a unique experience, and we could never get tired of it. The closest thing we will ever get to repeating such an experience is the cinema—for that alone, sign us up.

    ‘Blind Spot’

    The encore of every Stray Kids show was always something everyone looked forward to for more playful songs such as ‘I Like It’ and ‘My Pace.’ One of the best additions, though? ‘Blind Spot.’ This song was the perfect addition to the setlist, allowing the members to play around on stage and dance. (Yes, Han slowly but surely learning the choreo from the dancers is a highlight on its own.) But ‘Blind Spot’ also carries a beautiful message on its own – one that reflects Stray Kids‘ restless effort to make their mark on the industry and the world. Sure enough, going on the biggest tour of 2025 did leave a mark on the industry. The lights and the chants at the end of the song for the last chorus will never fail to give us chills and reflect on just how far Stray Kids have come.

    The Surprise Song

    Stray Kids have a lot of hype songs that make for perfect encore songs. And during this tour, Stray Kids didn’t have just one, but two encores. The last encore, for the latter half of the tour, always consisted of the festival version of ‘Chk Chk Boom’ and one special addition—a sort of surprise song every night. The Stray Kids: dominATE Experience shows the concerts Stray Kids held in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, which gives us two options for the surprise song: ‘Hall of Fame‘ and ‘ITEM.’ Both B-sides made such an impact in their discography, and both songs hit harder live. One thing is for sure: whichever song they choose to show on the big screen, we’ll know it’s going to be the perfect song to wrap up this entire, incredible experience.

    What’s the moment you can’t wait to see in the big screen for the dominATE Experience? Which surprise song do you think they will show? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • Music Rewind 2025: The Year Of Stray Kids’ ‘DIVINE’ KARMA

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    Every time we think Stray Kids have reached a new peak, they’re on their way to reach a new one, breaking records and making history. Stray Kids’ growth has been unstoppable since their debut, and this year they reached the much-feared seven-year mark without a sweat, making 2025 their biggest year yet. From completing their biggest world tour yet, to having one of the most impactful comebacks of the year, releasing impeccable songs and collabs, Stray Kids were everywhere all around the world more than ever before!

    The 5th Fanmeeting: SKZ 5’CLOCK

    In Stray Kids’ fashion, for the fifth year in a row, they hosted their fifth fanmeeting: the 5’Clock fanmeeting. With the concept of a sleepover, Stray Kids filled the INSPIRE Arena in Seoul for three days on a row around Valentine’s Day. Fanmeetings always feature new performances, but it’s also about bringing back older, fan-favorite songs. This time, they brought back ‘I Am You’ and, even more surprisingly, ‘Voices’ with the original choreography. ‘DLC‘ and ‘Astronaut‘ were also part of the setlist for one of the three days. Even better yet, we got the live debut of their 2024 b-side, ‘Bounce Back,’ along with a choreography, and the first live performance of ‘Cover Me‘ – featuring some of their most heavenly vocals.

    The highlight of the fan meeting last year was, by far, the real-life-sized SKZOO. So, of course, they were brought back this time around and were just as iconic. Plus, this year, we got the bonus of Stray Kids going around with bear versions of their SKZOOs. But it wouldn’t be a fanmeeting without fun games and challenges. The list is lengthy and includes many iconic moments, but here are our highlights: the ‘NEMO NEMO’ challenge with Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N, the ‘AS I TOLD YOU’ challenge with Hyunjin, Han, and Felix (in the form of a Bbokkari plushie), ‘WHIPLASH’ with Bang Chan, Lee Know, and Han, ‘Home Sweet Home’ with Changbin and Han, ‘Shanghai Romance’ with Lee Know, Changbin and Hyunjin, and several versions of ‘Kissing You.’ The most memorable challenge of last year also made its comeback: Lee Know doing the ‘Loveable’ challenge, along with Bang Chan and Han. But truly nothing beats the reveal of the long-awaited ‘My People’ by Bang Chan and Changbin, a song that ended up being even better than we could’ve ever imagined from the snippet we had heard in that one 3RACHA VLive back in early 2020.

    However, the actual showstopping part of this fanmeeting goes, hands down, to the Stray Kids members switching their solos from the first part of the dominATE World Tour and b-sides in HOP. Felix performed ‘Hold My Hand,’ adding the fun element of a toy guitar. Logically, the maknae on top himself, I.N, took over ‘Youth’ and even used one of the dances from ‘Hallucination’ during the dance break. In exchange, Lee Know killed it by performing ‘Hallucination.’ Changbin performed ‘As We Are,’ showcasing his incredible vocals and adding his own rap verse. ‘So Good’ was covered by Bang Chan – but with a mullet before his hair got long, no, we haven’t forgotten. Han did an excellent job with ‘Railway’ and even revealed part of his side tattoo on the third day. And Hyunjin showcased yet another set of skills in ‘Unfair.’ But if there’s a single one performance to keep from the fanmeeting, it’s Seungmin’s take on ‘ULTRA.’ The extra layers of vocals and the evil PuppyM in the background with laser eyes: absolute cinema.

    This year’s fanmeeting came with many surprises, but its setlist would also serve as a huge spoiler for the tour’s setlist change, and little did we know, this would be the last time the solos were performed.

    Mixtape: dominATE

    With the first half of the tour behind them, Stray Kids had set to change things up for the remaining legs of the DominATE World Tour – and that included, of course, new songs. They announced Mixtape: dominATE would be released just a few days before their seventh anniversary. Unlike their other mixtapes, this one featured more than one song: the Korean version of their Japanese title track, ‘GIANT,’ and four brand-new sub-units.

    ‘Burnin’ Tires’ is a fun, energetic song that combines the wit and charisma of Changbin and I.N., while Han and Felix teamed up for ‘TRUMAN’ – a rap-heavy track that showcased their immense talent and versatility as songwriters and idols. We got a second sub-unit, ‘ESCAPE,’ featuring Bang Chan and Hyunjin, with influences similar to their first sub-unit, ‘Red Lights,’ but even more intense. And finally, Lee Know and Seungmin delivered an incredibly meaningful and heartwrenching ballad with ‘CINEMA.’ It was the first taste we got of what the first half of the year would be all about for Stray Kids: the dominATE World Tour.

    The Second Part Of The dominATE World Tour

    Stray Kids embarked on their biggest tour yet, the dominATE world tour, last year following the release of ATE, touring across Asia and Australia. In January, they concluded this leg of the tour with two dates in Hong Kong. After a break from the tour, Stray Kids finally began their first tour in Latin America on March 27th in Chile, a leg that saw them fill some of their biggest stadiums to date. They went to Brazil (both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo) and Peru, and finally to Mexico. For the occasion, they mixed up the setlist a bit, rearranging the order and adding the unit songs, as well as ‘Walkin On Water,’ ‘GIANT,’ ‘Cover Me,’ among others. And for this leg of the tour only: ‘I am You.’

    They later played the Shizuoka Stadium ECOPA in Japan for four days, before kicking off the North American leg of the tour, where they played 13 shows in 10 different cities across the United States and, for the first time, Canada. The last leg of the tour was the long-awaited European leg, six years after their showcase tour in summer 2019. They became the first K-Pop act to perform at the iconic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, and the act to sell the most tickets in France, selling out two shows at the Stade de France, the biggest stadium on their entire tour. They also toured in Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Madrid, and eventually wrapped up the tour in Rome.

    The DominATE World Tour remained iconic, full of energy and passion for music, right up until the very last day, and easily earned its place in K-Pop history. Stray Kids were the first Korean act to perform in several of these stadiums, but that was far from being their only milestone. It was estimated that the tour would bring a total of 2.2 million people worldwide, making it the South Korean tour with the most attendees per date and breaking records for attendance and revenue in Latin America, North America, and Europe. When Stray Kids announced this would be their biggest tour yet, they surely hadn’t expected to break every record out there.

    The Fourth Japanese Mini-Album: Hollow

    In the midst of having one of the biggest tours in K-Pop history, Stray Kids found the time to release music. Indeed, Stray Kids released their fourth Japanese mini-album on June 18th. It featured five songs: ‘Hollow,’ ‘Parade,’ ‘Never Alone,’ ‘just a little,’ and ‘宿命’ (translated to ‘Fate’). This mini-album explored vulnerability through the title track, ‘Hollow,’ while also delivering powerful anthems about finding your place, like ‘Parade’ and ‘Never Alone.’ It also included songs written solely by Han and another one by Changbin. Hollow was a breath of fresh air that everyone needed.

    And everyone in Japan agreed with the pure genius behind this mini-album. Stray Kids, once again, topped both the Oricon Albums Chart and the Billboard Japan Hot Albums. With 523k copies sold in its first week, Hollow broke the record as their most sold album during the first week, and became the most sold album in its first week in 2025 by a non-Japanese artist. As of now, with over 700k copies sold, Hollow is certified platinum in Japan.

    The Fourth Full-Length Album: KARMA

    As much as the tour broke records and Hollow took over every playlist, the biggest shake Stray Kids would cause in 2025 was yet to come. After months of hints and not-so-subtle spoilers, in the midst of the European leg of their tour, the announcement finally dropped: Stray Kids were making a comeback on August 22nd with their fourth full-length album, KARMA.

    KARMA consisted of nine brand-new songs, plus the festival version of its title track, ‘CEREMONY.’ The album was directly influenced by the tour, as seen in songs like ‘In My Head’ and ‘Half Time.’ It was grand, full of confidence like in ‘BLEEP,’ and they experimented with staples of their music, pushing the boundaries further in tracks like ‘CREEP’ with its heavy hip-hop influence and ‘Phoenix’ where they brought back EDM into their music. But KARMA was also not afraid to be vulnerable and introspective, yet comforting, as in tracks like ‘MESS,’ ‘Ghost’ and ‘0801.’ It offered a time capsule of this new peak Stray Kids reached, while also honoring their roots and lengthy journey, making KARMA a jewel in their discography.

    The star of the show, though? ‘CEREMONY.’ It celebrated Stray Kids’ artistry, their journey, their bound, and their love for music all in one song that can’t help but give you a boost of energy and confidence. The song earned six wins in Music Shows, including a double crown at MCountdown, making it their first song to win first place on every music show. It’s also the most-viewed K-Pop boy group music video of 2025. They went on to perform the song, along with ‘Thunderous’ and ‘God’s Menu,’ at the Public Culture Exchange Committee Launch in front of the president and the culture minister. ‘CEREMONY’ is all about Stray Kids owning their history, celebrating every step that got them where they are, and becoming even more of a part of it in the process.

    KARMA made some massive noise – unsurprisingly – topping the music charts in over 10 countries, earning them a gold certification in France and the United States, and a three-million-copy certification by KOMCA. It earned Stray Kids their seventh consecutive number one on the Billboard 200 chart, making them the first act in Billboard history to do so with their first seven entries. Thanks to KARMA, Stray Kids became the group with the most number-one albums this century. It only made sense for KARMA to earn Stray Kids their first MAMA daesang for Album of the Year, the first JYPE act to do so, and a week later, it also won the daesang for Album of the Year at the Asian Artists Awards.

    The World Tour Finale: dominATE: celebrATE

    The grand finale of the World Tour came two months after the release of KARMA, as a celebration of the release and a final tour performance, this time in South Korea. Stray Kids sold out the Incheon Asiad Main Stadium for both dates, October 18th and 19th, marking their first-ever stadium concert in South Korea. They performed the unit songs for the first time in Korea, as well as the Korean version of ‘GIANT.’ Additionally, they performed for the first time live KARMA b-sides: ‘BLEEP,’ ‘Half Time,’ and ‘In My Head.’

    The show served as the perfect closure to Stray Kids’ biggest era yet, but it also opened the doors to what was next. Because one thing about Stray Kids is that they’ll drop spoilers during their concerts, so when they turned up on the second day with outfits with the words ‘DO IT’ and ‘IT TAPE’ on them, we knew something was coming. And indeed, even before Stray Kids stepped off the stage, the trailer for DO IT dropped, and was afterwards premiered for everyone in the stadium.

    SKZ-IT TAPE: DO IT

    DO IT was a release that followed a similar pattern to HOP, which was fully named SKZ-HIP TAPE: HOP. This time it was SKZ-IT TAPE: DO IT. The special mixtape dropped on November 21st, merely three months after the release of KARMA. This time it included four songs, two of which were title tracks. ‘DO IT’ was a fun track that brought back the reggaeton influence we had already seen in ‘Chk Chk Boom,’ but with a more sultry side. The song was at the forefront of the release and earned them a double crown in Show Champion.

    Meanwhile, ‘DIVINE’ was all about Stray Kids mixing many influences to give us ultimately an incredible song, filled with 90s Hip-Hop influence and incorporating Korean traditional culture in it too. ‘DIVINE’ had its live debut at none other than the MAMAs stage. ‘Holiday’ and ‘Photobook’ are not to be forgotten, though. These are some of the best songs we’ve gotten from Stray Kids in 2025. ‘Holiday’ is a seemingly fun yet quite vulnerable and emotional track about feeling burned out. ‘Photobook’ is a heartfelt song full of nostalgia and beautiful melodies inspired by band music.

    Even before its release, DO IT made history, reaching over one million pre-saves on Spotify. On its release, DO IT went head-to-head with the WICKED: For Good Soundtrack on the Billboard 200 to know who would dethrone Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl on her seven-week streak at the top. And, well, Stray Kids made history once again, extending their record as the first act to have eight consecutive number ones with their first entries. It tied them with U2 as the third group with the most number ones on the chart, behind legends like the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.

    Solo Activities, Collabs & More Music

    You would think that, with such a packed year and so many achievements, there would be nothing to add, and yet… From fashion shows to collaborations with big brands, Stray Kids was everywhere. Despite releasing one album, one mini-album, and two mixtapes, Stray Kids also ventured into other aspects of music. There were unit OSTs this year: Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N for Resident Playbook with ‘START!,’ and Han, Felix, and I.N for Genie, Make a Wish with ‘Genie.’ Stray Kids was also the first K-Pop group to collaborate with DJ Snake on the main single of this album: ‘In the Dark,’ following their meeting in 2023. And SKZOO had their own collaboration with Tamagotchi and ZOOTOPIA 2. Past all the group activities, each member left their own mark in the industry this year – here are the highlights.

    The year started with a bang when Bang Chan was announced as the new ambassador of Fendi, leading him to attend two of Fendi’s Fashion shows in Italy. On the last occasion, he filmed a music video for his original solo song, ‘Roman Empire.’ Bang Chan also reached second place as the idol with the most writing credits under KOMCA. In June, Lee Know was announced as the new brand ambassador for Gucci, leading to his appearances on the covers of two magazines.

    Changbin participated in the writing and featured in the title track of 2PM’s Jun.K’s comeback, ‘R&B Me.’ In addition to continuing to be a brand ambassador for Versace and Cartier and attending their shows, Hyunjin also became a brand ambassador for Givenchy Beauty. At the 2025 AAA, he won the Best Choice award, reflecting his status as an icon. In 2025, Han wrote a song for NEXZ, the B-side ‘Run With Me,’ full of his color and personality. He later got invited to a variety show along with NEXZ’s Hyui. In October, Han released his first solo OST: ‘Updraft,’ and one of the songs he wrote for Stray Kids, ‘Collision,’ went viral in South Korea. He was also the cover star of Nylon Japan, modeling for NARS Cosmetics.

    Felix will never beat the most employed person allegations – he would need an entire section for himself if we were to recap every single collab he has done in 2025 alone. He kicked off the year by featuring in LiSA’s ‘ReawakeR,’ the opening title for the second season of Solo Leveling nominated for Best Collaboration at the Asian Pop Music Awards. Felix continued to be an ambassador for Louis Vuitton, but in August, he also became a brand ambassador for Hera, who released two lip colours inspired by him, including ‘Brownie Boy.’ One of his biggest collaborations this year was becoming the first K-Pop idol to serve as an ambassador for Gong Cha. And he also became the new host of Fridge Interview. No one deserved the award for Grand Presence of K-Pop at the 2025 AAA quite like him.

    On the music side, Seungmin continued his Song by. series until reaching episode 10, and went viral with his cover of Billie Eilish’s ‘BIRDS OF A FEATHER.’ He also released a SKZ-RECORD, ‘Goodbye,’ written by Bang Chan. Additionally, he released two solo OSTs: ‘My Destiny’ for The Potato Lab, and ‘All I Want Is You’ was released as the first OST for Would You Marry Me. In the fashion world, he was announced as the new Burberry brand ambassador after being revealed as one of the faces of the Burberry Festival campaign. Meanwhile, I.N became a brand ambassador for two massive brands this year alone: Bottega Veneta and Damiani. Even outside of music, there was no getting away from Stray Kids – and believe us, we didn’t want to.

    Content & More Content

    Stray Kids always find time to shower us with content, and 2025 was no different. They’ve been releasing their vlog series continuously, alongside the usual SKZ-Talker and SKZ-Talker Go content, as well as the Rachalog series with new trios. There were several SKZ-CODE episodes released this year, including Snow Kids World, which brought us back to the first-ever episode from 2021. The most important content they released, though, was, of course, the 2025 version of the 2 Kids Room series, covering every single pair as they had previously done in 2023.

    Throughout the year, Stray Kids were invited to several variety shows and series; here are the most notable. We finally got Stray Kids at Dingo’s Killing Voice, where they sang some of their most iconic songs and their best B-sides. We got two new episodes of Idol Human Theater, 3RACHA went head-to-head with Epik High in Epik High, Lee Know and Felix were featured in two episodes of Please Take Care of My Refrigerator, and Changbin and Hyunjin flooded our timelines with clips from Workdol. Outside of variety shows, Stray Kids was also featured in national news several times to celebrate their tour and releases. Even with so many schedules, Stray Kids made sure our entertainment was assured.

    The K-Pop Champion: Artist of the Year, Album of the Year & Other Achievements

    In the past year, Stray Kids went on tour, flew around the world seven times, released the most iconic music, sold out stadiums, topped the most important charts in several countries, and broke record after record. Rolling Stones named their constant record-breaking one of the most iconic moments of K-Pop in 2025. It isn’t surprising either that Forbes ranked them third on its list of the year’s Korean idols, the highest-ranked group. Stray Kids’ music continued to impact and redefine K-Pop this year, and 3RACHA were named the Best Producers by the AAA 2025. They ended the year with 234 credits for Bang Chan, 198 for Changbin, and 191 for Han, ranking 2nd, 6th, and 8th, respectively, among the most credited idols in KOMCA.

    Among all the awards, this year alone, Stray Kids doubled their number of daesangs, remaining the 4th-gen boy group with the most, with a total of 16 awards. The Fact Music Awards gave them two daesangs: Honor of the Year and Record of the Year. They won Grand Honor’s Choice and Grand Record at the KGMA, and Boy Group Best Artist Award at the K-World Dreams Awards. And finally, they won the award for Album of the Year and took their first Artist of the Year daesang at the AAA 2025, merely a week after becoming the fifth JYPE act to win a daesang at the MAMAs: Album of the Year for KARMA.

    So what’s next? With Stray Kids raising the bar year after year, literally anything is possible. But 2026 is already packing out to be another year breaking records and making history – as proved by Stray Kids being the first K-Pop act to headline the Rock In Rio festival in 2026 and becoming the first act since Beyoncé in 2013 to sell out the event in under an hour. 2025 may have been Stray Kids’ biggest year, but we’ve come to know that Stray Kids have no limits to their impact and music.

    What was your favorite song Stray Kids released this year? What’s the most memorable 2025 Stray Kids moment for you? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • All Our ‘FOCUS’ Is On ITZY’s TUNNEL VISION

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    ITZY have been all over our playlists in 2025, from Yeji‘s solo debut back in March to their incredible mini-album, Girls Will Be Girls. But they’re still not letting go of the hold they have on us in 2025, because they’re back with another bolder and even greater mini-album: TUNNEL VISION. With six tracks, ITZY explore their confident side, their darker side, their vulnerabilities, their cheeky side, and everything in between that makes us love ITZY so much.

    The Title Track

    ITZY‘s dark concepts are always special, combining empowerment with their unique personalities. Produced by legends in the industry, ‘TUNNEL VISION’ is deep, bold, and a banger. If the rhythmic intro doesn’t already catch your attention, the pre-chorus rap will definitely have you on your feet. Followed by a stripped-down moment, and then a chanted, bold, and confident chorus that still highlights ITZY‘s unique vocal textures, ‘TUNNEL VISION’ is addictive and pure musical genius. It’s a title track that is truly impossible to put in a box – the label of the box is simply ITZY, because ‘TUNNEL VISION’ is ITZY excellence. It combines all the elements we love in ITZY and pushes beyond all imaginable limits, and they pull it off with ease. It’s daring and the perfect song to prove all of ITZY‘s immense power and ambition.

    The B-Sides

    With such a bold, jaw-dropping intro like ‘Focus,’ there was no way TUNNEL VISION wouldn’t turn into one of ITZY‘s best musical statements. It takes 5 seconds for them to have our whole unconditional attention, and they follow it up with some of their best music. ‘Focus’ does a great job at highlighting every member and setting the aesthetic and vibe for the entire comeback. To follow up such a strong intro and ‘TUNNEL VISION’ is no easy job, but ‘DYT’ does it effortlessly. Building on the overload of energy from the title track, ‘DYT’ could be a title track itself, as ITZY further develop some of the sounds they explored in Girls Will Be Girls – dark, groovy, and addictive.

    ‘Flicker’ is on the cheeky, brighter side of ITZY‘s sound. It’s fun, care-free, and perfectly infectious bubblegum pop with a hint of ITZY’s special color. It serves as the perfect transition into ‘Nocturne.’ The fifth track in TUNNEL VISION puts their vocals at the forefront, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a ballad. ‘Nocturne’ is smooth, seductive, and dark, all while the lyrics explore struggles, insecurities, and vulnerabilities. ‘Nocturne’ feels like an encapsulating nightmare, but by the end of the song, they’re able to free themselves back into reality. And it all leads to the weirdest, most fun, and most ITZY track in TUNNEL VISION: ‘8-BIT HEART.’ It’s one of their best renditions of hyperpop; it’s so unserious, cheeky, and a track no one but ITZY could pull off. Along with a video game effects-type production and featuring the most surprising bridge, you can never guess where this track will lead you next, other than right back at hitting replay on TUNNEL VISION.

    What’s your favorite part of the ‘TUNNEL VISION’ choreography? What’s your favorite B-side out of TUNNEL VISION? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • Exclusive Interview: Xdinary Heroes Talk All About LXVE to DEATH, The Beautiful Mind World Tour, And Their Biggest 2025 Achievements

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    2025 has been no short of magical for Xdinary Heroes. From the release of Beautiful Mind, going on a world tour, performing at Lollapalooza in Chicago, opening for MUSE in their concert in South Korea, to the release of LXVE to DEATH, Xdinary Heroes have had the biggest, most insane year on their hands. It has been marked by success, recognition, growth, and musical genius every step of the way. Always pushing the boundaries and experimenting with their sound, Xdinary Heroes began the year with ‘Beautiful Life,’ a dark, genius rhapsody with elements of opera rock, and now they’re back with something completely different, staying true to what makes them so special. For the first time, Xdinary Heroes puts the theme of love at the forefront —its most beautiful and tragic aspects —with their newest mini-album LXVE to DEATH.

    We were lucky enough to ask Xdinary Heroes all about performing live, the pre-release of ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery),’ their most significant 2025 achievements, and the inspirations and creative process leading up to the release of LXVE to DEATH!

    Image source: JYP Entertainment

    The Growth of Xdinary Heroes

    This past year has been filled with massive achievements like Lollapalooza, the Beautiful Mind Tour, and, of course, getting picked by MUSE themselves as their opening act (big congratulations!). Out of all the incredible things this year has brought you, what do you think is the moment from 2025 that will stick with you for the rest of your life?
    Jooyeon: Throughout this year, we’ve explored and experimented with many different genres, which helped us better understand how to shape each sound to fit our identity. My ultimate goal is to make any genre sound like Xdinary Heroes, and realizing that has been one of the biggest takeaways for me this year.

    Lollapalooza was an incredible achievement for you, but you also made history as one of the only two K-Bands to perform at the festival. How do you think it impacted your way of playing live? What song felt the most different to play at the festival as opposed to during your own concerts?
    Jun Han: I felt that ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’ was especially different. Unlike our regular concerts, the set at Lollapalooza flowed without any breaks or long talk segments, so the buildup leading to ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’ felt really powerful. It allowed me to get completely immersed in the moment.

    How do you approach preparing your live shows to capture the same power and emotion as your recordings?
    Jungsu: It might sound obvious, but I think practice is the most important part. We practice continuously to match the quality of our recordings, as it has been made with the perfect result, but once we’re on stage, rather than being tied to that, we focus more on how to express what we’ve practiced in our own way.

    Over the past few years, your sound has evolved from Hello, world! to Troubleshooting to now. How would you describe your musical growth since debuting in 2021? 
    Jun Han: As we’ve performed on more stages, we’ve learned which songs have the most power live. I think our music has been evolving into a style that allows us to fully immerse ourselves and enjoy the moment together with the audience.

    ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’

    You revealed ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’ for the first time live in Seoul and released it later as a single. What about this song in particular felt special enough to have your listeners experience it live before they experience it in the studio version?
    Gaon: Through our Xperiment Project last year, we realized how special it is to present a new song live first. With ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery),’ I really wanted to show its powerful energy and the audience to feel its energy when we first performed it. 

    ‘FiRE (My Sweet Misery)’ has such an intense, emotional energy. What inspired that track in particular?
    Gun-il: There were many inspirations, but for me, it began with the idea that a love song about twisted,  obsessive emotions could become something truly intense aspect of love. 

    From Beautiful Mind to LXVE to DEATH

    Every single one of your releases has been unique and has broken boundaries within K-pop. More specifically, you created your own rhapsody with ‘Beautiful Life’ earlier this year and even brought rock opera to K-pop, completely blowing us away. What was the creative process behind such a massive song? How do you feel like such an intricate song changed you as musicians and influenced LXVE to DEATH?
    O.de: As the creative process really changes depending on the moment — the atmosphere, our mood that day, and many other factors, it’s hard to define it in one way. We always try to make music in a fun and genuine way. Also, the one thing we always think about is how the song will feel on stage — whether it’ll be exciting or powerful to perform live. We also keep trying new and different genres, and I think that has really helped us expand our musical spectrum.

    ‘Beautiful Life’ was a song deeply inspired by great musicians and great literature. What was the concept behind the creation of this new title track, ‘ICU?’
    Jungsu: ‘ICU‘ is the focus track from our new EP, which explores the theme of love for the first time. It describes the feeling of falling into pure and selfless love, expressed through the metaphor of a collision.

    The lyrics of ‘Beautiful Life’ directly quote George Orwell’s 1984, and it’s impossible to think of that song without thinking of the book. Which book would you assign to ‘ICU?’
    Gun-il: I think any book that deals with passionate love would fit ‘ICU.’ The one that comes to mind right now is Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare.

    The Release of LXVE to DEATH

    You’re always releasing very unique and intricate mood films, and the one for LXVE to DEATH is no different. Which song out of the mini-album would you use as the perfect BGM for this mood film?
    Gaon: I’d choose ‘LOVE ME 2 DEATH,’ which is the last track from LXVE to DEATH. I think the message fits the overall theme of the album the best, and it’s also a track that offers plenty of room for creative visual interpretation.

    Xdinary Heroes are known for storytelling through music. How does LXVE to DEATH fit into your larger universe or narrative concept?
    O.de: We hadn’t really explored the theme of love in our previous works, so with this album, we wanted to tell that story in our own color. By doing so, we were able to expand the range of stories we can express through our music.

    What’s one thing you want fans to know about LXVE to DEATH that hasn’t been revealed yet?
    Jooyeon: I’m really excited that some of the new songs from this album could be part of our setlist for the Xdinary Heroes Beautiful Mind World Tour FINALE in SEOUL in November.

    You can listen to Xdinary Heroes’ LXVE to DEATH here, and you can also read our 2024 interview here!

    What has been the most memorable Xdinary Heroes moment for you in 2025? What’s your favorite song out of LXVE to DEATH? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • LE SSERAFIM’s ‘SPAGHETTI’ Leaves The Best Taste In Our Ears

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    Leave it up to LE SSERAFIM to come out with the most mind-blowing and addictive releases of the year, because that’s precisely what they did with ‘SPAGHETTI.’ No matter how hard some people may try, there is really no getting rid of the genius of these girls and their bangers – and we’re here for it. True to their name, LE SSERAFIM are not afraid to play with the image the public has of them, reclaiming their worth and best attributes. LE SSERAFIM teamed up with BTS‘s j-hope to give us one of the most addictive K-pop songs of 2025. There’s truly no looking away from what this team gave us with ‘SPAGHETTI.’

    ‘SPAGHETTI’

    Coming out of releasing their most satisfying, beautiful pop song with ‘HOT,’ LE SSERAFIM had one goal: not to let anyone guess their next step. ‘SPAGHETTI’ is nothing like ‘HOT‘, or any song by LE SSERAFIM, for that matter. Building on the weirdness and quirkiness of their 2024 release, ‘CRAZY,’ ‘SPAGHETTI’ is an over-the-top, quirky song, and if anything, it’s their most addictive song yet.

    Creating a concept around the line “Stuck between your teeth, that’s spaghetti,” LE SSERAFIM‘s Yunjin thought of making an entire song about how no matter how much people try to hate on them, they and their music will always be living rent-free in their heads. The addition of j-hope in the second verse fits perfectly, giving the song even more dynamism and a whole other dimension to it.

    The performance of ‘SPAGHETTI‘ is what ties everything together with the shiniest bow. The girls have always been known for their explosive and intense performances, and they’re pushing it further than ever, truly embracing the concept. The dance moves not only fit this strange song perfectly, but every detail of it elevates it even more, matching perfectly with every little aspect of the production—and there are a lot. We could write an essay about the facial expressions alone. This is LE SSERAFIM at their most fun, their most confident, their most iconic, and their best. ‘SPAGHETTI’ is here to show why LE SSERAFIM are where they are and how good they are.

    ‘Pearlies (My oyster is the world)’

    Along with ‘SPAGHETTI,’ they released a b-side: ‘Pearlies (My oyster is the world).’ This song conveys a beautiful message of growth, overcoming hardships, and finding hope. Despite that, ‘Pearlies (My oyster is the world)’ has a lively tone that fits perfectly in LE SSERAFIM‘s discography, alongside fan-favorites like ‘Blue Flame.’ Its title is the reverse of the saying and a call back to the intro song of their first mini-album, ‘The World Is My Oyster.’ That song was released with their debut, when they still had the world to see and conquer. Now, ‘Pearlies (My oyster is the world)’ is a beautiful song after seeing that world, after finding confidence and purpose within yourself, even in the most challenging moments.

    What’s the part of ‘SPAGHETTI’ you’re the most obsessed with? Are you more team ‘SPAGHETTI’ or team ‘Pearlies (My oyster is the world)?’ Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • 5 Of Stray Kids’ Best Comeback Trailers

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    When a comeback is announced, you know Stray Kids are about to shower the internet with content, and nothing quite compares to the emotion and excitement of getting that trailer notification, clicking on the video, and discovering for the first time the concept to announce the music that is about to change your life. Stray Kids have absolutely mastered the art, giving us some of the most beautiful, iconic, fun, and unforgettable comeback trailers. We’re here to look back at the ones that live rent-free in our minds.

    NOEASY

    The experience of the NOEASY trailer is unlike any other. To this day, we’re confident in saying it’s one of the best pieces of content Stray Kids has ever put out. After 11 months without a comeback, NOEASY was one of the most anticipated comebacks of the year, and this was the perfect trailer. Coming off their win in Kingdom and their iconic Deadpool-inspired performance, the trailer for NOEASY has the same funny, action-packed Marvel-like atmosphere, where Stray Kids have to fight the sound monster. It’s full of Easter eggs and witty jokes, and it genuinely feels like the trailer for a superhero movie. While ‘Thunderous‘ as a song may not have followed the storyline, Stray Kids made sure to bring it back for the music video of ‘Christmas EveL‘ and even their 2021 MAMA performance. It simply rewired our brains.

    ODDINARY

    We all remember where we were when Stray Kids dropped the trailer for ODDINARY – probably because most of us were watching the end of the fan meeting live stream in 2022. This trailer gave us Hyunjin with red hair, and that alone puts it in the hall of fame. But even that aside, there are so many elements about this trailer that make it so unforgettable, from the styling to the storyline and cinematography. This trailer gave every member their own special styling, character, and unique imagery. Mixing Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Matrix, and Death Note together yielded an obscure, strange, unsettling trailer that would set the perfect atmosphere for the ODDINARY mini-album.

    MAXIDENT

    In contrast to ODDINARY‘s darkness, MAXIDENT was bright and youthful. The trailer is something they had never done before and never did again. Shot in the streets of New York, Stray Kids gave us the ultimate coming-of-age aesthetic, with a gorgeous color palette and a showcase of their chemistry not as a group but as friends. MAXIDENT had a twist at the end, and it introduced, in the most surprising way, one of the most iconic characters in the Stray Kids universe—Heart Tung. MAXIDENT trailer, you will always be famous.

    5-STAR

    There are no words to capture just how iconic the 5-STAR trailer was. It shook the world, and it’s no surprise this is their most-watched trailer. Giving every member their own setting and spotlight, 5-STAR presented all Stray Kids in all their glory—from the fun atmosphere to impressive looks—reflecting their individuality, boldness, and unique personalities. With a trailer like this, the world should’ve known Stray Kids were about to shake everything with their album.

    DO IT

    Similarly to ODDINARY, Stray Kids revealed the trailer for DO IT at the end of a concert—this time, it was the grand finale of their biggest tour yet, the dominATE World Tour. But DO IT has a trailer like no other. Stray Kids fully embrace symbolism and breathtaking artistic choices. With a black-and-white palette, the DO IT trailer gives off horror excellence. It is an aesthetic that Stray Kids had never tried and yet, unsurprisingly, it fits them like a glove. Every frame of the DO IT trailer makes it a simple masterpiece. It took seconds for us to add it at the top of the list of Stray Kids‘ best trailers. We’re counting down the days for the comeback on November 21st to see how this gorgeous, horrific aesthetic translates to the music. One thing we know is that it’ll change our lives.

    Which Stray Kids trailer is your favorite? Which song out of DO IT are you the most excited to listen to? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • 6 4th Gen K-Pop Songs You Need On Your Fall Playlist

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    We’re officially in the fall season, and while some may mourn the summer and its hits, we celebrate the fallen leaves, the orange and brown color palette, the hot beverages, the spooky season, and all the songs that are the soundtrack to our lives during this time. Summer hits may be unforgettable, but fall songs are the ones that stick with you and keep you warm when the light fades. The 4th gen of K-Pop has given us a fair share of songs like these, and here are some of our favorites that will make the switch from summer into fall something to look forward to!

    ‘Imaginary Friend’ By ITZY

    ITZY never fails with their music, but 2024 was especially incredible for all the unforgettable songs they gave us. The song that will forever stand out and remain one of their best in their discography is ‘Imaginary Friend.’ It’s been on repeat for a year now, but as we near the anniversary of the release, it hits even more just how perfect it is. This song captures the complexity of needing help and comfort, as well as the warmth of finding that comfort. If there’s a song that knows about finding light in the dark, it’s this one. ‘Imaginary Friend’ is a vulnerable, sweet, and masterful song that will make all your fall days magical.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ITZY:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    ‘Turbulence’ By ATEEZ

    Yes, we know, ‘Turbulence’ is technically a winter release – and yet, it gives off the perfect atmosphere of when days become colder, when the sun sets earlier, when the cold wind hits your face. It captures cold but also hope. ‘Turbulence’ is one of ATEEZ‘s most meaningful songs, and with its satisfying pop melodies and beautiful vocals, listening to ‘Turbulence’ makes you feel like you’re flying through the cold air. It’s a must in your playlist when you feel the cold coming, but still want that spark of hope.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ATEEZ:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    ‘Pierrot’ By LE SSERAFIM

    Fall is not just the cold creeping in; it’s also the spooky season, which makes it one of the most fun periods of the year. No song embodies both of those vibes together better than LE SSERAFIM‘s ‘Pierrot.’ This fun, witty, carefree party anthem blends with a dark production and spooky energy. If there’s one time of the year to be listening to this banger, it is definitely during the fall. With every fall release, LE SSERAFIM always knows how to make this season fun.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LE SSERAFIM:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    ‘Farther and Farther’ By LUCY

    LUCY explores such a wide range of genres in their music that we could attribute one song, or one full release, to each season of the year. For the fall: ‘Farther and Farther.’ Out of their single album Snooze, ‘Farther and Farther’ is one of those LUCY songs that excels at building up and creating an indescribable and mindblowing atmosphere that only they could achieve. Starting softly, ‘Farther and Farther’ builds into one of their most impactful ballads, and it’s one of their most memorable masterpieces. LUCY paints such a perfect picture with their music that you can close your eyes and see the fall. It’s warm, caring, and a hug on a cold day.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LUCY:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    ‘2am’ By Purple Kiss

    Purple Kiss created a masterclass in fall releases with their second mini-album, HIDE & SEEK. Not only did the title track, ‘ZOMBIE,’ have the perfect Halloween vibes, but b-sides like ‘ZzZz‘ and ‘2am’ gave the perfect fall atmosphere, creating the perfect soundtrack to our fall. Particularly, the jazz influence in ‘2am’ is immaculate, perfectly encapsulating the summer fading away and colder, sadder things settling, all while remaining soft. The beautiful instrumental, combined with Purple Kiss‘ unforgettable vocals, relatable lyrics, and comforting melodies, makes ‘2am’ a non-negotiable in every fall playlist.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT PURPLE KISS:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

    ‘Leave’ By Stray Kids

    The fall season is written all over ‘Leave’ by Stray Kids – from the acoustic guitar to the addictive melodies, all the way to the lyrics. With a lyric like “A lonely leaf sits right next to me,” it’s clear how ‘Leave‘ fits right into a fall playlist. ‘Leave’ represents the heartbreaking in-between the break-up and moving on, just like it represents the in-between summer and winter. Fall is the time of the year to be listening to ‘Leave‘ on repeat – and believe us, you will.

    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT STRAY KIDS:
    FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

    Which one of these is your favorite? What’s your favorite K-Pop 4th-gen song to loop during the fall? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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  • From Pro-Dancer To Stray Kids: Retracing Lee Know’s Journey

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    Stray Kids’ Lee Know is an idol like no other. His years of experience in the industry as a dancer made him one of the idols with the most mesmerizing dancing and stage presence, tied together with his incredible, versatile, and stable vocals. As soon as he steps on a stage, he shines. He doesn’t stand out from the crowd only because of his skills, but also his journey and the path that ultimately led him to Stray Kids. And we’re here to tell you all about it.

    Early Years

    His determination for dance, to choreograph and perform on stage, was present from the very beginning. Lee Know‘s journey as a dancer started as early as middle school when he took interest in dancing. He later joined the Soul Dance Studio, which he paid for by working part-time jobs, and where he even started to make his own choreographies. Lee Know auditioned for several entertainment companies, and that’s how we got the iconic pre-debut video: his interview with National Geographic during the Cube Entertainment open auditions. And, well, spoiler: he did become the next best thing in K-Pop.

    Joining a Dance Crew

    With his involvement in Soul Dance Studio, Lee Know took part in a dance crew created by the founder of the studio: CUPCAKES. Members of this crew have gone on to become some of the most iconic and well-regarded dancers and choreographers in the industry, such as Bada Lee, and Lee Know was the youngest among them. This crew was beyond iconic, and they even performed at huge events such as the World Of Dance competition in 2016 as special guests – and fun fact, Hyunjin was in the crowd that day. And in the meantime, Lee Know got into college with his own choreography to become a professional choreographer.

    Dancer for BTS

    The most significant break for Lee Know before joining JYP Entertainment and Stray Kids came when he worked as a dancer for BTS. After taking part in CUPCAKES, Lee Know joined BTS’ dance crew at the beginning of 2017. You can still catch him in the front of the performance in ‘Not Today’ stages at music shows. But more importantly, Lee Know joined BTS for the Japanese leg of their Wings Tour in the summer of 2017. It was then that it became clearer than ever to Lee Know that what he wanted more than anything was to become an idol.

    His Trainee Days in JYP Entertainment

    After auditioning for entertainment companies, enough time had passed for Lee Know to believe that he hadn’t been selected until JYP Entertainment called. And thus, practically right out of the plane from Japan, Lee Know joined JYP Entertainment as the last piece to Stray Kids and the main dancer. It meant that Lee Know had about two weeks to complete the entire training process to join the team—and he did, breaking the record for the shortest time to pass all 40 basic JYP moves, all while learning four songs a week. It was a beyond chaotic time, but the fact that Lee Know accomplished all that in only two weeks is a testament to his hard work, determination, and undeniable talent.

    Stray Kids’ Main Dancer

    And that leads us to today. Lee Know plays a major role in Stray Kids as a main dancer. He’s a major force in Stray Kids‘ stage presence, and his leadership in dancing is always noticeable. From helping members learn the choreography, leading rehearsals, and adding his own touches and arrangements to the choreographies, Lee Know‘s mark is all over every Stray Kids performance. Additionally, he has choreographed performances such as his first SKZ-PLAYER, ‘Dawn,’ as well as the Danceracha‘s SKZ-PLAYER, and helped in the design and construction of special stages. His role in the group has also led him to take the stage for solos, blowing everyone away with his performances, technique, and strength —not only as a dancer and performer but as an all-rounded idol.

    Lee Know‘s path was a long one, but it was full of success, hard work, determination, passion, and overflowing talent, which led him right where he needed to be in Stray Kids.

    What’s your favorite Lee Know dancer moment? What’s your favorite performance by him? Be sure to let us know by tweeting us at @thehoneypop or visiting us on Facebook and Instagram.

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    TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LEE KNOW AND STRAY KIDS:
    FACEBOOK | LEE KNOW’S INSTAGRAM | STRAY KIDS’ INSTAGRAM | TIKTOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | YOUTUBE

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