Guess who’s back finally! This time, I’ll be reviewing an album released by my favorite K-Pop boy group, Stray Kids. The album is called SkzReplay. For those of you who don’t know about Stray Kids, I’ll give you a brief overview of the group. Most of the information used is from Stray Kids’ KProfiles page as well as my own previous knowledge of the group.
Who is Stray Kids?
Back Left to Right: Jeongin, Seungmin
Middle Left to Right: Chan, Hyunjin, Felix
Front Left to Right: Changbin, Lee Know, Han
Stray Kids is a K-Pop boy group under JYP Entertainment. They have eight members, formerly nine, and were created from the survival show titled with the same name, Stray Kids. They’ve been around for almost five years and have released many albums, singles, and Japanese releases. They started gaining international popularity after the release of their album Go Live, with the title track, God’s Menu. I won’t go too in-depth about them now since I plan on doing a Stray Kids overview post in the future, so here’s a few basic facts about them. These facts do not include Japanese releases, and for the members’ names, if there are two, the first one is their stage name while the second one is their birth name.
Basic Facts
Group Name: Stray Kids (스트레이 키즈)
Debut Date: March 25, 2018
Pre-Debut Album Release: January 8, 2018
Company: JYP Entertainment
# of Releases: 25
Members (Oldest to Youngest): Bang Chan (방찬), Lee Know/Minho (리노/민호), Changbin (창빈), Hyunjin (현진), Han/Jisung (한/지성), Felix (필릭스), Seungmin (승민), I.N./Jeongin (아이엔/정인)
Group Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean Ver.)-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1
Members
Bang Chan
Stage Name: Bang Chan (방찬)
Korean Name: Bang Chan (방찬)
English Name: Christopher Bang
Birthday: October 3, 1997
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea; moved to Sydney, Australia when young and grew up there before moving back to Seoul to train
Nationality: Korean-Australian
Height: 5’7″ (171cm)
MBTI: ENFJ
Training Time (under JYP): 7 years
Position in Group: Leader, Vocalist, Dancer, Rapper
Racha Group: 3racha (main rappers, main producers)
Skzoo Character: Wolf Chan (wolf)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, Connected-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1, ZONE-Disc 2, Streetlight-Disc 2, i hate to admit-Disc 2, Maknae On Top-Disc 2, Up All Night-Disc 2, Drive-Disc 2
Lee Know
Stage Name: Lee Know (리노)
Korean Name: Lee Minho (이민호)
English Name: Rhino Lee
Birthday: October 25, 1998
Birthplace: Gimbo, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Height: 5’8″ (172cm)
MBTI: ISFP
Training Time (under JYP): 1 year
Position in Group: Dancer, Vocalist, Rapper
Racha Group: Danceracha (main dancers)
Skzoo Character: Leebit (rabbit)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, Limbo-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1, Drive-Disc 2
Changbin
Stage Name: Changbin (창빈)
Korean Name: Seo Changbin (서창빈)
English Name: Lewis Seo
Birthday: August 11, 1999
Birthplace: Yongin, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Height: 5’6″ (167cm)
MBTI: ESFP
Training Time (under JYP): 2 years
Position in Group: Rapper, Vocalist
Racha Group: 3racha (main rappers, main producers)
Skzoo Character: Dwaekki (pig-rabbit)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, DOODLE-Disc 1, #LoveStay-Disc 1, ZONE-Disc 2, Streetlight-Disc 2, Maknae On Top-Disc 2, Because-Disc 2, Piece of a Puzzle-Disc 2, Up All Night-Disc 2
Hyunjin
Stage Name: Hyunjin (현진)
Korean Name: Hwang Hyunjin (황현진)
English Name: Sam Hwang
Birthday: March 20, 2000
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Height: 5’10.5″ (179cm)
MBTI: INFP
Training Time (under JYP): 2 years
Position in Group: Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist, Visual
Racha Group: Danceracha (main dancers)
Skzoo Character: Jiniret (ferret)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, Love Untold-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1, miss you-Disc 2, ice.cream-Disc 2
Han
Stage Name: Han (한)
Korean Name: Han Jisung (한지성)
English Name: Peter Han
Birthday: September 14, 2000
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea; moved to Malaysia to study until he was around 13
Nationality: Korean
Height: 5’7″ (169cm)
MBTI: ISTP
Training Time (under JYP): 3 years
Position in Group: Rapper, Vocalist
Racha Group: 3racha (main rappers, main producers)
Skzoo Character: Han Quokka (quokka)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, RUN-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1, ZONE-Disc 2, Close-Disc 2, I GOT IT-Disc 2, Alien-Disc 2, Wish You Back-Disc 2, HaPpY-Disc 2
Felix
Stage Name: Felix (필릭스)
Korean Name: Lee Yongbok (이용복)
English Name: Felix Lee
Birthday: September 15, 2000
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia; moved to South Korea to become a trainee
Nationality: Korean-Australian
Height: 5’7″ (171cm)
MBTI: ESFJ
Training Time (under JYP): 1 year
Position in Group: Dancer, Rapper, Vocalist
Racha Group: Danceracha (main dancers)
Skzoo Character: Bbokari (duck)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, Deep End-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 2, Because-Disc 2, Up All Night-Disc 2
Seungmin
Stage Name: Seungmin (승민)
Korean Name: Kim Seungmin (김승민)
English Name: Sky Kim
Birthday: September 22, 2000
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea; lived in LA, USA for 3 months in 4th grade
Nationality: Korean
Height: 5’10” (178cm)
MBTI: ESFJ
Training Time (under JYP): 1 year
Position in Group: Vocalist
Racha Group: Vocalracha (main vocalists)
Skzoo Character: PuppyM (dog)
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, Stars and Raindrops-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1, Piece of a Puzzle-Disc 2, Up All Night-Disc 2
I.N.
Stage Name: I.N. (아이엔)
Korean Name: Yang Jeongin (양정인)
English Name: Bob Yang
Birthday: February 8, 2001
Birthplace: Busan, South Korea
Nationality: Korean
Height: 5’8″ (172cm)
MBTI: ISFJ
Training Time (under JYP): 2 years)
Position in Group: Vocalist, Maknae
Racha Group: Vocalracha (main vocalists)
Skzoo Character: FoxI.Ny
Featured Songs on SkzReplay: FAM (Korean ver.)-Disc 1, Hug Me-Disc 1, #LoveSTAY-Disc 1, Maknae On Top-Disc 2
What is SkzReplay?
On December 21, 2022, Stray Kids released a studio album titled SkzReplay. This album consists of two discs and a total of 25 songs. Disc One has songs 1-10, while Disc Two has songs 11-25. A total of 16 of the songs have been previously released before this album, including every song on Disc 2 and one song on Disc 1. The majority of the songs previously released were released on Stray Kids’ YouTube channel as a part of the series Skz-Player and Skz-RECORD, with the exception of #LoveSTAY and the title track of the new album, FAM, which had been previously released on the group’s Japanese album ALL IN. The newly released version has been rewritten in Korean, though.
Disc 1 Songs
FAM (Korean Version)- OT8
Connected- Bang Chan
Limbo (나지막이)- Lee Know
DOODLE- Changbin
Love Untold- Hyunjin
RUN- Han
Deep End- Felix
Stars and Raindrops (내려요)- Seungmin
Hug Me (안아줄게요)- I.N.
#LoveSTAY- OT8
Disc 2 Songs
ZONE- 3racha
Close- Han
Streetlight- Changbin, Chan
i hate to admit (인정하기 싫어))- Chan
I GOT IT- Han
miss you (꼬마별)- Hyunjin
Maknae On Top (막내온탑)- I.N., Changbin, Chan
Alien (외계인)- Han
Because (좋으니까)- Changbin, Felix
Piece of a Puzzle (조각)- Seungmin, Changbin
Wish You Back- Han
HaPpY- Han
Up All Night (오늘 밤 나는 불을 켜)- Chan, Changbin, Felix, Seungmin
Drive- Chan, Lee Know
ice.cream- Hyunjin
Disc 1 Reviews
So, I’m only going to be able to review the songs from Disc 1 in this post, otherwise it would be insanely long since I did a brief introduction of Stray Kids, too. I’ll try to post the second part of this review soon after the first, but I’m still not sure how long it’ll be, so just bare with me. Let’s get started!
FAM (Korean Version)
FAM is the “title track” of this album, so to speak. It was originally released on October 27, 2020 on Stray Kids’ Japanese album ALL IN, along with 6 other songs. It was then released in Korean on the SkzReplay album. FAM is a song that showcases how well Stray Kids know each other. In the lyrics of the song, the members take turns describing each other. The chorus of the song talks about the bond they have, saying “We know each other so well, we fly on stage together” according to Genius English Translation of FAM (Korean Ver.). Because the song is completely about Stray Kids themselves, it’s a very happy song for STAYs (their fans) because we love them so much and get to hear about them more.
Length: 3:33
Lyrics- 8/10
Vocals- 7/10
Rap- 8/10
Verses- 8/10
Pre-Chorus- -/10
Chorus- 8/10
Bridge- -/10
Ending- 5/10
Backing Vocals- 7/10
High Note- -/10
Instrumental- 6/10
Average- 7/10
Overall, I personally really like FAM. It’s a very upbeat song that always puts me in a good mood. I love shouting the words (the ones I know at least) along, and I love just vibing to it. It points out some of the most lovable aspects of each member of Stray Kids and never ceases to remind me why I hold so much love and compassion for these 8 men.
Connected
Connected is Bang Chan’s first solo song that appears on the album. This song has never been previously released, so SkzReplay was the first time this song has been released on any platform. It’s completely in English, as that’s Chan’s native language, and it’s a love song of sorts, very reminiscent of Western music nowadays. It’s the kind of song that would become really popular very quickly, so it would wind up playing on the radio multiple times a day on many stations.
Length: 2:51
Lyrics- 6/10
Vocals- 7.5/10
Rap- 7.5/10
Verses- 7/10
Pre-Chorus- 7.5/10
Chorus- 7/10
Post-Chorus- 7/10
Bridge- -/10
Ending- 6/10
Backing Vocals- 6/10
High Note- 7.5/10
Instrumental- 7/10
Average- 7/10
While I do really enjoy Connected, I am not the biggest fan of the lyrics. Love songs like this aren’t really my style, so I did take the lyrics of each section of the song into account when rating them above. I love Chan with all of my heart, but these lyrics are definitely not my favorite of his, nor is this song my favorite of his. Though, I am guilty of sitting and singing along to the song in the car while I’m driving or when I’m hanging out with friends.
Limbo (나지막이)
This is Lee Know’s only solo song on the entire album, but it’s a very powerful song, so it has an impact. SkzReplay was the first time this song was released, and I have to say I’m so glad it was released because it’s one of my favorites from the album. It’s a very sentimental, emotional sort of song, and I think that’s part of why I like it so much. This has been one of the first times Lee Know has been able to fully showcase his vocals, as he usually has to share vocal lines with Seungmin and Jeongin in group songs.
Length: 3:17
Lyrics- 8.5/10
Vocals- 9/10
Rap- -/10
Verses- 7.5/10
Pre-Chorus- 8.5/10
Chorus- 9/10
Bridge- 9/10
Ending- 7.5/10
Backing Vocals- 7/10
High Note- 9.5/10
Instrumental- 8.5/10
Average- 8.5/10
I genuinely really like this song. Not just the song itself, but the lyrics, the vocals, the composition; I love it all. I do w wish the backing vocals were louder and more apparent throughout the song, but I also understand why they’re not. I think the ending is a bit abrupt, but I’m not too mad about it. Minho’s high note in this song is phenomenal and shocked me so much in such a good way. Overall, I highly recommend this song to anyone who can appreciate good vocals.
DOODLE
This is one of many songs on the album that Changbin is in, but it’s the only one he sings entirely by himself. It wasn’t a favorite at first, but the more I listened to it, the more it grew on me. It’s still not one of my favorites, and nowadays, I usually skip it if it comes on shuffle, but I know it’s one of my best friend’s favorites from the album.
Length: 3:04
Lyrics- 7.5/10
Vocals- 7/10
Rap- 7.5/10
Verses- 7/10
Pre-Chorus- 9/10
Chorus- 9/10
Bridge- 7.5/10
Ending- 7/10
Backing Vocals- 7.5/10
Instrumental- 4/10
Average- 7.5/10
I really don’t like the instrumentals of the song. There’s just something about that high-pitched noise at the beginning that continues throughout the song that makes me cringe. The rapping in the song also isn’t his best, in my opinion, we all know he has so much more potential, so that’s why it’s only 7.5. I think the way Changbin pronounces “doodle” is cute, but it’s not enough to make me love the song. Plus, every time I hear the chorus of the song now, I think of an Instagram reel I saw when it came out of Baby Yoda (Grogu from the Mandelorian) bopping around to it, and it makes me laugh.
Love Untold
Love Untold is Hyunjin’s first solo song on the album, and it’s honestly such a good song overall. I don’t exactly remember what my first impression of it was, but I know it didn’t take long for me to enjoy listening to it. Hyunjin just has such a melodic voice, it makes any song he sings or raps in so nice to listen to.
Length: 3:30
Lyrics- 8.5/10
Vocals- 7/10
Rap- 8.5/10
Verses- 8/10
Pre-Chorus- 8//10
Chorus- 8/10
Bridge- 8/10
Ending- 8/10
Backing Vocals- 8/10
Instrumental- 8/10
Average- 8/10
I really love the feeling of this song. There’s just something about it that’s so comforting in a way. Despite the fact that it’s a story about a boy who couldn’t bring himself to confess his feelings, it’s almost as if there’s another side to it that says, “It’ll be okay, forgive yourself.” There’s so much passion in Hyunjin’s words, and he does so well at expressing his emotions through the story of the song. He’s got such a unique way of rapping and singing that just causes the song to flow so smoothly, and I really enjoy it.
RUN
This song is Han’s first solo song that appears on the album. It was not previously released on any platform, so it was a brand new song being released on the SkzReplay album. It’s got unique instrumentals as well as Han’s iconic lyrical rap, so it makes for an interesting listen. Not only that, but the lyrics paint a very relatable picture.
Length: 2:58
Lyrics- 8/10
Vocals- 7/10
Rap- 8.5/10
Verses- 8/10
Pre-Chorus- 7.5/10
Chorus- 8/10
Bridge- 5.5/10
Ending- 7/10
Backing Vocals- 7.5/10
Instrumental- 8/10
Average- 7.5/10
Overall, this isn’t one of my favorite Han songs. It’s not bad by any means, but he has so many solo songs that I’ve fallen in love with that this song has sort of just fallen to the bottom of the list. I honestly forget how much I vibe with this song until I listen to it again. Personally, I thought the bridge of the song was interesting but a bit anticlimactic. The ending is very abrupt, too, in my opinion. Like I said though, it’s a good song overall, and I don’t mind listening to it. It’s just not my favorite of Han’s.
Deep End
Deep End is Felix’s first ever solo song. It was a new release SkzReplay, as it had never been released before. Felix, for those of you who don’t know, has a very unique voice. It’s incredibly deep, but his vocal range is amazing because he can still sing in his falsetto fairly well. This song showcases his vocal range and tells a beautiful story, all in English I might add, that makes it by far one of my favorite songs from the album.
Length: 3:28
Lyrics- 9/10
Vocals- 8.5/10
Rap- -/10
Verses- 8.5/10
Pre-Chorus- 9/10
Chorus- 8/10
Bridge- -/10
Ending- 7.5/10
Backing Vocals- 8/10
Instrumental- 9/10
Average- 8.5/10
I have to admit, I couldn’t help but sing along to this song while I was listening to it on repeat to score it. Felix’s higher range is absolutely angelic, and his vocals give me chills every time I hear them, which isn’t as often as I’d like considering he’s usually a rapper. When I first heard this song, I had just woken up from a late-night nap (I nap a lot), and I almost broke down crying. The lyrics remind me of so many of my own struggles, but there’s something about it that’s so comforting, so it’s not too sad. Fun fact, out of every K-Pop song I’ve shown my step-mom over the past seven years, this is the only one she went and bought to listen to on her own. This song is just incredible.
Stars and Raindrops (내려요)
Seungmin is one of the main vocalists of Stray Kids, and he has such a powerful voice and so much control over it. This song is his only solo song on the album, however he does have collaboration songs throughout the album. This song has such a hopeful feeling to it, and the name suits it so well. It feels like it’s a song that could express the wonders of the universe and how it works.
Length: 3:49
Lyrics- 8/10
Vocals- 9/10
Rap- -/10
Verses- 7.5/10
Pre-Chorus- 7.5/10
Chorus- 8/10
Bridge- 7/10
Ending- 7.5/10
Backing Vocals- 8/10
Instrumental- 8/10
Average- 8/10
I wasn’t the biggest fan of this song at first, but it ended up growing on me because Seungmin’s vocals are just so soothing. This song is just such a magical song. It makes me think it would be played during some sort of nature scene where a movie character is running around or playing through a field as the sun sets. The lyrics talk about wishing things would’ve been done differently, but despite those regrets, basking in the memories and promising to never forget the relationship and times as a whole. It talks about how everything ends, but that it’s okay because even endings can be beautiful. It’s a really nice song to listen to when you’re feeling down.
Hug Me (안아줄게요)
In the same way Felix, Lee Know, and Seungmin each have only one solo song on the album, I.N. only has one solo song on the album as well (this song). Hug Me is a comforting sort of song with unique instrumentals, including a saxophone, which I thought was a fun touch. It’s a very jazzy sort of vibe, I’m not sure how else to describe it. It’s fun to listen to though.
Length: 3:00
Lyrics- 8/10
Vocals- 8/10
Rap- -/10
Verses- 7.5/10
Pre-Chorus- 7/10
Chorus- 8/10
Bridge- -/10
Ending- 7.5/10
Backing Vocals- 7.5/10
Instrumental- 8/10
Average- 7.5/10
This is probably my least favorite song from the album. Not necessarily from the scoring, but just from my own personal preference. It’s a nice and really wholesome song, but I just don’t click with it very much. I love I.N.’s vocals though, so that’s mostly why I listen to it. The breakdown and subtle harmonies before the chorus are really nice to listen to, too. I’m also a big fan of the saxophone if I’m being honest.
#LoveSTAY
This song is one that’s so incredibly special to the Stay (Stray Kids’ fans) out there. It was a gift from Stray Kids to stay, and the lyrics talk about their relationship. As a Stay myself, every time I hear this song, I just want to cry tears of joy because my heart swells so much with pride. I’m so incredibly proud to be a fan of these boys, and I wish them literally all the best in the world. They deserve the universe.
Length: 3:17
Lyrics- 9/10
Vocals- 8.5/10
Rap- -/10
Verses- 8/10
Pre-Chorus- 8/10
Chorus- 8.5/10
Bridge- -/10
Ending- 8/10
Backing Vocals-
Instrumental- 7.5/10
Average- 8/10
I can’t even begin to express my love for this song because it’s tied to my love for Stray Kids as a group. Maybe one day I’ll do a post telling the story of how I became a Stay and my journey with Stray Kids, but until then, just know that words aren’t enough. They never will be. These boys mean the world to me, and to think that they wrote this song themselves for their fans because they love us so much warms my heart beyond compare. This is home in song form to me. Stray Kids are my home.
Stay Tuned
Overall, I really love the SkzReplay album. As mentioned before, this is only the first part of the album review since the album itself has two separate discs, making for 25 songs total. These were the first 10 songs, and the next part will have the remaining 15. This is overall a really good album, and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in K-Pop.
I know I haven’t posted nearly as much as I’ve said I would. I’m working on it, just be patient with me please. I really hope you all enjoyed this post, and I promise I’ll try to get part two up as soon as I can, hopefully in the next two weeks or so. I also have four or so other posts in the making as well, so I’m going to try to get those done this summer sometime, too.
In the meantime, please be sure to check out my other posts linked below if you haven’t already! It would also mean a lot if you guys would share my blog and/or posts with other people who you think might enjoy the content as well. Leave a comment below telling me if you’ve heard any of these songs and which was your favorite!
Check Out My Other Posts Here
Ray, Blog Owner
Upcoming Sophomore in College
Book-Lover, Writer, Music-Lover, K-Pop Stan
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