Stray Kids Unveils 'THIS & THAT' Behind-the-Scenes Secrets: "The Title Track Took the Longest"

As Stray Kids returns with their new mini album "THIS & THAT," showcasing their versatile charms, the group has shared behind-the-scenes stories from the album's production.

Stray Kids will release their mini album "THIS & THAT" and its title track "This & That" at 1:00 PM on August 7. With domestic and international fans showing high anticipation for the new release following their SKZ IT TAPE "DO IT" last year—which made them the first artists in the world to debut at No. 1 on the US Billboard main chart, the Billboard 200, for eight consecutive albums—JYP Entertainment boosted the excitement on the afternoon of August 4 by posting an intro video titled "Stray Kids [INTRO "THIS & THAT"]" on the group's official SNS and YouTube channels, where the eight members talk directly about the new album.

True to the album title "THIS & THAT," the new release captures Stray Kids' versatile sides and justified confidence in handling "this and that" effortlessly. Among the total of eight tracks, the music that Stray Kids poured the longest time and effort into is the title track "This & That." According to the members, the song that took the longest to work on during the production process was "This & That," as they exercised extreme caution while arranging the hook lyrics, which took a lot of time.

The birth story behind the song title also draws attention. According to the members, during a break while working on music, they shared snacks and exchanged casual remarks like "everyone, try eating this, try eating some of that," and this expression naturally led to the chorus melody on the spot. In the lyric-writing process, a lot of effort went into selecting the specific words to express "this" and "that."

The music video for the title track, which carries a traditional Korean atmosphere, was filmed over a total of five days, three of which took place on location in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do. The members shared their thoughts, saying, "It felt like shooting outdoors for the first time in a while instead of a set. There was a unique romance to shooting in a regional area." The behind-the-scenes details also highlighted the choreography process, which underwent numerous revisions until a satisfactory result was achieved.

The new album, with all tracks written and produced by the group's in-house producing team 3RACHA—Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han—is solidly packed with b-side tracks of diverse charms. The tracklist is richly filled with the pre-released songs "RUN IT" and "After You," which were worked on locally in Los Angeles, USA; "FARMING," inspired by the meme "aura farming"; the refreshing "After You"; "I Do," which has a 2000s pop music feel; "Way Out," utilizing various languages; "Back Then," inspired by a drama and composed by Han; and "This & That (Festival Version)," which allows listeners to enjoy the title track with even more excitement.

Meanwhile, ahead of their new album release, Stray Kids kicked off their new world tour "Stray Kids World Tour <RUN IT>" at the KSPO DOME in Seoul on July 25 – 26, July 29, and August 1 – 2. Having heated up the comeback excitement with a total of five sold-out shows across all dates, Stray Kids will return to music broadcast stages for the first time in about 10 months through this comeback.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Reported by Kang Kyung-yoon, SBS News)

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