Inarguably, the most notable aspect of Stray Kids is that they are largely self-produced. At the helm of this unprecedented feat is the group’s sub-unit 3RACHA, composed of members Bang Chan (alias CB97), ChangBin (alias SPEARB), and Han (alias J.ONE). Aside from composing, producing, and writing for Stray Kids, the hip-hop trio are also known for experimental extended plays and singles that date all the way back to when they were trainees. We take a look at five of their songs that make it easy to understand why Stray Kids are truly one of a kind in the industry.
1. ‘Runner’s High’
“Who can make more than 30 songs in 6 months? I make the impossible possible,” ChangBin raps with a fiery passion. ‘Runner’s High’ is a quintessential hip-hop track that chronicles 3RACHA’s relentless pursuit of running straight into their future as artists. It’s one of the sub-unit’s more popular songs, even making for a special stage with ATEEZ’s HongJoong and (G)I-DLE’s SoYeon at the 2019 Thailand KCON.
2. ‘Broken Compass’
Going down a more sentimental route, ‘Broken Compass’ uses metaphors of open seas and sailing boats to depict how 3RACHA is anchored by music. The reggaeton-heavy number has emotive lyricism and vivid imagery that oozes with sincerity. Eventually, Stray Kids lyrically rearranged and renamed the track ‘Mixtape No. 4’ for their sixth extended play “Clé 1 : MIROH.” Despite tweaks to the narrative, both ‘Broken Compass’ and ‘Mixtape No. 4’ feature a touching parallel: In both versions, leader Bang Chan owns the line “Call me captain, I’ll do it for my crew now.”
3. ‘Small Things’
The bright and hypnotic allure of ‘Small Things’ shines with the tone of gratefulness that 3RACHA sings. On the number, they glow with positivity as they talk about the states of small but certain happiness they’ve encountered throughout their journey. Though the song is not explicitly remastered later on in Stray Kids’s discography, a certain line echoes in the group’s happy trap track ‘Get Cool’. Felix kicking off his rap with “Ey, small things that matter!” is a definite callback to ‘Get Cool’s predecessor.
4. ‘Wow’
On more than one occasion, 3RACHA have expressed regret or embarrassment over ‘WOW’. Unfortunately for them, the flirtatious and quirky number has become a fandom favorite. Even the other members have had their fun with the playfully coy stanzas, such as Han’s timid song opening of “Excuse me, noona, but do you have a boyfriend? Sorry, that must have been too direct.” Though it’s unlikely that the trio will ever revisit ‘WOW’, it remains to be an icon of the sub-unit’s career.
5. ‘Start Line’
‘Start Line’ was released as a single to commemorate their first anniversary as an official group. At this point, Stray Kids had already debuted, making the track’s graduation theme all the more meaningful. It feels vaguely full circle as the trio references ‘Runner’s High’ and recognizes the start of a new journey. In retrospect—now knowing the successes that Stray Kids will eventually achieve—‘Start Line’ is the truest testament to how far 3RACHA has come, and how much farther they will go with music that is just as genuine as them.
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