I have never gotten into Korean pop music; it’s a genre of music that I never really explored despite its growing popularity.
I had also never heard of Stray Kids before seeing their headlining performance on the Bud Light stage Friday night — and it was the best introduction to K-Pop that I could have imagined.
Stray Kids is a K-pop group originating from South Korea, consisting of eight members who were originally brought together through a South Korean reality survival show, also called Stray Kids, that aired in 2017.
They have released four studio albums since their start in 2017 and have amassed over 10 million listeners on Spotify, becoming a worldwide sensation.
“Chicago make some noise,” one of the band members shouted to the crowd. “Lollapalooza, how y’all doing tonight? It’s great to be back here Chicago.”
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Despite SZA headlining at the same time on the T-Mobile stage, Stray Kids were still able to pull in a sizable crowd.
Their set was an hour and a half of pure energy — even not knowing any of their songs, I was immersed in their performance and their songs throughout the entire thing.
“Who is watching Stray Kids for the first time?” they asked, the audience shrieking in response.
Everyone started screaming once the familiar chords of “My Pace,” started playing, a hit song off of their 2018 album “I am WHO.”
“Na, na, na, na, na, na,” the crowd sang, creating a light-hearted and entertaining environment.
During Stray Kid’s performance of “Thunderous,” the jumbo screens bursted with color, lights flashing and lightning crackling on the screens.
Throughout numerous songs on their set, fluorescent laser beams were shot off into the trees and fire erupted from the stage in quick bursts.
Through each song, Stray Kids broke out in elaborate choreographed dance moves; perfectly in sync, deliberately moving their feet across the stage as they incorporated elements of hip-hop dance with sharp and captivating movements
The stage lights flashed orange and red, as they began to play “TOPLINE,” effortlessly rapping over the rugged beat.
The recognizable sounds of an ambulance’s siren signaled the beginning of “MIROH,” a track off of their 2019 album “Clè 1 : MIROH.”
An elaborate firework display lit up the sky as “MIROH” continued playing, and people pulled out their phones to capture the colorful exhibit.
Throughout the set, the Stray Kid’s backup band dove into numerous guitar solos, shredding in time with the heavy beat.
The crowd bobbed their phone flashlights during a few of the songs, screaming every time the jumbo screen focused on Felix, a fan favorite band member.
Stray Kids performed song after song with an endless amount of energy, engaging with the crowd with humorous remarks and the occasional water throwing.
They didn’t just put on a show; Stray Kids put on the most elaborate and energetic production possible, surpassing all expectations as a headliner.
“Chk Chk Boom,” was their final song of the night, the band expressing their gratitude and love for Chicago before ending their high-energy set.
