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Eight young men stand together in Chicago’s Grant Park under a sky lit with fireworks towards the end of their headlining set at Lollapalooza, united onstage in the very image of victory. It’s appropriate that Stray Kids , the propulsive K-pop act currently sitting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, included their track titled “Victory Song” on their 21-song set list this weekend — the awestruck, joyfully incredulous expressions from Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N confirmed that feeling exactly.
But three hours before Stray Kids took the stage for perhaps their most high-profile US performance to date, the energy is different. The first thing Seungmin shares when I enter one of the trailers set up for the group’s large backstage camp is that they’re all feeling quite tired — the jet lag after just arriving the day prior is hitting hard. Before the interview officially starts, the members of the band are floating around with varying levels of nervous or excited energy. Bang Chan is visibly in leader mode, whereas Hyunjin is trying to peek over the fence to catch a bit of whoever is performing (and, later, climbing a tree, despite already being stage-ready in shiny leather pants).
Stray Kids, photo by Josh Druding
Even seated, the members are buzzing; the anticipation is visible. They’re a bit reassured to hear how many fans are onsite, sporting t-shirts with their names and faces, flags, pickets, fans, pins, and photo cards. It’s understandable that the guys are tired, in a greater sense than just the preparation of this week, since the level of output Stray Kids have achieved in the past few years is shocking. That aforementioned No. 1 album, titled Ate , is their fifth consecutively charting project to debut in the top spot.
Bang Chan, perpetually deferential, points this latest milestone back to the fans with a reminder that their listeners, known as Stay, are the reason they’ve made it this far. “We just did what we always do,” he says of Ate . “Have fun making music. That’s all that matters to us.”
The music video for the focus track from the project, “Chk Chk Boom,” features cameos from self-proclaimed Stays Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds. Felix describes their decision to co-sign the track by suiting up in full Deadpool & Wolverine mode as “so sweet.”
Stray Kids, photo by Josh Druding
And while it feels like Stray Kids are breaking into the American mainstream in a huge new way, the members are, conversationally, still focused on the fans in a way that feels entirely authentic. I.N sweetly takes time to emphasize how thankful they are for anyone that is onsite to see them perform, and Changbin says their listeners were at the forefront of their decision-making when it came to structuring the set list.
Later, when it comes time for the members to take the stage, the crowd is electric — and composed of a more rich variety of listeners than people might expect. The folks to my right are parents in their 50s; their kids got them into K-pop, but they’re Stray Kids fans entirely on their own, and their children aren’t even present at the festival. Ahead of me is a father with his two pre-teen daughters, while the woman to my left explains that she doesn’t know any names and is just here to support her sister, the big fan in the bunch.
But fast-forward to three songs into Stray Kids’ performance, and the same young woman is cheering and dancing just as passionately as everyone else, t-shirt hoisted above her head. “They put on a really good performance,” she tells me, almost conspiratorially.
The work the members put into structuring the set list pays off. Pulling from their rich catalogue developed since their 2018 debut, Stray Kids wisely step onstage and focus on some of their very most energetic tracks plucked from a highly energetic repertoire. This looks like 2023’s “S-Class” as an opener, which sets the bar in the stratosphere, bolstered by the presence of a live band onstage.
Stray Kids, photo by Josh Druding
Known for more aggressive, rock-inspired vibes in their discography, Stray Kids are wonderfully uninhibited throughout the set. It’s nearly impossible to identify specific highlights when familiar favorites like “My Pace,” “God’s Menu,” “Back Door,” and “MIROH” all get time to shine. Lee Know is fully in his element during “Charmer,” and Han can’t seem to stop smiling, even while spitting bars. The heat persists long after the sun vanishes, and jackets are discarded — later, shirts are torn off. Water is thrown. It’s raw, powerful, glorious chaos up there.
Anyone who has been lucky enough to see Stray Kids before knows that a typical concert runs closer to three hours, which has left the members clearly determined to make their mark on Lollapalooza in less than half of that time. Similarly, anyone who has caught one of their tours before would probably agree that this performance feels like a level-up in terms of confidence — historically strong performers, the vocals are especially clear throughout the night, and even demanding choreography like “DOMINO” fails to leave anyone too winded to bring the energy again for the next song.
The members seem resistant to the idea of leaving the stage when it comes time for the encore, even taking “TOPLINE” out for a second spin. The nerves of backstage are stamped out and forgotten with ease. They came to conquer; they came to win. And judging from the looks on their faces when they take that last bow, they seem to know they’ve accomplished their task.
Set List: S-Class FREEZE Super Bowl TOPLINE Thunderous ITEM DOMINO Lonely St. Social Path (Korean ver.) Charmer My Pace Back Door MANIAC God’s Menu
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