- Title: K-pop stars Stray Kids prepare for comeback with high-energy Hyde Park show
- Date: 14th July 2024
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 14, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) STRAY KIDS GROUP LEADER, BANG CHAN, SAYING: “And it's been a while since our last album, but with this album we really want to emphasise, you know, our eight members, how genuine we are with music. And we've also put in a lot of different styles of music for, you know, everyone out there to enj
- Embargoed: 28th July 2024 22:44
- Keywords: British Summer Time Hyde Park K-pop Stray Kids Stray Kids ATE Stray Kids London
- Location: VARIOUS
- City: VARIOUS
- Country: UK
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Music
- Reuters ID: LVA006849312072024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:"This is a career highlight," hugely popular K-pop group Stray Kids said as they headlined the British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park Festival on Sunday (July 14).
The eight-man group, who debuted in 2018 after being formed by JYP Entertainment through a reality show, have won over fans around the world with their genre-mixing sound and hit songs such as "God's Menu", "S-Class" and "Maniac".
Made up of members Changbin, Felix, Hyunjin, Lee Know, Han, Seungmin, Bang Chan and I.N, the Korean group returned to London on Sunday after some five years to make their UK festival debut.
"It's a really big festival and it's a really big space where everybody's having fun and it'll be really interesting to see how much the energy we bring to it will change that," member Han said shortly before the group took to the stage to perform an upbeat 1hr 40-minute long set in front of a crowd of thousands.
Named by Time magazine in 2023 as one of the Next Generation Leaders, the accolades for the group include this year's People's Choice Award for Favorite Group and the Billboard Music Award for Top K-pop Album for their third Korean-language studio album "5-Star".
That album was last year's second biggest-selling album globally, according to recorded music industry body IFPI, who also placed Stray Kids third on their Top 10 list of global recording artists of 2023.
All eight members also walked the famed MET Gala red carpet this May, wearing custom Tommy Hilfiger suits, while members Felix and Hyunjin act as brand ambassadors for fashion houses Louis Vuitton and Versace, respectively.
While grateful for massive streaming numbers and singular successes, the group is concentrated on bringing meaningful music to their fans, known as STAYs, said Bang Chan.
"Lots of STAYs and a lot of people are giving us a lot of attention, so I don't think we should sit still and do nothing about it. That's why all the members are working hard in their parts, that's why I think we're able to get that support from Stays," said Seungmin. "Going forward, through the love and attention we get, we will continue to develop ourselves."
Sunday's performance came just five days before the group's new EP, titled "ATE" is released on July 19. Stray Kids will also embark on a world tour in August that will see them travel to Asia, Australia the Americas and Europe.
ATE represents the eight members who have "eaten up" the comeback, said Felix, adding that fans could expect many concepts and new music styles on the album.
"It really means a lot to us. It's been a while since our last album. With this album we really want to emphasize our eight members, how genuine we are with music and we've also put in a lot of styles of music for everyone out there to enjoy," said Bang Chan.
"The title song for the album, "Chk Chk Boom", we are really confident about that one," he said.
"We're bringing out all we can at this time and that makes us confident," added Changbin.
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