Stray Kids makes history at Rock in Rio with a show focused on choreography and 'noise music'

In their second visit to Brazil, after shows in stadiums in Rio and São Paulo last year, the group showed their credentials to become headliners of the first K-pop night in the history of Rock in Rio.

They were welcomed by screams, singing and many, many dances from STAYs, the fans' code name. They reciprocate with precise choreography on stage, especially “Domino”. With so much dancing, it is clear that they rely on recorded backing vocals, but it is easy to notice that there are parts sung live, such as the excerpt from “Ai se eu te pega”, a hit performed by Michel Teló.

To accommodate the group's style of show, the festival organization made concessions. Lightsticks, essential light sticks among kpoppers accessories, were released. The members were also able to advance along a huge catwalk that is not part of the usual stage of the World Stage.

From there, they shouted slogans in Portuguese such as “Make noise”, “Pula” and “Caraca”. They also gave speeches in English and Korean with simultaneous translation into Portuguese. They said, for example, that it was not possible to see the end of the crowd: the 100,000 tickets were sold out.

Live, Stray Kids mixes electronics with heavy beats, rap and vocals and harmonies associated with R&B, an African-American genre that became established in the United States from the 1940s onwards and is an acronym for rhythm and blues, responsible for being the base style for other styles such as soul and rock. They also announced that they would include a little samba in “Chk chk boom", but the influence on percussion is timid.

Overall, the lyrics talk about self-affirmation, mental health and the idea of ​​finding your path in life. It has everything to do with the name of the group: they are “lost children” looking for direction.

Formed in 2017 by producer JYP Entertainment in a reality show, Stray Kids has become one of the most successful groups of the style, with nine consecutive albums debuting in 1st place on the Billboard 200, an unbeatable mark considering artists of any style. With this performance, they sold more than 30 million albums.

The eight members between 24 and 29 years old (Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin and I.N.) differentiate themselves by producing most of their songs. The process is led by the trio 3RACHA, a kind of subgroup formed by Bang Chan, Changbin and Han.

When they started, some of the critics said that the sound was too noisy and did not accept that “sound chaos”. From these reactions, they coined the term “noise music”, chosen ironically.

The album “NOEASY” was an adaptation of this pun: “no easy” + “noise”. The track “Thunderous” plays with the Korean word “sori” (noise) and the tradition of pansori singers, transforming the idea of ​​“noisy sound” into something purposeful.

The arrangements considered aggressive (by K-pop standards) deviate a little from the super trim standard of hits in the style. The biggest exception is “After You”, with a more traditional structure and echoes of EDM, the most pop electronic music.

The live version of “Walkin On Water”, for example, could easily be in the repertoire of a new metal band. “LALALALA”, in turn, wouldn’t look bad on a pop punk artist’s album. The fact that they have a band with bass, guitar, drums and keyboard on stage contributes with all the weight.

Noise became a concept, but it has nothing to do with noise rock or electronic noise, much harsher and with distortion as the protagonist. The noise in the Stray Kids show is dosed, with aggressive elements (industrial beats, synthesizers, alarm sounds) at strategic moments, such as in the chorus.

But the noise that most catches the ear of the unsuspecting is still that of the octet's fandom. If some criticized the audiences at the festival's two rock days, which did not sell out and were less exciting than usual, this could never be said about the kpoppers.