The Story of THIS & THAT Shared by Stray Kids

This is a photo from the press conference Stray Kids held last August to introduce their mini-album, *THIS & THAT*. The eight members, dressed in black, are standing side by side in front of a red background, striking their respective poses. Even though they are wearing the same color, their hand gestures and facial expressions are slightly different, making me look at the photo closely.

This album contains eight songs, including the title track of the same name. At a press conference, Bang Chan stated that they have tried various genres since their debut and that this time they prepared a new color for Stray Kids. He mentioned that the title track is based on hip-hop and aims to capture a relaxed atmosphere different from their previous work.

Changbin explained that he incorporated unique sounds he hadn't used before, while ensuring the songs were approachable through repetitive and concise lyrics. All eight songs were produced by 3RACHA, consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han. It is noteworthy that the three members who create music within the team participated in the entire album.

Han mentioned that while he could have chosen a familiar approach, he finds it more fun to take on challenges when making an album. After reading the members' explanations of the work, I see their relaxed expressions in the group photo in a new light. I would like to explore the album while recalling the tracklist starting with "RUN IT" and the stories shared at the press conference.