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zeawkwardpterodactyl · 2 years

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Maniac - Stray Kids (AKA the reason I will not be emotionally available to anyone in my life for the next 3 days because THEY KILLED ME)

So. Stray Kids just had a comeback. And I am DECEASED. This is kinda just my opinions of their title track, Maniac, and its music video. I will be making a separate review for the album as a WHOLE (on which I have way too many opinions despite only having listened to 2 songs because they released the album 20 MINUTES AGO AND I CAN'T EVEN GET IT ON AMAZON MUSIC YET as of the time of writing this) -- okay yeah, review under the cut...

Okay I don't even know where to start... general vibe? Pretty freaking awesome, I will say that. As more and more comebacks come out, I feel like the expectation for 4th generation groups is to be NEW and DIFFERENT, which is an expectation that is very hit-or-miss, if you know what I'm saying. This song? HIT. HUGE HIT. They managed to create a song with a new vibe, yet distinctly JYP (some people compared the aesthetic with O.O which I can def see), and undeniably a Stray Kids song.

I don't really know how to explain it, but something about the lyrics, structure, and overall VIBE of the song is so distinctly SKZ that I feel like I can taste it. Y'know? When there's a group that's just LIKE THAT?

Immediately after watching the MV for the first time, I left a like 1,000-word comment on why I love each of the members so much in this song, so I will just add that in here (as well as the stuff I didn't go too in-depth on in the comment itself):

Bang. Christopher. Chan. Yes, this song is written and produced by 3Racha as a whole. However, it is impossible for me to NOT associate this with our boy Bang Chan. He is the only member credited with the arrangement of the song, which, A. Makes me feel so incredibly proud for some reason, but also B. Makes it feel uniquely "Christopher", which means so much in a title track.

Like, THE TALENT! I feel like that intro was kind of unexpected from him, but it fits his voice fits it SO WELL! I can't anymore, this man insists on killing me over and over again with the way he is (that's a good thing).

Lee Know. Minho. My main dancer man. Ngl, I was a little disappointed in JYP for the lack of lines he was given, but what he did have, he NAILED. The vocals, the rap, the DANCE. Absolutely slayed in every way possible.

Seo Changbin. Now, Changbin flew out of nowhere and surprised me in the best way possible. He wasn't really featured in the teaser, so I didn't have super high expectations of his parts. Crazy, I know. However, he is genuinely the member that SOLD ME on this song. I don't think it would be such a masterpiece if those two raps were not included or subbed for something else.

Hwang Hyunjin. Yes, I am just going to say the member's full names on each paragraph in hopes that it will summon them or something, I guess. Whatever, Chan probably has a secret Tumblr account for all we know.

ANYWAY. Hwang Hyunjin. From the beginning, I could tell he was the member that JYP wanted to feature the most. He has a huge history of being THAT member that everyone knows and falls in love with, even as a non-stay, and honestly, who can blame them? Given these expectations, Hyunjin DID NOT DISAPPOINT. For a member whose job seems to be "the face of SKZ", he's really good at representing SKZ. The dance skills, the VOCALS OMG, his iconic chorus rap, he's just really great.

Han Jisung. If I had to point out someone who really killed this song, it would be him (also Felix and Hyunjin but I feel like he's featured so prominently FOR A REASON). I love how much of his natural talent is encased in both his rapping and acting in the video. There were a ton of theories after the teaser came out about why exactly Jisung was set apart from the other members, which I am too tired to really think about, but he did not disappoint in that sense.

FELIX OMG! He stood out the most to me in the teaser, and for a reason. 3racha really knows how to write songs that utilize what their members have on hand. And in this case, that was Felix's voice. Killed it, nothing more I can say. Well, I can say that we need to also appreciate him for the dance skills he brought to the chorus, and I won't be surprised if his part as the center goes viral. Everyone seriously needs to appreciate him for more than just his voice, but also the dance skills he's worked so hard to attain.

Seungmin. Okay it was actually Changbin AND Seungmin that surprised me. I recently have been seeing a ton of stuff about how he's the most underrated member and I COULD NOT AGREE MORE. And so, they really stepped up their game and showcased why he's such a legendary vocalist in kpop. Overall, he probably has one of my favorite parts in the song (that bridge will be iconic i call it).

JEONGIN OMG YOU'RE GROWING UP. He will always be a baby in stay's hearts, but his maknae status does not get in the way of his performance in this song. Again, he doesn't have a huge part, but it wouldn't have worked with any other member doing his part, which shows just how irreplaceable he is. Yeah, he also killed it. Everyone did.

Overall favorite parts: Bang Chan's intro, Seungmin's bridge (?), and Changbin's raps. I mean I suck at music terminology so sorry if that makes no sense but yeah.

It stands out to me a lot that SKZ worked really hard on this comeback. Every member has parts that showcase not only what they specialize in, but also, their other talents as well (ie. Felix's dance, Chan's rap, Minho's vocals). This just feels like the prime OT8 comeback, and I really, really, really hope it does well. The kids deserve it.

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