Why @Stray_Kids are so important to me; a thread during a mental breakdown/a thread for Chan while he’s stalking stan twitter to know that I love everything he’s doing

Something that makes Stray Kids so unique is the fact that almost all of their songs aren't explicitly about love. None of them (at least from what I can remember) are about crushes. +

Their latest song, "Mixtape: On Track," may seem like a love song going by the music video, but the lyrics seem more like you're losing someone close to you. I literally cried the first time I read the lyrics. I recently lost my best friend (due to us growing apart) +

But this song feels so cathartic (as nearly all of Stray Kids’ songs do). The build up and release near the end of the song, with the lines “Even after time keeps passing by/This constant desperation of mine/Makes me look for you/You come to me every night +

/And tantalize me again/You tantalize me more/You also hurt me/I don’t know/I don’t know/I don’t know/I don’t know/I can never let you go” always hits me so hard. There’s just something about the way the song feels so nostalgic, with all of the singing +

sounding almost like they are yelling with all their heart and convictions. The way that the build up happens, the way it feels like they simply cannot keep their feelings inside anymore, is something so uniquely Stray Kids. Truly, “On Track” is one of my favorite songs. +

I’d also like to step back to the song that got me into Stray Kids: “Side Effects.” This song is kind of polarizing, for both stays and nonstays. Yet there’s something so powerful about the line that’s constantly sang - no, yelled - throughout the song “My head hurts,” +

about the robotic, monotone voice in the back during the chorus, reminiscent of ads for medications. Yet they also remind me of the side effects of growing up, the feeling as though everything’s going wrong and the world is too loud. It’s a song for everyone who +

feels as though life is moving too fast and that everyone else is adjusting way better to change. Yet while songs like “Side Effects” and “Miroh” got me interested, it was their slower songs, their message, that made me stay. More specifically, the song “Grow Up,” +

This song... I cannot express how important this song is to me. If songs like Side Effects or 19 (I wish I had more space in this thread for this) feels like growing up (scary, confusing, and most of all, like you’re going through it alone), then this song feels like someone +

saying that you’re not alone, no matter where you are in the world. Telling you that everyone knows how your struggle feels, even if it’s different for everyone. Han’s lines “Even if it’s hard and tiring, don’t give up/Don’t push yourself away, you just need time +

/Afterwards, when you look back/Tell yourself this” Grow Up is the kind of song and tells you that taking a breather is okay, and that they’ll be there when you get back up. Sometimes, learning how to rest and allowing yourself to be okay is a way to heal. +

The chorus line, “You’re doing enough/You’re doing just fine/I know you and you’re trying your best/That’s all you need/Just keep your pace/Don’t be nervous, trust yourself” hits so hard. The heartfelt and emotional way Stray Kids sing this song feels as though they’re giving +

you a hug. It feels as though they’re right there next to you, picking you up from the bathroom floor after crying, and telling you that life continues and one bad experience doesn’t define what you’re capable of. Growing up is something that not many people cover with such +

rawness and purity. Listening to “Grow Up” feels like, well, growing up. I haven’t felt this connected to a song since I listened to (and I’m not comparing, please don’t get angry) BTS’ “Most Beautiful Moment in Life” series. However, Stray Kids covers its with their +

own type of finesse and sound. Perhaps if I had been an ARMY around the time those albums came out I would be more heavily connected to them and feel the same way that I feel towards Stray Kids’ music right now. But not only do Stray Kids perfectly capture the scariness of +

growing up, they also perfectly convey sadness, melancholy, and heavy topics like depression with such care and awareness. However, at no point does any song make you feel distinctly sad afterwards. Or, rather, feel bad after listening. I may feel sad, overwhelmed, confused but +

at no point do I ever feel worse than how I began. It’s almost as though they’re saying “Life’s overwhelming, life sucks, things are bad, but we’re always here, and things will get better.” Never do Stray Kids let you feel alone, never do they let you wallow in self-pity +

I mentioned this before, but if there was one word to describe Stray Kids’ music, it would be “cathartic.” It feels like the calm after a storm, like crying after something stressful, like confessing your feelings to your crush, like... like so many other things. +

And I haven’t even mentioned the members. It’s getting late, and this thread is getting so long. But I can’t not add more. +

Chan: When I first got into Stray Kids, I was a little surprised by the “Best Leader” title given to you, yet I can see why. You’re determination, talent, personality, and the way you are so inspiring to any and all who get to know you makes me feel that you deserve everything +

Lee Know: A fellow cat lover! But for real, you make me laugh so hard. I think you’re so funny, and such a talented dancer. The way you move and command the stage is hypnotic. You’re so sarcastic and not afraid to voice your opinion, which always keeps things interesting lol +

Changbin: Your! Rapping! Your! Producing skills! Your! Aegyo! Your humor! Your visuals! Everything! But for real, I have so much respect for you. You’re so humble and you always know how to make everyone laugh. There’s just something about the way you act that makes me happy +

Hyunjin: You’ve said before that you didn’t want to only be known by your visuals. Well, I feel like I should tell you that I first fell in love with your part in My Pace and Miroh. You’re more than just your face, you’re an inspiration for me to start dancing. +

Han: I don’t even know where to begin. Your songs “19” and “Sunshine” bring so much joy to my life. Hearing an idol, someone that I look up to, talk about anxiety is... it just means so much to me. I can never express how much I appreciate the work you do. +

Felix: You’re the reason I actually checked our Stray Kids, and I’ll always be grateful for that. I love everything you do, from your rapping to singing to dancing to your sense of humor to your perfectly done Renegade. You’re goofy, silly, and I would never want that to change +

Seungmin: You’re an angel in disguise, I’m sure of it. There’s something about your voice that whenever I hear it I just know everything’s going to be okay. If a voice could be comfort, it would be yours. Not to mention your great sense of humor. +

I.N: Never doubt how amazing you are! You’re so charming and I can never resist smiling whenever I see you. Your voice never fails to pierce my emotions in a way that so few other voices have. +

In conclusion, Stray Kids means so much to me. Their lyrics have touched me in a way that I can’t explain fully over a simple thread. Perhaps that’s why I get so angry when problem call Stray Kids’ music noise; because, for me, Stray Kids’ music is healing and comfort. +

Stray kids everywhere all around the world make Stray Kids stay. But Stray Kids make Stays everywhere all around the world better people, happier people, and more complete people.