K-pop boy group and global sensation Stray Kids dropped their 10th mini album, ‘This & That’, on Friday, offering fans a fresh perspective on their signature sound while preserving originality amid growing ambitions.
Sharing the same name as the album, the title track delivers a more laid-back, self-assured energy that matches perfectly with its lyrics, “we can go fast, we can go slow if you can’t choose, you can have both.”
Stray Kids have been known for creating top-charting songs with messages conveying how far they have come in the industry and leaving no chance for criticism to break their upward momentum.
A different direction
The arrival of ‘This & That’ further cements their fire for musical experimentation without losing consistency and their identity.
Speaking at a press event in Seoul on Thursday, all eight members shared interesting stories about the album-making process a day before its release.
Changbin said the group decided to tone down their usual intensity to show fans a new side of their music.
“This time we went in a different direction – a little more chill and relaxed,” the band’s rapper was quoted by The Korea Times.
“Like the title, we wanted to express the confidence of being good at this and that.”
He also noted the removal of some unfamiliar, rougher sounds to make the track “easier to approach”, once again proving their versatility.
The eight-track extended play comes nearly two months after the pre-release single ‘RUN IT’ and the 2026 world tour announcement.
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3RACHA keeps innovation at the core
All songs were written and produced by Bangchan, Changbin and Han, the trio behind the group’s in-house production unit 3RACHA.
Han added that the band did its best to ensure no repetitions on the album.
“There’s always the safe option of carrying over what worked before,” he said.
“But we choose a new path every time because that’s what keeps the process fun. It’s difficult, and there are always variables, but we learn a lot. If everything stayed the same, we’d lose interest ourselves.”
Their meticulousness during the creation process and rollout also reflects the tight bond Stray Kids share amid their developing accomplishments in K-pop.
Despite being among the top-tier groups and their commercial dominance, proven by a remarkable series of Billboard 200 entries, the members maintain that accolades are not the sole motivation for their music but rather the genuine connection built with fans.
This comeback also brings the band’s career to a new level, with South Korea’s mandatory military enlistment nearing for the older members.
Instead of being shaken by the uncertainty, Stray Kids remain committed to their growth while assuring fans of their complete return in the future with a bolder and more passionate mindset.
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Eugene Nicklaus S. Laqui 
Newsjustnews writers 
Levi Mora