1. They write and compose all of their own music.
Bucking the trend of JYP's previous idol groups, who tended to start writing and composing their music later on in their careers, Stray Kids have always written and composed their own songs. Members Chan (born in 1997), Changbin (born in 1999), and Han (born in 2000) form a pre-Stray Kids underground rap group called 3racha and have over 20 Stray Kids songs credited to their names in addition to composition, but every member of Stray Kids has co-wrote and even co-composed at least one Stray Kids track. CEO Park Jinyoung's (or JYP) is virtually absent from Stray Kids' music, a rarity for JYP's rookie groups. They're essentially independent artists operating under one of the biggest K-pop entertainment companies, a huge testament to their talent and artistic confidence at such a young age.
2. They have a strong, unique concept, and they stick with it.
Another thing that's so incredibly refreshing about Stray Kids is almost how disinterested they are in writing love songs or songs with a romantic context. As idols, they don't do what's expected of them, instead writing music that is really a reflection of themselves and what they're going through as young adults (they are kids, after all). Their debut EP, "I Am Not" (stylized in a very aggressive "I am NOT") explored the psyche of a rebellious teenager, trying to rebel against what society expects of him and the kind of box he was being forced into. With their first comeback "I Am Who", Stray Kids followed a linear progression of self-identity and asked the simple question, "if I am not, then who I am?" It's brilliant in its execution, and "I Am Who" expanded Stray Kids' musical palette with a sort of carefree freewheeling of various music genres that encompass the highs and lows of trying to find yourself. At the time of posting, Stray Kids have yet to release their next EP in the concept storyline, "I Am You", but it'll be no surprise that the boys will explore similar themes of self-identity and self-acceptance. Prior to their debut, JYP dropped an interested album concept trailer for their hotly-anticipated debut, which features their "I Am Not" album intro "Not!" and the members of Stray Kids playing citizens of a dystopia-like world:
3. They have some of the best rappers in the industry.
Anyone new to Stray Kids pretty much has, at one point, been very much surprised by what Stray Kids' rappers can pull off. Changbin and Han hold the group's well-deserved "main rapper" roles (I am not exaggerating when I say these two boys are literally the best rappers of JYP), but versatile-style Hyunjin and deep-voiced Felix also bring plenty of their own style to the table. Changbin and Han, especially, have incredible control over their voices, able to imbue so much into their verses, which aren't as prominent in Stray Kids songs compared to their 3racha tracks. I have to really give a shoutout to Changbin, who really turned me to a Stray Kids fan once he started going off in Stray Kids' debut song "District 9".
4. Don't sleep on their vocalists.
Oldest member Woojin and Stray Kids' other vocalists (like Seungmin, I.N., Lee Know, and leader Bang Chan) have the sort of smooth vocal tone that really complements the really hard, edgy sound that Stray Kids likes to lean on. Remember Changbin and Han? Yeah, they can sing really damn well, too. Pretty much every Stray Kids member can pull double duty. Their first song ever, "Hellevator", released all the way back in October of 2017, features not only an aggressive rap by Han, but also seeing the member literally belting out a high note right before the chorus instrumental drop. It was so surprising that even JYP himself was confused if Han was a rapper or a singer. He's both! Vocalist Changbin also has a really nice voice, which you can hear in B-side tracks like "Insomnia".
5. They have an international appeal that signals that they'll be leading the next generation of K-pop in the next couple of years.
Not only does their music derive from what you hear on western mainstream radio, but the group also has four fluent English speakers (leader Bang Chan and Felix hail from the Down Under, Seungmin lived in the states for a little bit and went to an English-speaking school, and Han lived in Malaysia during his childhood), and pretty much all of the members can understand English (member Hyunjin has nearly perfect pronunciation). As evident when they took over the KCON NY 2018 stage back in June of this year, Stray Kids are huge in the west, and that sort of success is really only going to sky-rocket from here on out.
6. Their synchronicity as a group is on another level.
All of the members of Stray Kids are very talented dancers, and they truly work together as a machine. Their choreography? Pretty difficult and intense. Check out the kind of floor work and flips that the boys dabble with the choreography of their debut song "District 9":
7. They're hilarious and a borderline mess.
At the end of the day, Stray Kids are really just boys enjoying the ride, and their carefree, high-energy personalities are a delight to witness. They never take themselves too seriously, and they're always down to have a laugh. Check out some clips of them being very loud prior to their debut (don't worry, they're still very loud and rambunctious, even if the video is a bit old):
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