| ★★★★★ (5-STAR) Images • Videos |
★★★★★ (5-STAR) is the third studio album by South Korean boy group Stray Kids. It was released on June 2, 2023, with "S-Class" serving as the title track.
The physical release comes in three standard version (A, B, C), one limited version, and eight member-specific versions (Digipack).
Background[]
On March 6, 2023, media outlets reported that Stray Kids had achieved the filming of a music video. On April 24, JYP Entertainment confirmed a comeback for early June. On April 27, a trailer was released, announcing that Stray Kids would come back on June 2 with the studio album ★★★★★ (5-STAR).[1]
Stray Kids promoted the album with the title track "S-Class" on music shows from June 2 to June 11, and held a mini fanmeeting after the pre-recording of Show! Music Core on June 3.
Composition[]
| “ | The new album, "★★★★★ (5-STAR)," which has the unique charm of being stamped with the "Stray Kids" seal from the title, is their first full-length album in about two years since their second full-length album "NOEASY" in August 2021. The five stars intuitively show the specialness of Stray Kids and catch the essence of the title track's theme, "S-Class," which is the most unusual among the unusual and the most shining among the special, in a unique and pleasant way.
The confidence behind the album's superlative title "5-STAR," which means "extraordinary" and "top-rated," is evident in the track list. Their third album includes 12 songs, including the title track, "S-Class," "ITEM," "Super Bowl," "TOPLINE (feat. Tiger JK)," "DLC," "GET LIT," "Collision," "FNF," "Youtiful," "THE SOUND (Korean ver.)," and "Mixtape : Time Out." This time, the group's production team 3RACHA, Bang Chan, Changbin, and HAN directly participated in the production of the entire new album, including the title track, and hip-hop legend Tiger JK, who collaborated with 3RACHA at the 2022 MAMA AWARDS, wrote and featured on track 5, "TOPLINE (feat. Tiger JK)," adding weight to the album. The group, who have twice topped the Billboard 200 with their self-made music, will give fans 'special' pleasure with another self-made and well-made album. The title track "S-Class" is a new and challenging song that is unique to Stray Kids. The song's composition, which is a combination of various sound sources and song forms, delivers freshness, and the unique and addictive rhythmic hook stimulates the desire to play it over and over again. [...] Stray Kids, who have been giving K-pop fans the utmost satisfaction with original music and performances that are sought after by gourmets who know the true 'taste' and 'style', and who have maintained the quality and freshness of their performances, further solidify their reputation as a 'five-star' Michelin-music restaurant with their first comeback in 2023, "★★★★★ (5-STAR)" and the title track "S-Class", which pours out what they do best. Stray Kids is finally here to shine more specially than ever with their K-pop discipline! |
” |
| ― Official Introduction | ||
Tracklist[]
- 위인전 Hall of Fame
- 특 S-Class Title track
- ITEM
- Super Bowl
- TOPLINE (feat. Tiger JK)
- DLC
- 죽어보자 GET LIT
- 충돌 Collision
- FNF
- Youtiful
- THE SOUND (Korean ver.)
- Mixtape : Time Out
Audio[]
Editions[]
- Standard (A / B / C) : CD + Photobook + Photocards (2 out of 24) + OOTD Mini Poster (1 out 8) + Sticket Set (2 sheets) + Cartoon Postcard + B-Cut Film Mini Photobook (1 out of 3) (pre-order only) + Folded Poster (3 types) (pre-order only)
- Limited : CD + Photobook + + Photocards (2 out of 24) + OOTD Mini Poster (1 out 8) + Sticket Set (2 sheets) + Cartoon Postcard + Special Folded Poster (1 out 8) + B-Cut Postcard + B-Cut Film Mini Photobook (1 out of 3) (pre-order only) + Folded Poster (pre-order only)
- Digipack (Bang Chan / Lee Know / Changbin / Hyunjin / HAN / Felix / Seungmin / I.N) : CD + Photobook + Lyrics Paper + Photocard (1 out of 8) + Mini Folded Poster + Photocard (1 out of 8) (pre-order only)
Achievements[]
- For achievements specific to the title track, see "S-Class".
- ★★★★★ (5-STAR) surpassed 5,13 million preorders, making it the most pre-ordered Kpop album of all time as of its release.[2]
- It sold 4,617,499 copies in the first week on Hanteo Chart, and 5,242,486 copies in the first month on Circle Chart. In August 2023, it earned a 5x Million (5,000,000+ sales) certification by KMCA.
- ★★★★★ (5-STAR) debuted at No.1 on Billboard 200, their third album in a row to do so.[3]
- Stray Kids won Best Album (Bonsang) with ★★★★★ (5-STAR) at the 38th Golden Disc Awards, as well as Best Album (Daesang) at 2024 Asia Star Entertainer Awards.
- ★★★★★ (5-STAR) ranked #2 on 2023 IFPI Global Album Sales, ranking the biggest albums of the year based on the number of units sold accross all physical and digital formats.[4]
Images[]
- To see the image gallery for 5-STAR, click here.
Videos[]
- To see the video gallery for 5-STAR, click here.
Reviews[]
| “ | Naming your album 5-Star is bold to say the least, but when you produce a no-skips effort as successful as this, you’ve earned the right to be a bit cocky. It’s not like Stray Kids haven’t worked hard for it. In fact, the group’s third studio album is their best yet. 3RACHA’s fluid production incorporates everything from ’90s hip-hop to throbbing electro bass, which the eight-piece band pull together with a cheeky wink via their usual gritty raps and sultry vocals. Who else could get away with lines like “Finger lickin’, yeah, we cookin’ up a Super Bowl / In the kitchen, Michelin, irresistible”? Put it in the “Hall of Fame.” | ” |
| ― Paste Magazine: The 20 Best K-pop Albums of 2023 | ||
Trivia[]
- It is the first album to have a special character in the title.
- It is the first Korean album to release a timetable for teasers.
- For the first time, Stray Kids did not attend Show Champion for music show promotions, and stopped doing so for subsequent releases.
References[]
- ↑
@Stray_Kids (Apr. 27, 2023)
- ↑
OSEN: 스트레이 키즈, 정규3집 선주문 513만 장 돌파..K팝 새 역사 (Jun. 1, 2023)
- ↑ Billboard 200 - Week of June 17, 2023
- ↑ @IFPI_org (Mar. 27, 2023)
