Stray Kids Take the Crown with ‘SKZHOP HIPTAPE ‘HOP’

Stray Kids debuted their new album, “SKZHOP HIPTAPE ‘HOP,” which blends experimental musical ideas with hip-hop to create a genre that has not been officially defined. This new genre allows the members to “express [their] individual personalities in music and on stage, creating a liberating atmosphere,” said Stray Kids. This album features 12 unique tracks, “Walkin On Water” as the title track that has two versions, “U” which is a collaboration with Korean Canadian artist Tablo, “Bounce Back,” and eight of which are solo tracks performed by each member: “Railway” by Bangchan, “Unfair” by Felix, “HALLUCINATION” by I.N, “Youth” by Lee Know, “So Good” by Hyujin, “ULTRA” by CHanghin, “Hold my hand” by Han, and “As we are” by Seungmin.

Hop reached No.1 on Billboard 200, making it the band’s sixth consecutive album to reach the top and the only artist in history to achieve this feat. Ending the band’s year on a high note. 

From heartfelt ballads to powerful hip-hop EDM elements, this album features several unique segments and genres, allowing anyone to find a track they enjoy. Each member expresses their personality in their distinctive musical style with their vocals and dance choreography. 

My personal favorites of this album are “ULTRA,” “HALLUCINATION,” and “Railway,” which all have catchy vibes and emphatic lyrics. However, any song from the album is worth listening to as each track eventually grows on you.

“SKZHOP HIPTAPE ‘HOP’” is one of the most unique albums as it features the “Stray Kids” genre and presents different music styles among members, depicting how far they’ve come in the music industry. This album is definitely worthwhile to listen to and enjoy, making this album five stars out of five.