Hello and welcome to my first album review in a while. Burnout… it really sneaks up on you huh?

Anyway, I had to talk about Stray Kids’ new album, their pink era, so here I am.

*note: I am going to put who did the lyrics, composing and arranging but for songs where its more than three people I won’t.

Case 143

Lyrics: 3racha

First, there’s the title track. It’s like a crime scene, case: 143. As you know the 143 stands for I Love You and it’s a case because they’re treating it like a crime case.

Why did it take them talking about it on Eric Nam’s show for me to get the album title? A big accident… Maxident. I swear only then did I get it.

Anyway, I related to this song heavy and the music video (mv). The mv the most.

Falling for someone really does feel like that for me. It’s fun and everything but then the emotions (heart monster) take over and my brain (the cops) tries to keep everything under control or to examine what’s going on whilst the heart is just skipping everywhere causing chaos.

In the mv the heart won and in general… that is what tends to happen. Unless you’re someone who has good control over your emotions. I envy you, teenage Gift could have used that control.

Luckily, as an adult I have learned.

Melodically I really like the song too, it has many cute and fun moments. Changbin’s “Can I be your boyfriend?” stays stuck in my head. You will find me singing it and attempting do that part of the dance as I do the dishes.

I really like Felix’s “Heartbeat…” part too. I don’t know, it just draws me in.

It’s not my favourite title track of theirs but I still like it all the same.

Chill 식혀

Lyrics: Han

Composed: Han and Chan

Arranged: Versachoi and Chan

This is my favourite Han song to date. It fits my preferences the most. It’s just nice to listen to, the singing, the mood of the song. Even though the lyrics are the opposite of lovey dovey, it’s still nice to listen to. It gives me a contemplative vibe.

I also really like the saxophone that comes in towards the end. If it’s not a saxophone I feel like a fake saxophone enthusiast but it really does sound like one.

It’s about lovers who are drifting apart, and their love for one another is cooling down, hence the title.

Note: For good lyric translations I recommend you check out @hyunloversclub and @seungdduk on Twitter. They had the best ones out of the ones I checked out. They even explained the idioms in Superboard which is what I had the most trouble understanding.

It’s nice that it’s mutual. It isn’t about a painful break up where one person is still in love whilst the other one is cooling down. No. They’re both cooling down and I liked that. One is saying in the song, “Hey let’s stop pretending and let go,” and the other person is like, “Oh thank goodness! You think so too!”

So yeah, lyrics wise I like the song as well. It doesn’t feel sad to me. It’s just something that happens in life. I guess it would be sad if it’s a long time couple that’s going through this or a married couple, but if it’s an ordinary couple of like three years…? It’s not sad.

Stand out lyrics for me:

“Even when we’re holding hands, we’re looking in different directions.”

“Yeah, let’s erase everything, even if you get mad and ask if this is right, you’re going to erase everything” – I can see this happening in a movie or kdrama.

Give me your TMI

Lyrics: 3racha

Composed: 3racha, Tak and 1Take

Arranged: Tak and 1Take

This song was the easiest for me to understand. They just want your TMI, your Too Much Information. Grammatically that sounds weird but you get it.

For me, the song is talking about the beginning stages of love, a crush. You know when you like someone and your curiosity is at its highest as you don’t know much about them so you endeavour to find out everything about them and as quickly as possible. At least, I’m that way.

A stand out lyric for me is Han’s:

“do you by any chance have an interest in hip hop or rock these days? The answer doesn’t matter anyway because I like you…”

I felt that.

Melodically, I wasn’t so sure about this song. At first when I heard a snippet in the unveil video I was like hmm, not sure I’m going to like this.

Now that I’ve listened to the full song, I like it more than I thought I would. I particularly like how it begins with Changbin and that base guitar in the background. You know me and base, we’ve been married ten years. Our marriage is strong, so my heart always sings when I hear it.

So I really like the verses and the tail end of the chorus. The pre-chorus… I think that’s the part that I’m not sure on.

Superboard

Lyrics and composed: 3racha

Arranged: Chan and 김박첼라

This song is just fun. I love songs with fun elements incorporated. That whole, “flying…syoong…superboard” I love and the random “nyong”. Bang Chan and Hyunjin said that’s the sound of a plane passing but I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that and still think it’s a cat sound.

I’m looking forward to this unveil track the most. It looks fun and full of easter eggs! Also, it may link the most to Case 143.

So melodically I liked it on first listen, however I could not get the lyrics which is what led me to look for other translations and led to me finding the best one Twitter. Because the ones on YouTube were translating it too literally and I was like… “But that’s an idiom” or “I’m sure that’s a metaphor.” Turns out I wasn’t crazy.

So yeah deffo check out those accounts I mentioned earlier because they explained the lyrics the best.

I feel like this song is the least in theme, in terms of love, unless you count self-love as they are uplifting/encouraging themselves.

However, having said that… it’s still the least in theme because most of the songs are about romantic love.

This song and 3racha.

Stand out lyric:

“I’m delivering myself to my dreams.”

3racha

Lyrics/composed: 3racha

Arranged: Chan and Versachoi

They wanted to try out a drill track as they said in the Intro: Maxident video.

It’s so funny because someone on Tik Tok was like, there’s a lot of drill in Kpop lately and watch it blow up soon and they were right!

I think they achieved their goal and as a track it sounds good. I expected it to be a heavy diss track judging by how Stays (fandom name) reacted to it when they saw it early in concert (in Korea). I didn’t watch anything from the concert as I didn’t want spoilers so I only saw stills and people’s thoughts.

Now, that I’ve listened to it myself I’d say it’s not as diss tracky as I thought it was going to be. I would say the focus of the track is more on them than others.

As in, they’re uplifting themselves. They’re talking about their own achievements and how they’ve gotten where they are because of their hard work.

Like Changbin’s line that stands out:

“My eyes are like a rabbit’s, bloodshot, this lifestyle pattern that one can never get used to…”

To be honest, I like Changbin’s verse the most.

Ooh and I was surprised to find Chan’s verse is all in English. Don’t you just love it? I do because I love what his accent does when he’s singing. *number one Australian accent enthusiast*.

Anyhow, there are moments where they come for people’s necks but it sounds like they’re going for people who are jealous or talk bad about them.

Chan’s last line summarises it the best:

“They’re always making excuses, while they’re complaining we’re producing.”

As Beyonce said, the best revenge is your paper. *flicks braids*

Taste

Lyrics: Hyunjin, Felix, Lee Know

Composed: Danceracha and Chan

Arranged: Chan and Versachoi

You know me and my sexy songs. Ooh, I love them! Which is why I am one of Hyolyn’s biggest fans. Keep doing what you’re doing girl! *waves pom poms*. So I was the most excited for this song.

I saw the spoilers on Twitter from the concert and I sort of resisted. I watched the videos on mute… and even then… wow the dance. They really went all out. They’re like, “Our name is Stray Kids but we’re not Kids, we’re men! *sexy pose*” Felix in particular. People sleep on him as a dancer but he really slays every single concept and dance that they have ever done. He’s the kind of dancer who makes really complicated moves look so simple… until you try them and almost break something.

So yeah, I loved the dance. I have obviously watched the dance with music now since the song is released and wow… perfection.

However, the song is not as sexy as I was expecting. Listen, para mi, if you’re gonna talk about sex talk about it. It’s kind of like Hyolyn’s Dalli, I listened thinking the lyrics were going to serve the sexy but they were about a break up?

For Taste it’s not a little different in that the lyrics are on theme however it’s a little toxic. As Felix said in the Intro video, if Red Lights has a red tone then Taste has a blue tone, and I agree.

With lines like “Make you feel my love” you’d think they are in control of the situation but no, the subject of the song is in control, they’re holding the reins and danceracha is yearning for them, wants them, even though they know it’s bad for them.

To be fair, the lyrics are sexual in some parts but in a seducing way. This song is like the anticipation before the act, when the air is sizzling with electricity. Do you get me?

And the subject of the song is toying with them, and they both love it and hate it.

Ooh the lyrics are so fascinating, one of my favourite lines are Hyunjin’s:

“it’s like a bad red roses, I go crazy for the scent and my breath grows short, the thick thorns hidden by beauty…”

I feel like that captures the whole vibe of the song the best.

I also love the line:

“close the distance between you and I, our brief breaths join each other…”

Ooh girl, do you see what I mean about that anticipation, that frisson!

*ahem*

Moving on, I love the song melodically. The falsettos! Ooh it’s my vibe. Lee Know, his lines are just *chefs kiss* like the part where he goes “즐겨, baby, baby, don’t test me, oh, no” I melt! Melt! A voice like honey. Um! His voice in this song in general is just so good. They’re danceracha but they really showed off what their voices can do.

Felix doing falsetto! Come on now. It was a topic of debate till people watched the live stages on a recent music show but he sings the last line: “시작해 버린 이상 내 게 아님 안 돼”. I am so proud. I’m kind of turning into a Felix stan but literally so proud.

He is known for his deep voice and man do I still love his deep voice, but his voice is versatile and I’m glad he got to show it with this track. Hopefully he gains more confidence from this and we’ll hear more of his voice.

Great track all in all. The only part I didn’t feel was the pre chorus but it’s necessary to build up to the chorus (which is mainly instrumental)… so I warmed up to it a bit.

Drive is still my favourite for songs that talk about sex, but Drive is more fun and yay! Whereas Taste is sultry and a little dark. So joint first place? As they both give me something the other doesn’t?

Red Lights sounds sexy but the lyrics aren’t sexy. In my opinion, it really is about workaholics anonymous.

Can’t Stop

Lyrics/Composed: Seungmin, I.N., 홍지상

Arranged: 홍지상

This song is so cute. It cools you down from the heightened emotions of the 3racha and Taste.

It’s very pop rock and I love that! I was a big Jonas fan and Mcfly and all them so yes, this is right up my alley.

In the Intro video I.N. talks about wanting to make a song that fans can easily sing along to at concerts and I think they achieved that. It has a catchy chorus and the verses are also easy enough so, tens across the board.

The lyrics are so cute too, I must like you. This is another one for the beginning stages of love, when you’re crushing. They try to deny it but they cannot, they like them! It’s love! And with the song we follow them plucking up the courage to ask out the subject of the song.

I love it. It never fails to fill me with good vibes.

Circus

Lyrics: 3racha

This is the Korean version of the Japanese title track. There’s not much different apart from the language, thus I still like it.

I just love how it starts with the beatboxing, ugh it’s so good!

The entire song is so good (and fun).

So all in all it is a good mini album that delivers on the theme of love. I am loving this pink era Stray Kids, so far it is a lot of fun.

Is it my favourite album? No. Cle 2: Yellow Wood and NOEASY are my two favs at the mo. Oh and SKZ2021, I’ve listened to that album too many times (it honestly has almost all my favs in one place). But it is still a good mini, so like I would say it’s in the top five (the other one in the top five being In Life).