Stray Kids have released their 4th album, Karma. With banger after banger, this album features lots of catchy, unforgettable songs.
As someone who is new to the world of K-Pop, but has also jumped in headfirst without a life vest, I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to go to the store first thing in the morning for a day of release. Three months later, that time has finally come thanks to Stray Kids.
The boy group released their 4th album, Karma, today, so I jumped in the car and drove to Target, picking up the exclusive vinyl and the exclusive CEREMONY version of the CD. Target gives you an extra photocard, so it’s more than worth getting it there, right?
There have been teases of some of the featured songs and concept photos to get fans hyped. Last night, the music video for CEREMONY dropped, allowing fans to hear the entire song for the first time. I knew that if the rest of the songs were even half as good, I was going to be happy with my purchase.
Stray Kids Karma Tracklist
Stray Kids Karma has eleven songs. Well, sort of. There are three versions of CEREMONY, and if you ask me, each of them is great. Below is the full tracklist.
- BLEEP
- CEREMONY
- CREED
- MESS
- In My Head
- Half Time
- Phoenix
- Ghost
- 0801
- CEREMONY (Festival Version)
- CEREMONY (English Version)
Karma Initial Thoughts
I made sure to listen to the full album from start to finish the first time. Then, I went back and listened while reading the lyrics, so that I could further dive into all the different songs and what they were saying. I immediately noticed how cohesive the album felt to me. Each song feels like a part of the same story, which I appreciate.
Sure, there are some that stand out – In My Head and Ghost are currently at the top of my list, especially lyric-wise – but all of them are great, if I am being honest. This is an album with no skips, in my opinion.
While it does seem like a combination of genres are blended together here, I am not mad about it. I like an album to have variety, and as long as the songs work back to back, there is nothing to complain about. In My Head immediately brought me back to my punk rock pop days, while CERMONY and BLEEP had me dancing around.
I also really enjoy how much this album leans into Felix’s deep voice. As a very new STAY, it is hard to say how much they have done this in the past, but he is featured brilliantly in nearly every song. His is the only voice I am able to pick out so far, but I don’t think it will be long before I know the rest. That said, all the vocals blend well and complement each other throughout this album.
My initial thought after completing my first listen was that I cannot wait to see these songs live. I know that Stray Kids just finished up a tour, but I will absolutely be seated should they decide to do a Karma tour. These bangers will be incredible on stage, I just know it.
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Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.