Bang Chan And Felix From Stray Kids Do Australia Proud
Stray Kids’ new album features a tribute to the devastation caused by the Aussie bushfires — a moving offering from the band’s Sydney members.
Stray Kids are back with a new album, 5 Star, which has already broken sales records, selling two million copies in just one day. It’s not surprising: the 12-track album is full of bangers, including title track ‘S-Class’. But it’s B-side ‘FNF’ that really sticks out to me.
The catchy EDM track belies the devastating message of the song: while on the surface the lyrics speak of missing someone desperately, it’s actually about the Australian bushfires of the 2019-2020 summer and the resulting horrific loss of flora and fauna (the ‘FNF’ of the title).
The song was co-written by Stray Kids’ “Aussie line”: Bang Chan and Felix. Both members grew up in Sydney before moving to Korea to pursue their music careers.
In an album introduction, the members said, “We (Bang Chan and Felix) wrote this song about the feelings of sadness, regret, and longing that we felt when we saw so many animals and plants lose their lives during the big bushfires in our home country, Australia, a few years ago, and compared it to the feeling of losing someone you care about.” “I spent half my life in that country,” Chan added while introducing the track for a YouTube special. “The song’s about missing the nature that represents Australia. It has that sad and upset heart.”
Three years on, it’s cathartic and emotional to have the collective trauma of the bushfires remembered and recognised in ‘FNF’.
Being Australian, I’ve long had a soft spot for Bang Chan and Felix, and this song takes that to a whole new level. So, in honour of ‘FNF’, I want to celebrate some of Bang Chan and Felix’s peak Aussie moments…
When they introduced themselves in full Aussie mode:
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
When they made a “shrimp on the barbie” joke:
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
When they enjoyed some hwachae the Aussie way:
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
When Felix dropped the c-bomb off-screen:
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
When Chan and Felix taught Korean kids all about Australia:
When they cooked a meat pie with William and Bentley, sons of Aussie comedian Sam Hammington:
When they had their fellow members speaking “Strayan":
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
And finally, just about every moment of their tour in Australia this year.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
TO DIE FOR by B.I: The second studio album from rapper B.I showcases his considerable range as it explores themes of coming-of-age and falling in love across 15 tracks, with a line-up of collaborators that includes Jessi, Big Naughty, and Colde. My personal faves are ‘Dare to Love’ (feat. Big Naughty) and ‘Truth’.
SHALALA by Taeyong: This mini album and its title track of the same name marks the official solo debut of NCT member Taeyong. The seven tracks make for a boppy and distinct ride, with a bright and attention-grabbing lead single in ‘SHALALA’ and a music video to match.
Unlock My World by fromis_9: This is the first studio album from the girl group, with 10 tracks of pleasant pop and an aesthetically pleasing music video for title track ‘#menow’. It’s fun and easy listening – ‘In the Mirror” is an early fave.
‘Lilith (Diablo IV Anthem)’ by Halsey ft. SUGA: This is a new version of Halsey’s track ‘Lilith’, which originally appeared on their album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power, and now is the very fitting lead single for the Diablo IV video game. I was already a fan of the original song, but the feature from SUGA adds layers and texture that sent shivers down my spine.
While Stray Kids had me remembering the horror of the bushfires this week, BTS had me reminiscing over happier pre-pandemic times — resulting in some incredibly mixed emotions.
This month — June 13, to be exact — marks the 10 year anniversary of BTS’s debut. Each year BTS celebrates Festa, a weeks-long event to mark their anniversary with fans, which typically features special content and new music, amongst other things. We’re in the midst of it now, and it’s somewhat bittersweet considering BTS are on hiatus as a group, with two members already serving in the military. But they’re still keeping ARMY busy — not only is there an unexpected OT7 song dropping later this week called ‘Take Two’, they’ve also been releasing regular Festa content.
As part of Festa they did a surprise BangBangCon last weekend, which is basically where they stream old concerts for hours on end. Naturally I dropped all other plans (lolol like I had any) to stay glued to my couch all day to watch, because even though I own all the concerts on DVD, it’s always fun to experience these things collectively with the fandom.
The first concert streamed was the ‘Magic Shop’ 5th Muster from 2019. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s my fave concert of all time (the setlist, the staging, the costumes, the choreo, the talking segments — EVERY MOMENT IS PERFECTION), so I was really excited to revisit it for the first time in a while. What I wasn’t expecting was the wave of absolute grief that overcame me when it began.
I was taken back to a time before the pandemic had turned the whole world upside down, before I had become depressed again, when I was in the early days of heady infatuation with BTS and everything was a new and exciting discovery. It was all just pure joy. And I suddenly felt the deep loss of that — and wondered if I’d ever feel that way again. I don’t know about you, but the last few years have worn me DOWN, you know?
Anyway, I persisted with the concert despite these discomforting feelings. And something kind of magical happened (it’s the ‘Magic Shop’ after all). By the first costume change, I could feel the grief slipping away. And as BTS reached ‘Pied Piper’ — the highlight of the night — there it was again. That joy. An elation you can only feel when witnessing something you really love, alongside people you really love. And that’s what fandom is, at its best.
At the end of the concert, RM addressed ARMY by saying, “There’s a song called ‘Home’ on our album. The place we’ll always come back to.” It’s nice to know I could find my way back to that place again, too.
With love,
Jenna
Really digging the new Stray Kids album! I think it's especially powerful to see Bang Chan and Felix paying homage to their home country, but also raising awareness on issues and environment concerns and climate change. Music really has the power to educate. I also found myself bawling as I rewatched Muster 5. It's my absolute favourite BTS concert, and I agree...that setlist is simply perfect