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The Top Ten Best Songs by STRAY KIDS

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Though they’ve only been around since 2018, Stray Kids have quickly amassed enough singles to be eligible for a top ten list. Not only have they made constant comebacks since their debut, but they’ve also filmed videos for many of their side tracks.

Because of this, I had to leave a few strong tracks off of this list. Honorable mentions go to Hellevator (yep, it grew on me), Victory Song, Voices and Mirror.

10. Get Cool (2018)

A bouncy, irreverent pop ode to the small pleasures in life, Get Cool is a playful respite from Stray Kids’ more hard-hitting tracks.

9. I Am YOU (2018)

Fueled by an angsty hip-hop meets alt-rock sound, I Am YOU’s slow-burn approach took awhile to grow on me. But, its sentimental chorus and dynamic bridge ended up standing the test of time. (full review)

8. Levanter (2019)

Another pensive entry into the Stray Kids’ discography, Levanter upped the theatrics with a guitar-laced hook and anthemic refrain. (full review)

7. Astronaut (2019)

An upbeat EDM-fueled pop track, Astronaut catches the guys at their most mainstream and genial, drawing influence from their bright, quirky personalities. (full review)

6. Grow Up (2018)

An early indication that Stray Kids could tackle laid-back melodies just as well as intense hip-hop, Grow Up is the perfect hazy sing-along for long summer days. (full review)

5. Double Knot (2019)

Double Knot is a sparse, aggressive hip-hop track that could come off as posturing in other groups’ hands. But, Stray Kids imbue the instrumental with a welcome hookiness that anchors the swag. (full review)

4. My Pace (2018)

Harnessing rock influences in a different way than their debut, My Pace hinges on its rollicking, sing-along hook. Its verses and chorus are more restrained, but become more addictive with time. (full review)

3. Side Effects (2019)

Experimenting with sound and song structure, Side Effects is a brute of a pop song, gradually unveiling its charms before attacking the listener with a trance-fueled knockout. (full review)

2. District 9 (2018)

District 9 is one of the best debut songs in recent years, perfectly encapsulating Stray Kids’ mammoth hip-hop sound while bringing in bombastic rock guitar for a throw-down-the-gauntlet chorus. As a statement of intent, it doesn’t get much stronger than this. (full review)

1. Miroh (2019)

Only a year after their debut, Stray Kids one-upped themselves with the incredible Miroh. Driven by a hypnotic chant and unrelenting EDM loops, the track makes a breathless build toward the most cathartic, galvanizing chorus of its year. They don’t make pop songs much bigger than Miroh. (full review)

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14 thoughts on “The Top Ten Best Songs by STRAY KIDS”

  2. I believe that with Stray Kids, it’d be hard to make the same top 10 list for anyone. Different songs resonate with different people and when it comes to rating a song so many variables have to be taken into account.
    Still, it was a great list of notable songs from them.

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  3. I only like Miroh, My Pace and Get Cool from this list actually. I don’t dislike District 9 either but the sirens are quite annoying for me. Apart from those, these might the songs I dislike the most from Stray Kids. I still think Stray Kids shine when they go for the harder sounds (like Miroh and, even if I don’t particularly like it, Side Effects) rather than when they go light and emotional. I tend to find those songs utterly boring.

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  4. Love the variety of opinions – makes me wonder if any two people could agree on a list!

    I’d put Side Effects at the very top of my list – it’s weird, it’s addictive, and it’s one of the most compelling tracks from the past year. Miroh, Double Knot, and I Am YOU would round out my top 4, and then the rest… in some order.

    (And none for Astronaut!)

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  5. The DefinitelyBiasedStay™ has arrived, to… stay, hopefully!

    Taking into account tracks both with and without MVs, my list would go something like this:

    10. Maze of Memories
    9. Awkward Silence
    8. Chronosaurus
    7. Mirror
    6. Awaken
    5. District 9
    4. Side Effects
    3. School Life
    2. My Pace
    1. Miroh

    Stray Kids has the ability to turn genres I usually don’t like into songs I either enjoy or tolerate. Though they aren’t on the list, I still enjoy songs like Get Cool and Astronaut, which I wouldn’t if they were songs made by any other group. I feel like they imbue their music with something distinctly them – probably thanks to 3racha’s hand in the production – and thus, even their more mediocre songs still have a sense of genuine investment in it, rather than being just a cardboard cutout of whatever Shining Love Scenario sound is hip at the moment

    Thus, why Hellevator has grown on me. I hated that song when I first heard it, but having seen what it meant to them during its creation, I can’t help but jam to it now.

    God, I’m so biased.

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  9. My top 5 would be :

    1. Side Effect ( no words can describe how amazing this song is, it’s totally mindblowing, listen to this song feels like watching thriller-suspense movie, and the lyrics are cool )
    2. I am you ( it grew on me a lot, for me it’s most calming stray kids title track so far, this song is a type of song which will never get old )
    3. Hero’s soup & 19 ( i really liked both of these songs, i describe them as a beauty and very sentimental songs, a perfect songs before going to sleep )
    4. Miroh ( i got bored after listening to this song so many times, but i really admire the quality – production of this song, it’s lit!)
    5. Hellevator ( really cool song for pre-debut, also one of the best rap part/line in a kpop songs history )

    Tmi : levanter is my least favorite stray kids title track, district9 sounds so loud but when it performed on a stage it was a fire, double know also grew on me a lot, and i miss woojin and his heavenly voice

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  10. Mine would be like this:

    1. Voices
    2. My Pace
    3. Grow Up
    4. District 9
    5. MIROH
    6. Side Effects
    7. Hellevator
    8. Levanter
    9. I am YOU
    10. Young Wings

    Crazy how diverse their discography is. Almost everyone from you to the comment section has different preferences.

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  11. Consider me the late stay to your posts! i’m surprised you ranked “My Pace” so highly, considering how much the hook grated on you. My list would be similar:

    1. Miroh
    2. Side Effects
    3. District 9
    4. TOP (the OP for the anime Tower of God — it’s a mix of blistering rap and sick guitar riffs, so it’s basically a distillation of everything i like about skz)
    5. Grow Up

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