Stray Kids seem poised to dominate the second half of July with the release of new album Ate alongside a track on the sure-to-be-blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine movie. That corporate synergy even extends to the music video for title track Chk Chk Boom. Of K-pop’s many global successes, Stray Kids are at the tip top of international focus — an ascent that’s been nurtured for years. But as they’ve grown into superstars, I’ve had a harder time connecting with their new music. Often, it seems stuck in a holding pattern.
Chk Chk Boom has one big mark against it right from the start. Its overall gun/explosion schtick is one of K-pop’s most creatively bankrupt ideas. I’m sure there was a time when gun sound effects were genuinely compelling, but I can’t recall it. At this point, the trope has become so overused that it’s more monotonous that annoying.
Apart from that, Chk Chk Boom is totally… fine. It’s the sound of Stray Kids doing Stray Kids (with a Latin twist), so if that’s what you’re up for you’ll likely enjoy it to a certain extent. The slinky groove makes a satisfying through line, seesawing here and there until we hit the thumping percussion of the chorus. The second verse is especially effective, adding more electronic elements to the mix. The rhythm slows too often for my taste, but its insistent loops keep things interesting.
The song’s chorus leaves more to be desired. Between its tired “ratatata” and a forced attempt at a Spanish accent, the hook feels more than a bit gimmicky. It largely echoes the pattern of the percussion, neither detracting nor stealing attention from the groove. Like the bulk of the song, it all clicks together reasonably well. However, Stray Kids have shown us many times that they can do much better than “reasonably well.”
| Hooks | 7 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 7 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I like the chorus and the instrumental a lot. Really carries the song.
8.75/10 for me
(also I genuinely can’t believe they got the MCU Wolverine and Ryan Renolds for this mv lmao)
LikeLiked by 3 people
That was the highlight of the MV for me OMG
LikeLike
Beat’s great, but it needed WAY better hooks. And it’s too short as well and needed a proper and good buildup to the outro
7.5 (6, 9, 8, 7) for me, unsure of how it’ll do in the long run.
LikeLiked by 2 people
fr i can’t enjoy the song like the usual 3 min skz bops
the hooks part is also accurate, the build-up is SO GOOD and then the chorus-
LikeLike
PS: I MEAN NO HATE TO Y’ALL WHEN I SAY THIS!!!!!!
nah, give 3racha a break…they be dying over there like “too many songs…AND WE CAN’T EVEN SWEAR BUT XDINARY HEROES CAN!?!”
LikeLike
Hmm… I’m not feeling it atm but there’s some good moments here and there (the second verse’s instrumental).
Maybe it might grow on me?
LikeLiked by 2 people
At the very least I would give the festival version a high 8. I had the same reaction as their label mate NMIXX’s Dash when listening to this, may need another week to see how they will interact with my brain system. The B-sides really don’t have any epic songs as expected, most of them start with rough and sour melodies. I hope the song with their name will blast further, and JJAM should have less annoying pauses. My current cup of tea is Runner but if only it was 20 seconds longer with a banger hook and wonderful outro to end. The minus point like many albums today is that the songs are too short.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The spanish sounds SO weird. Is this what native english speakers feel when they hear random english words in k-pop songs? 😭
LikeLiked by 2 people
Okay, I’m Colombian and liked their Spanish, but apparently I got the most popular opinion ever HAHAHA no one liked their Spanish parts.
LikeLiked by 2 people
well I’m Costa Rican and I actually really liked the Spanish.
LikeLiked by 2 people
kinda. But as a Mexican, I really liked it. Maybe it’s just me but I felt like they didn’t overuse the words. I’m surprised they didn’t throw in a “fuego” lol 😆
LikeLiked by 1 person
Knowing HAN, I was expecting an “Holaaaaaaaa~”
LikeLike
LALALA felt like one half-step forward and then with this they took two steps back again. It’s just very…paint by numbers and frankly average for them; they’re lucky they can elevate most things through sheer explosive force of will via their performance because otherwise this could be neatly labeled “generic edgy boy group huffing and puffing #4827425”.
I hate when groups fall into a lazy-feeling holding pattern like this; I wish a rise in popularity and burgeoning sales figures meant MORE experimentation and willingness to go bolder and wilder rather than a retreat to safe and comfy. I keep waiting for another Side Effects or Miroh from them or something else unexpected that makes me go “okay wow!” and bolt awake. Instead it’s just kinda business as usual. Maybe start straying from the norm next, kids!!
LikeLiked by 3 people
I laughed so much at your “generic edgy boy group huffing and puffing #4827425” comment. I usually say “bad boy postering” but “huffing and puffing” feels like a better description lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s like an Omega X lizard brain dumb dance song, so it’s not great but would be wildly entertaining to me except for that gun cocking part which these days kind of makes me shudder. The styling on this video is great, of late I’ve felt like the Kids are swimming in their clothes. As another poster noted, still waiting for another Side Effects,or even Back Door.
LikeLiked by 3 people
It feels like an expensive Super Bowl ad that is just a shrug for the Monday morning reviews.
LikeLiked by 6 people
I can’t hide it, this is a total banger and Stray Kids just got me back. I was a little sad after “LA LA LA” because that was literally the anti-catchiest song to ever be made in their discography. But this one? It just slaps! It feels epic, love the subtle reggaeton beat, the Spanish language nods. I’m a happy STAY again.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can’t lie, I saw this on tiktok and was really bopping to it. At the same time I agree that this isnt the most creative or mindblowing thing they’ve ever done.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I really recommend everyone listen to the “festival version” of this one. I rarely expect anything from an alternate version like that, but this one might be my favorite song on the album. It goes kinda crazy. Sometimes a little speed is all you need…
LikeLiked by 5 people
hard agree on the festival version being superior. I’d go even further and play with the synths here and there.
LikeLiked by 2 people
yeah I just listened to it. So much better honestly
LikeLiked by 2 people
The festival version is such a banger
LikeLiked by 1 person
I feel terrible saying that I don’t like the song at all, but frankly it kinda sucks compared to songs like case 143 or even old title tracks like miroh. The who album feels as though they are trying too hard to fit the ‘SKZ World Domination’ image the fans have created and it’s not original anymore. Chk chk boom feels like a thrown together effort to me and especially with all the continuous ‘noise music’ type of backing
LikeLiked by 2 people
Case 143 is my least favorite skz title track ever so we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Most everything else grew on me after a while, but I’ve never found much to like about 143.
LikeLike
Just an fun fact: When “MIROH” and “Case 143” were made, Stray Kids had very little confidence. I see a lot of people saying that they are taking steps back into their comfort zone, which is far from true. The more they do songs like this, the more confident they become in themselves. They aren’t trying to fit the narrative STAY has created for them, they are using it to give themselves confidence and create songs that THEY enjoy. I see a lot of videos that say “JYP overworks Stray Kids” and “This is too much for them!” when in reality, Stray Kids is CHOOSING to overwork themselves in hopes of making songs they genuinely like within a decent time frame. Also, when people say “This is too much for them!”, that’s what happens when don’t take that “step back” and they do what these people are saying they should do instead. This step back drains them because not only is it difficult like all songs, but they don’t even feel confident in themselves.
LikeLike
I’m not disappointed, but I’m not really pleased either. This is one of the songs I can only really enjoy when I see the choreography with it (but it will probably grow on me.).
In MY opinion, CHK CHK BOOM is a better title track than Case 143 and Maniac, but Stray Kids have released so much better title tracks like Levanter, Side Effects and District 9.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Will next week’s soundtrack really bring back the thrilling vibe or the the first two years of their career?
I have been listening to Ate straight for almost 24 hours and I’m obsseing with Jjam, despite the style of the song is my least favorite aspect of them. I heard it was competing with the annoying Lalalala last year as the title track. Personally, I find J’s production a thousand times more interesting than Lalalala, it’s like being upgraded from La*4 combined with Domino and Item.
LikeLike
Maybe because my expectations were so low after the last album which seems like a tired effort but I really like this album so I’ll bump it up to a 8.25
LikeLike
Really surprised by the reactions. I love the album. It’s my first kpop/stray kids album. CHK CHK BOOM is a great catchy vibe for me. It gets me moving better than any new American music in The states. My favorites are Runner, stray kids, Boom, and I Like It.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad you enjoyed the song and album and were able to have a great introduction to SKZ and kpop!! 🙂 They have an amazing discography, though I guess I’m a bit biased as a huge STAY!
I was surprised at all the negative feedback here too. I personally love the song and I’ve seen mostly positive feedback for it in other places, from fans and non-fans alike. It’s so groovy, fun and the energy is infectious! Already became one of my favorite title tracks of theirs. The rest of the album is awesome as well, but I guess it might be difficult to understand if you’re not a fan of the group. 🤷♀️
LikeLike
I really like the Title Song Chk Chk Boom. This song proves that stray kids can venture out and change up there sound. Yea I agree that stray kids will always have that stray kids vibe in there songs but it’s also nice when they change it up and prove that they can sound different. Even if it’s when we least expect it like work the ATE album. I’ve been listening to the new songs and they weren’t what I had in mind. But I’ve been listening non stop to really appreciate them and to find gems in each one. I live chk chk boom and the Spanish Latin vibe they went for. It just shows there open to all cultures and not stuck in a bubble but they are aware that there’s no more out there than just Korean and English and there’s a lot of fans who would also love to hear them sing in there language as well. My favorite song after the title track is Runners. There’s something about it that I like it’s catchy it’s has a good meaning and it’s different. I like “I like it” too I didn’t think I would like it as much as I do but I do. lol. I think stray kids did well with this Album. It’ was promoted well and it may catch people off guard with the new vibe but it’s great. I woke rage it a solid 8. There not a stray kids song that I dnt like. All albums and songs are amazing and the fact that then write and produce themselves is even more amazing. So thanks to stray kids for putting out great music!!!!
LikeLike
This song is really reminiscent of Fuego by Blank2y
LikeLike
Two notes before I comment: I’ve been a dancer for 15 years now and I am INCREDIBLY biased toward Stray Kids.
Music-wise, I absolutely love the outro and specifically I.N and Seungmin’s parts in verse one/the pre-chorus. The bouncy sound of it adds a lot of interest for me.
However, what really sells this song for me is the choreography. They explained in their “Intro” video that this genre is something new for them and that it took a while for them to polish it. We’ve seen a lot of the “super-explosive 1000% energy all the time” type of performances from them and I’m so glad they reached for a new style. 3RACHA creates tracks that have so much packed into them and there’s SO much texture and accent in this song to play with in the choreography. I think that’s why I’m drawn to their music as a dancer. And bravo to the choreographer because holy shit my expectations were met. It’s perfectly subdued but just in-your-face enough that it keeps your attention. Lee Know has been my favorite dancer of the group almost every era and is extremely adaptable in his style. He’s able to conform to many different genres and looks incredible this era. However, based on what I’ve seen so far, Changbin in particular has really been impressing me. I don’t know man, I feel like he’s really found his style!! His technique has been amazing, his textures with speed and bounce have been great, and he looks like he’s having fun with it. I hope he keeps this up because I think he’s got lead-dancer-level potential!!
And to Nick, you’re crazy eloquent dude. Love reading your posts.
Thanks for reading my ramble! Wow that was long.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Why do so many of their b-sides since 2022 sound like Venom from the Maniac era? They often have quite a few impressive pre-choruses that I think are very spiritual at times but then there are some horrible main hooks imitating piles of rubble from a broken wall which makes the overall song very sick. When watching some unveils, I was quite expecting the song SKZ to have more surprises but it was too predictable. This song seems to be a step back from last year’s Japanese single they collaborated on with LiSA.
LikeLike
You are right, it is absolutelly amazing song as always! 😉
Ofc you have right for your opinion, i just wonder whom it is addressed, probably not those milions of fans who might find it by accident., who has seen it 100 mil times in 70 days, even with so many flaws you mentioned. I don´t know you, but your article didnt add anything more then fast criticism, you doesn´t sound like educated in music, instruments, production… so, lets say thank you that your review wasnt worse.
LikeLike
“forced attempt at a Spanish accent” where?? 😭😭 you realize the pronunciation of “catastrophic” in the first chorus is just because of lee know’s accent, right? if you listen to how bang chan (a native English speaker) says it, you can tell they weren’t going for a Spanish accent
LikeLike
nah, they gotta leave poor baby Lino outta this! boi can’t even say “city” right and they expect him to say “catastrophic”?! Also…HAVE THESE IDIOTS EVER HEARD A SPANISH ACCENT!?
LikeLike