The Sound

The greatest K-pop acts recognize the importance Japan plays on the global scale: The country is the second-largest music market in the world, which means appealing to those fans is a surefire way to show support for your audience. Enter Stray Kids, the massive JYP Entertainment boy band, and their third studio album (and first Japanese release). It’s largely new material—bolstered by Japanese versions of their previously released tracks “Thunderous,” “CHILL,” the staccato-meets-steel-drum single “CASE 143,” and the hard-hitting beat of the title track. Elsewhere, Stray Kids demonstrate their range: the nü-metal bravado of “Battle Ground”; the piano ballad “Lost Me”; the 2000s pop-rock “Novel”; the lighters-up, finger-snapping R&B harmonies of closer “There.” Surprises abound.