Entertainment
Next Big Thing In The K-Pop Industry: Stray Kids Are ‘Shaking the Industry, Quaking Reality, and Making It Iconic’
Stray Kids are breaking records everywhere — proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.Often known as SKZ, it is a South Korean boy band…
Stray Kids are breaking records everywhere — proving that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Often known as SKZ, it is a South Korean boy band founded by JYP Entertainment in 2017 as a result of the reality program of the same name.
Bang Chan (Bahng Christopher Chahn), Lee Know (Lee Min Ho), Changbin (Seo Changbin), Hyunjin (Hwang Hyunjin), Han (Han Jisung), Felix (Lee Felix Yongbok), Seungmin (Kim Seungmin), and I.N (Yang Jeong In) are the group’s eight members.
Originally a nine-piece ensemble, former member Woojin (Kim Woojin) quit in October 2019 for unspecified personal reasons.
On June 2, 2023, Stray Kids released their third studio album, 5-Star. The album has broken many records even before its release.
Stray Kids’ ‘5-Star’ broke many records
Stray Kids are no strangers to breaking records. However, their latest album is doing the most, becoming the top in the K-Pop industry.
On May 30, 2023, two days before the album was released, JYP Entertainment said 5-Star had received 4.93 million pre-orders. Two days later, the numbers changed to 5.13 million.
5-Star is the only album in the history of K-Pop to cross the 5 million mark for pre-orders. It became the most pre-ordered release in K-pop history, shattering the previous record of 4.64 million copies set by Seventeen’s 2023 album FML.
‘5-STAR’ by has surpassed 5.13M preorders. They are the first Korean act in history to surpass this milestone. pic.twitter.com/sZSI0VOnC9
— Stray Kids Chart Data (@skzchartdata)
According to the Hanteo Chart, the album sold 2,392,666 copies on its first day of release. Similarly, it sold 4,617,499 in its first week, making it the fastest-selling first-week album in South Korea, once again surpassing Seventeen’s FML.
Moreover, 5-Star opened at number one on the Circle Album Chart for the May 28 – June 3, 2023 edition, selling 4,330,039 copies in its two days of tracking.
Within a week of their album release, Stray Kids have already won two music show awards. On June 7, 2023, they won Show Champion, and on June 8, 2023, they stood first on the M Countdown.
Stray Kids are breaking records left and right with their new album, ‘5-Star.’ (Source: )
However, these are not the only awards 5-Star will win. Fans, who are called Stay, have speculated that the album will be winning ‘Daesang’ or Grand Prizes in various shows.
They have speculated this after comparing Stray Kids’ last mini-album, Maxident. 5-Star has doubled its first-week sales record of 2,163,349, which was set by Maxident.
Maxident was a triple-million seller and was deemed one of the best-selling albums in K-Pop history. Moreover, they won Best Album awards in music shows like the 37th Golden Disc Awards and the 12th Circle Chart Music Awards.
“5-STAR” is now the album by a 4th Generation Kpop artist with the highest 1st day sales in history (1.87M, still counting)! pic.twitter.com/LuaYjpL13h
— Stray Kids Chart Data (@skzchartdata)
Moreover, according to Forbes, Maxident was the fourth best-selling album worldwide, and Oddinary, another Stray Kids’ mini-album, was the eighth best-selling album in 2022.
So, looking at Stray Kids’ history, they are breaking their own records as well as in the K-Pop industry.
Stray Kids’ discography
Stray Kids released their pre-debut extended play (EP) Mixtape in January 2018 before making their formal debut on March 25, 2018, with the EP I Am Not.
It was followed by the other two I Am series EPs, I Am Who and I Am You. Their Clé trilogy EPs, Clé 1: Miroh, Clé 2: Yellow Wood, and Clé: Levanter, were released in 2019.
STRAY KIDS WORLD DOMINATION.
— ruby ! ⁴⁰⁴ (@dtksfavourite)
STRAY KIDS EVERYWHERE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. https://t.co/vEwNc4w3ewpic.twitter.com/lCJUQ5I7Tv
The group’s debut studio album, Go Live, was released in 2020 and was certified platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Stray Kids also made their Japanese debut that year with the compilation album SKZ2020, released by Epic Records Japan.
Stray Kids’ second studio album, Noeasy, became their first million-selling record in 2021. After signing with Republic Records for US marketing in 2022, the group released the EPs Oddinary and Maxident, which landed them at the top of the US Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart for the first time.
The KMCA recognized Maxident as having triple-million album sales, making them only the second group in Korean history to do so. Stray Kids has sold over 10 million records in combined Korean and Japanese versions as of October 2022.
Entertainment
Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Star in Robert Eggers’ Next Film ‘Werwulf’
WERWULF is currently in pre-production, with more casting and plot details expected to be revealed soon.
After haunting audiences with Nosferatu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is teaming up once again with director Robert Eggers. This time for a werewolf horror titled Werwulf. The film is already building buzz ahead of its Christmas Day 2026 release, and it may get even hotter with Nosferatu lead Lily-Rose Depp in talks to join the cast.
Eggers will direct from a script he co-wrote with Sjón, his collaborator on The Northman. With Focus Features backing the project, and Working Title producing, Werwulf looks to carry the eerie, mythic tone Eggers is known for — only now under the full moon.
Their last outing, Nosferatu, was a breakout hit, raking in $181 million worldwide and marking a massive return for stylized gothic horror. Taylor-Johnson played Friedrich Harding, a vampire skeptic, while Depp portrayed Ellen, the object of Count Orlok’s obsession.
With werewolves now in his sights, Eggers’ next nightmare seems poised to bite — and Taylor-Johnson is clearly ready to howl.
Jurassic World Rebirth, the latest installment in the dinosaur saga, has stomped its way to box office glory. Directed by Gareth Edwards and co-written by Jurassic Park veteran David Koepp, the film premiered on June 17 in London and hit U.S. theaters on July 2. It has already grossed over $334 million globally against a reported budget of $180 million.
This fresh reboot stars Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali in leading roles, supported by Jonathan Bailey, Ed Skrein, and Rupert Friend. The film shifts slightly from the earlier World trilogy tone, leaning into sci-fi thrills and a suspenseful, character-driven story.
Critics have been split. While some praise the visual effects and performances, others say it doesn’t quite recapture the awe of Spielberg’s original. Still, many fans agree that Rebirth is a major improvement over the previous film, Dominion, and a step in the right direction for the franchise.
With its strong performance, Universal is now reportedly developing spin-offs and planning to expand the Jurassic universe further. After ten films and over three decades of dino-dominance, it seems audiences still aren’t done with the thrill of prehistoric adventure.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is officially underway, and the cast lineup is as iconic as fans hoped. Meryl Streep returns as the icy editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly, joined once again by Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci — reprising their roles nearly two decades after the 2006 original became a cultural classic.
But the sequel isn’t just about the old guard. It’s adding new faces to the high-fashion chaos, including Lucy Liu, Justin Theroux, B.J. Novak, Pauline Chalamet, and Bridgerton star Simone Ashley. Acclaimed actor and director Kenneth Branagh will also appear as Miranda’s husband — a character that’s expected to shake up the dynamics at Runway Magazine.
Plot details are still under wraps, but the film is scheduled to release on May 1, 2026. It’s expected to explore the evolving world of fashion media while diving deeper into Miranda’s personal life and Andy Sachs’ next chapter. Notably missing is Adrian Grenier, who played Andy’s boyfriend Nate in the original. Sources say his character won’t return for the sequel.
With a mix of nostalgia and fresh energy, The Devil Wears Prada 2 promises to deliver sharp dialogue, high fashion, and the kind of dramatic flair only Miranda Priestly can serve.
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