5-Star (Stray Kids album)
5-Star (stylized as ★★★★★) is the third Korean-language studio album (fourth overall) by South Korean boy band Stray Kids. It was released on June 2, 2023, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, following their seventh EP Maxident (2022). A combination of hip hop, pop, and electronica elements, 5-Star lyrically addresses themes of uniqueness, confidence, and aspirations.
5-Star
June 2, 2023
- JYPE (Seoul)
- Channie's "Room" (Seoul)
- Feel Ghood (Seoul)
36:35
- Korean
- English
- 3Racha
- Versachoi
- Chae Kang-hae
- Restart
- Zack Djurich
- Millionboy
- Trippy
- Nickko Young
- Kyle Reynolds
- Chris LaRocca
- Jun2
On the album, 3Racha worked with songwriters and producers Versachoi, Chae Kang-hae, Restart, Zack Djurich, Millionboy, Trippy, Nickko Young, Kyle Reynolds, Chris LaRocca, and Jun2, as well as member Felix. It comprises twelve tracks, including the lead single "S-Class", the Korean version of "The Sound", originally from the group's Japanese album of the same name and "Mixtape: Time Out" from the Mixtape Project, and features a guest appearance from Tiger JK on the track "Topline".
5-Star generally received generally positive reviews from music critics. Commercially, the album peaked at number one in South Korea, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and the United States. It was certified quintuple million by Korea Music Content Association (KMCA), and gold in France, Poland, and the United States, and became the second global best-selling album in 2023, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The album won Top K-Pop Album at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, Artist of the Year – Album from 13th Circle Chart Music Awards, and Best Album (Bonsang) at the 38th Golden Disc Awards.
Background[edit]
Stray Kids' follow-up Korean-language album to Maxident was first mentioned in an interview with the news outlet The Fact in October 2022, after the group won the Artist of the Year (Bonsang) and Fan N Star Four Star Award at The Fact Music Awards in 2022. Member Seungmin stated that they would return with an "amazing" album the following year, possibly including new sub-unit combinations and exploring new music genres.[1] On New Year's Day in 2023, the group uploaded the video "Step Out 2023" to their social media, outlining their accomplishments in 2022 and plans for the new year, including two album releases.[2]
In early March 2023, Hankook Ilbo first reported that Stray Kids had already finished filming a music video for the new album's lead single and that it was scheduled for release in April.[3] On the same day, JYP Entertainment subsequently confirmed the music video filming, although not the release date.[4] Financial analysts and researchers also estimated that the group's new album would come in the second quarter of 2023.[5][6][7] In late April, after the group concluded their Maniac World Tour, SpoTV News reported that the group would release a new album in early June.[8] JYP Entertainment confirmed the news.[9] Titled 5-Star, the album was formally announced via a trailer on April 28, set to be released on June 2.[10] The title refers to the lead single "S-Class", playing around two words "special" and "star".[11]
Release and promotion[edit]
On April 28, 2023, Stray Kids uploaded a three-minute trailer to announce 5-Star.[30] Based on Korean game I Am Ground, the trailer sees the members each introducing themselves with their chosen nickname in individual shots before uniting in the same scene.[31][32] Pre-orders of album opened on the same day as the trailer's release, being made available in five versions with 12 different covers: limited, standard A, B and C, and eight digipacks.[33] The album's Solar System-styled track listing, constellation-styled scheduler, and digital cover artwork were posted to social media on April 30. The track listing confirmed "S-Class" as the lead single, and included the Korean version of "The Sound", originally from their Japanese album of the same name and the 2022 single "Mixtape: Time Out" from the Mixtape Project as part of the album.[34]
Prior to the release, the group teased snippets of five tracks of 5-Star via the series "Unveil: Track": "DLC",[35] "FNF",[36] "Get Lit",[37] "Topline",[38] and "Youtiful",[39] as well as the other tracks via the live action-and-comics-fusion mashup video.[40]
The album's teaser photos were revealed in four sets. The first depicts the members wearing colorful outfits and posing in front of 1980s-styled backgrounds combining Korean traditional art and everyday life items.[41][42] The second, alongside accompanying mood films, shows the melancholy-eyed members, wearing "mix-and-matched" outfits, posting on the street at night illuminated by street light.[43][44] The third expresses the members, wearing the same outfits as the trailer, posting with various music instruments and loudspeakers,[45] while the fourth shows the members in black clothes with the vintage cars background, adding oriental-styled "kitsch" illustrations of pine trees, clouds, tigers, and cranes.[46]
5-Star was released on June 2, 2023, in conjunction with the music video for "S-Class",[47] preceded by two music video teasers.[48][49] The documentary series Intro "5-Star", consisting of three episodes, was released between June 1 and 11.[50] Starting on the release date, Stray Kids promoted the album and performed the lead single at several music programs, such as Music Bank,[51][52] Show! Music Core,[53][54] Inkigayo,[55][56] and M Countdown.[57] To commemorate the release, Stray Kids partnered with Soundwave for launching a pop-up store from June 3 to 18 at Seongdong-gu, Seoul,[58] as well as launching SKZoo characters' sticker set for KakaoTalk on June 27.[59] Stray Kids' space-themed third fan meeting Pilot: For 5-Star supported the album, held at KSPO Dome from July 1 to 2, which they previously specified as a mysterious "What's Next" on the promotional scheduler,[60] and debuted the performance of "Item".[61] The group headlined the Lollapalooza music festival in Paris on July 21, performing songs from 5-Star: "S-Class", "Topline", "Item", and "Super Bowl",[62] and embarked on their all-dome concert tour 5-Star Dome Tour in South Korea and Japan from August to October.[63]
Commercial performance[edit]
On May 30, 2023, two days before the release, JYP Entertainment reported that 5-Star had exceeded 4.93 million pre-orders, and 5.13 million two days later.[79] It became the most pre-ordered release in K-pop history, breaking the record of Seventeen's FML (2023) with 4.64 million copies.[80] Later, it was surpassed by Seventeen's EP Seventeenth Heaven in October.[81] According to the Hanteo Chart, the album sold 2,392,666 copies on its first day of release,[82] and later 4,617,499 in its first week, becoming the fastest first-week selling album in South Korea, besting FML.[83] 5-Star debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart for the issue dated May 28 – June 3, 2023, and topped for two consecutive weeks.[84] It sold 4,330,039 copies in its first week,[85] and 5,242,486 copies in June,[86] certified quintuple million by Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).[87]
5-Star debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 for the issue dated June 17, 2023, becoming the group's third entry and third consecutive number-one album in the United States. With 249,500 equivalent album units, it marks the fourth-largest week by any album released in 2023, including 235,000 pure album sales—231,000 CDs and 4,000 digital albums—the biggest sales week of 2023 and since Taylor Swift's Midnights (2022), opened with over 1.1 million units. 5-Star is also the 19th overall non-English-language number-one album, and the third of 2023, following Karol G's Mañana Será Bonito, and Tomorrow X Together's The Name Chapter: Temptation.[88] It also topped the specific-genre World Albums.[89] The album reached number 82 on the 2023 Billboard 200 year-end chart, the highest charted K-pop album in the year.[90] 5-Star received gold certification from Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on October 27, their first album to do so.[91]
In Japan, 5-Star peaked at number two on the Oricon Albums Chart,[92] and number six on the Billboard Japan Hot Albums.[93] The album also topped in several national charts in Europe: Australia, Belgium (both Flanders and Wallonia regions), France, Greece, Hungary, Poland,[94] and Portugal,[95] as well as peaking at number two in Germany,[96] and Switzerland, and top ten in Denmark, Finland,[97] Italy, Lithuania, and the Netherlands. For the UK Albums Chart, it became their first top-40 album in the country, debuted at number 40.[98][99] In Australia, the album peaked at number two on the ARIA Albums Chart; it is the group's highest peak and their third top-50 entry after Noeasy (2021), and Maxident (2022),[100][101]
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI)'s Global Music Report for 2023, 5-Star was the second most-consumed album across all formats, and the second best-selling album worldwide, having sold 5.3 million units.[a][102][103]