Midnight Music Hall: "THIS & THAT" by Stray Kids {Taffy Tuesday #7}
Hello, Internet, and good mornight to you all!
My name is Taffryne, shoppekeeper of Midnight on Memory Lane, and it is my absolute delight to welcome you back into the Midnight Music Hall for this week's gathering of Taffy Tuesday!
'Tis a pleasure, 'tis a pleasure indeed.
As the title of this post says, we're going to be talking about Stray Kids' newest album, "THIS & THAT" which released back in August of this year (2026)!
I humbly present my thoughts for your enjoyment and consideration.
T/N: For those unfamilair with Stray Kids, I recommend their wikipedia, subreddit, Official YouTube Channel, and Official JYP Ent. Website as the best places to get acquainted with the guys. For a brief summary, they are an 8-member (Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N) kpop group under JYP-Enterainment known for their high-energy, "noise music" style and for being primarily self-produced by their production subunit of 3Racha (Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han). Their fans are called "Stays" because "You Make Stray Kids Stay", and their group motto is "Stray Kids Everywhere All Around The World". They've been active since 2017, so there's a whole lot more to learn if they pique your interest! As a Stay myself, we're always looking for new recruits!
Official Stray Kids Store Link (NOT AFFILIATED): click here!
Barnes & Noble Exclusive "Tangerine Ver." Link (NOT AFFILIATED): click here!
YouTube Playlist Link: click here!
Vinyl Review
The Record
Now, I bought the vinyl of their "KARMA" album directly from their store to get the blue version (it's so cool); however, this time around I did the B&N exclusive one because I liked the all-orange colour and jacket art better. The orange is much more vibrant in person than in the photos which made me super happy! The vinyl plays at the standard 33 1/3 RPM. No crackling, scratches, or nada which always fabulous!
The Art
I love this specific cover art so much. The other art with the white background and hodge-podge office wear is nice and editorial, but I think this sort of "outcast club hangout" vibe feels more little bit o' this, little bit o' that, ya know? Some jeans worn, some jeans pristine. Some faces sparkly and others dark. It's cohesive enough to be a group but eccentric enough to be individualistic. The ye olden copper truck is also a very nice touch.
The Inclusions
In a much needed upgrade from "KARMA", this vinyl came with a lot more goodies! It has a printed inner sleeve (very basic though, just plain black with small white text), a poster of the aforementioned white background photo shoot, and a lyrics/credits insert. For fan goodies, there's even an included photo card (I have the Hyunjin/I.N doing rocker hands) and a bookmark(?). Admittedly, I'm not sure on that one...
What I really appreciate is that the lyrics insert has the lyrics as-is where they combine English and Korean within the songs. It's nice to show respect to their use of language and it also clears up a lot of confusion where something might sound like one language but is actually the other.
T/N: As a fun aside, and absolutely no intended offense to the man's visuals, but...does anyone else think that Bang Chan in the poster kinda-maybe looks like a little threatening? Maybe it's the uber pale eyebrows and stark white colour grading of it all but...just a wee bit frightening...
Album Reflections
As cheesy as this'll seem...this album really is aptly named. It's a dash of this, and a smidge of that. It's got different styles of songs with different stories behind each lyric and different instrumentals all the way through. You want slow? It's got that. You want energy? Take a listen to this. It's an eclectic arrangement of tunes.
Depending on my mood, I can pick any song to have on loop or I could scramble throughout the album and be just as happy. The MVs are an extra treat to feed into the hodge-podge vibes of it all. I'm so happy this came out on vinyl so I can add it into my collection. Now if I could just manifest all of the OTHER Stray Kids albums into vinyl records...
Recommendation-wise, obviously anyone who's a Stay should check it out if they somehow haven't already. Outside of Stays, I'd say EDM people should go for "FARMING", "This & That (Festival Ver.)" and "After You", chill people should tap, "Way Out" and "Back Then", and people wanting to feel a little cooler in life should hit up "RUN IT" and "This & That". "I DO" is for the sentimental ones.
Without further ado and for those of a curious mind, I present my thoughts for each track below!
"RUN IT" ~ Track #1 (A-Side)
For those familiar with their "ATE" track, "MOUNTAINS", "RUN IT" is yet another marching-anthem for Stays that just gets my blood pumping. There's a triumphant confidence that carries in the different melodies. I especially love how the marching has been built into the song's percussions! It's like it forces your heartbeat to pick up and match their pace. The tie ins to their group motto via the "run it everywhere all around the world" is so precious. The variation between the chanting chorus and the more vocally dramatic pre-chorus bits is a beautiful production choice.
T/N: If I may hark on the MV specifically...Bang Chan's claws, I.N's ink stained hands and the calligraphy patterns, and then the Felix v. Felix sequences are so, so, so good.
"This & That" ~ Track #2 (A-Side)
For the composition as a whole, I love the smoothness of it all. The husky vocals and the almost lazy cadence with each verse just scratches a part of my brain and oozes the essence of "nonchalant". That sort of middle ground in the energy levels and an air of confidence wrap this song in a nice little audio package. That said, I absolutely must shoutout Seungmin's vocals specifically because holy shit they're so...agh, I don't know a good word for it. Angelic feels too sweet but smokey feels too rough. They're a calm in the song's storm and it's incredible. Well done sirs, well done.
T/N: The MV...it's so perfect. The hodgepodge of everything and organized chaos is so visually interesting. THE TRAVEL TO PRIOR MVs!!!
"After You" ~ Track #3 (A-Side)
If there was ever a non-early-2010s song to be an early 2010s song, it's this song. Honestly, it takes me right back to the Wreck-it-Ralph ending credits. The guitar intro, that specific EDM backing actually melancholic lyrics...ah, manufactured nostalgia, what a dear. There's just so many things in this song that, while simple on the surface, are masterfully executed to cultivate this feeling.
T/N: The fact that even the MV style uses the old vlog-compilation style too...ugh, my heart...
"FARMING" ~ Track #4 (A-Side)
I have no idea what the genre of this song would be called...but my word, I am absolutely taken by it. All of the bit of it. The hyper-produced vocals. The whatever-that-distorted-sound-is backing instrumentals. The ending chanting that I cannot wait to hear from the concert crowd.
"Good night, I'm rolling rolling; There ain't no time for balling; Good morning, I'm still rolling"
As the resident night-owl of my house who says good-night at 6 AM...these lyrics have me in a chokehold.
T/N: The M/V with minesweeper and the old windows valley are golden. RIP to the poor, innocent food that Bang Chan dropped. Sadge.
"I Do" ~ Track #5 (B-Side)
I enjoy this track for all the different interpretations someone could take from it. Is it commiseration at a shared hardship? Is it humanizing someone who's been cursed with the "perfect" label? Something else entirely? Changbin is credited as the sole lyricist, so I would be really keen to learn more about the specific moment that inspired this song in him. Musically, I really like the last roughly ~30 seconds where everything becomes more passionate and all the ad libs overlap the main vocals. It starts feeling more like a plea or a pledge than a comforting conversation.
"Way Out" ~ Track #6 (B-Side)
Have you ever wanted to tell someone "Fuck off", but in a lo-fi, super aesthetic way? Well, is this the song for you! The lyrics might be harsh, but the sounds are so eloquent. If someone was to tell me, "Get lost, goodbye", I'd certainly feel a lot better by hearing it through such whispy vocals. "Coffee House Breakup Song", that's what this is. It's alarmingly relaxing for such a harsh sentiment.
"Back Then" ~ Track #7 (B-Side)
I tip my non-existent hat to Han for the lyrics of this (to me at least) bittersweet song. There's a mix of the adoration for a wonderful time with someone, but also the acknowledgement that it's a memory of the past. I say bittersweet, but perhaps the "bitter" part of that word doesn't feel quite right. It's almost peaceful? The song doesn't feel upset, just, thoughtful. Appreciative. I think that's the word that fits best. Appreciative of the love and affection someone gave you, even if it was "back then". Perhaps they still spend time together, or perhaps they've grown apart. It doesn't change the value of those moments.
"This & That (Festival Version)" ~ Track #8 (B-Side)
I think my favourite part of the "Festival Version" series within Stray Kids' discography is that you get this fun energy baked into them. A series of just "now...what if we made it sound like this". Anything goes as long as it sounds good, and we're all the better for it. Sure, it makes sense for ending stages, but it's also just a grand time to get whacky with the music, ya know? I myself am not musically inclined, but I am utterly fascinated by the tracks like these where an artist takes existing sounds and transforms them into something new. We've gone from husky to hyper and both stand on their own.
The Questioning Queries
- Are you a Stay? Still a Baby Stay or '17 Veteran?
- How would you rank these 8 tracks? Do you have a favourite?
- Which physical version of the album did/would you get, if any?
BONUS: Have you gone to the RUN IT tour yet or are you planning on going?
Thanks for Reading!
I hope you've been able to listen and experience the album for yourself!
If you haven't, that's okay too! My thoughts are here to keep you updated and entertained in the meantime.
This caps off this week's gathering for Taffy Tuesday, so out of the Midnight Music Hall and off into the nighttime we go in preparation for tomorrow!
I hope you'll come back for tomorrow's Watch Party Wednesday! We're at the second to last episode of Whale Store xoxo and the third to last episode of Idol I!
May we always meet at Midnight!