[subtitles by Twitter @angelade17 aka SKZ dance tutorials guy]
DANIEL: Oh my god, where are my weights
DANIEL: Where my weights at? WHERE MY WEIGHTS AT??
DANIEL: I need to start lifting!
[Rossini's Semiramide Overture plays]
[t/n: SO EXCITED FOR THIS REACTION, we're in for a treat]
UMU: You're now reacting to the boy group Stray Kids
UMU: And first you'll be reacting- ISAAC: Who's that
ISAAC: *laughs* UMU: BOI
U: And first you'll be reacting to their song, "Victory Song", released on their 2019 album called "Clé 1: MIROH"
FIONA: Victory!
U: This is a battle song for everyone struggling with their own maze, their journey through life
U: Through the lyrics, Stray Kids hope to give people confidence and strength to keep going and to successfully make it through
U: The song is composed by earattack, Larmook, and-
ISAAC: SPONGEBOB U: The three- excuse me sir
ISAAC: Because that's the only victory song that you deserve to listen to
U: EXCUSE ME SIR, I'M READING MY SCRIPT
U: It's composed by 3 members from Stray Kids called 3RACHA
ISAAC: Spongebob, Patrick, and Squidward
ISAAC: *singing to himself* KEVIN: *unamused* 3, 2, 1
OWEN: It feels like they have some like, recording-backwards-over-tape sort of song- sound
OWEN: Or rewinding tape, is what I meant
[t/n: what a hype intro. 3RACHA outdid themselves]
CLOUD: *laughs* I feel like I'm on a roller coaster and this is like the slow up part, and we're about to *drop motion*
ELIZABETH: There's always like a build up into a song, like in the intro
OWEN: I like how it feels like it lands on the "And" of 1, 2, 3
ELIZABETH: Ooh, okay that bass drop was excellent
SPONGEBOB NARRATOR VOICE: Meanwhile
ISAAC: *wub noises*
KEVIN/ISAAC: *sing the hook to "Turn Down For What"*
KEVIN/ISAAC: "TURN DOWN FOR WHAT"
*giggling*
FIONA: Now that was a way to start
DANIEL: This low-key sounds like the music (FIONA: Lindsey approved) that's played at my gym 24/7
DANIEL: And it kind of makes me want to like, lift weights *laughs*
JAMES: I love how hard this is, but it's only like...
JAMES/BRIANNA: Ooooh *shook by Felix's low voice* BRIANNA: He said low register
JAMES: Trap? Hello?
HENRY: That makes you feel really cool, that makes you feel really cool. Makes me feel really cool
HENRY: I'm also just really spiced up right now CLOUD: Soul on fire
HENRY: I'm salivating from the spice, but I don't know if I'm salivating because of his deep dark voice *laughs*
BRIANNA: Vocals
B: Do you hear that underlying harmonization on the bottom? J: Yeah
B: I really love guy harmonies because they can access such a lower register, that they can sing a bass
NICK: It's like, busy AARON: It's like I hear a little grit, a little dirt in the sound (NICK: Mm-hmm)
[t/n: meanwhile, Han ab flash]
NICK: That's real- Grit, that's that's the word AARON: It's not grungy-
AARON: OH ho wow, he has abs. Wow ʘ_ʘ
AARON: That was hot NICK: Oh, I thought that was about something in the song that I missed
NICK: I shoulda known *laughs*
I: *sings the rhythm*
K: I mean, aw, that half time is so good
But before that, it's just "Turn Down For What", and I can't shake it
I wish I could shake it, but I can't
J: The harmonies in the bass is really, like...
B: *sings* Do you think that's them or just like, sound effects?
D: Oh woah
F: Just right how it began D: Alright, okay
F: Went right back to the beginning D: And he delayed it, okay
D: This is very effective F: Cool moves
D: Oh my god, where are my weights?
Where my weights at? WHERE MY WEIGHTS AT?
I need to start lifting!!
B: OOOH you hear that high harmony? J: Oh ho ho, yeah
B: Okay, range! I'll give them that
H: It's way more melodious
[t/n: Han popping off with that high C, we love it]
H: That was a cool different like, high energy to the last chorus, let's call it
B: Okay, this beat just HITS
B: Like...
J: YES B: What?
J: Oh my god (B: That was kinda hot) I mean, if there are choreo vids for this online, I'm gonna watch all of them
J: Because like, (B: Yeah) that's hard
A: You know, something I have to say about lower sounds
Is like with lower noises, there are more overtones and harmonics
So I think that's really like, I think- I don't know
It's like, appealing to me when they use their low voices
And they talk like, I don't know, *low noises*
It was a little more like dirt in the sound
A: Metal? U: The sound is dark and-(A: Yeah, it's dark!)
A: Yeah it's like, it's like dark chocolate U: Oh
A: Like in terms of kpop, I feel like that's like dark chocolate with- (U: WIth nuts in it)
A: YEAH with nuts in it! (U: UGHHH) That's what I was literally gonna-
A: I was like, it's like that Trader Joe's dark chocolate with the almonds in it. Mmm, so good
N: I'm totally in love with the bridge
Because everything in the song except for the bridge is pretty much just based on like, the downbeats
Like, you don't have a big ol' like, snare on every offbeat or anything like that
But then the bridge, the entire melody is just like based on the "&" of every beat
Also the guy's voice- the guy's voice is SO good
[t/n: that's our boy SEUNGMIN *sob*]
N: Yeah
U: Yeah, so overall thoughts on this?
O: The most interesting part for me, it was actually just the beginning percussive- percussion U: Mm-hmm
O: Because it sort of played with where we thought the downbeat was gonna be, like *demonstrates rhythm*
And then it hit like, on a little bit later than we expect it to
So I thought, I thought that was really creative
The rest of it felt like it just, it fit the form of an EDM song, which I mean works and makes it perfectly fine ,viable commercially
Especially with like, the drop having a like, percussion that like, gets faster and faster with a crescendo
Or like, also a long drone held over that
And then a drop where there's nothing, and it's like a guy, he's like, "Alright, here's the drop now"
O: I dunno, just a lot of things that we've heard before E: They're using a formula that's very effective and very exciting
E: And you know, I think part of it is like, the dancing and like, when you stan a group and you know all of the members
I think that's like, half of what makes this as exciting as it is
So I feel like as long as you're writing a song that has like, you know, a lot of the elements that make people excited
Like a cool bass drop and like, a lot of really impressive rap, and then you know, some really amazing dance moves
Like, I think that's like, the winning combination that kpop has figured out
So like, I don't necessarily mind when we hear something that like, isn't, you know, the most original EDM song in the world
Because like, half of the fun of it is like, THEM, and their performance
E: And what they bring to it (O: And just doing a good job with it) Yeah, exactly
O: I guess I hadn't thought about that, in terms of how much value there is
And not just breaking from a genre and breaking concepts and tropes
But also epitomizing them
And I feel like that's what Stray Kids is doing here is just trying to make- take the ideas that we've heard a lot
And make them as crisp and as like, perfect as possible. I think they did do a good job of that
J: Personally for me as a listener
I used to have a hard time listening to lyrics
Sometimes like, I would just like hear the music and I wouldn't actually be listening to what the singers were singing
And I feel like a lot of people who struggle with that need more like, visceral songs like this to just convey the message
'Cause not everyone's gonna be like, "Oh wow, I totally get that like, reference they just made like, in these like, I'm breaking down the lyrics"
Like, not everybody it listens in that way
So I think, I thought this was a really interesting take on that like, positive message
B: For me, what really like, made the song was the beats in the background and just like, the chromaticism
B: 'Cause it really like, created like this build-up, then like the beat drop J: And the little sound effects that would like, sound
B: And I really liked how their melodies played off of the percussive beats that were happening at the same time
U: You're now comparing "Victory Song" to their B-side song called "Boxer", released on the same "Clé 1: MIROH" album
The lyrics talk about taking on life and pursuing dreams like a boxer takes on a fight, and like an eagle catches its prey
Stray Kids are flying high above their goals and knocking out all their obstacles to achieve their dreams
The song is composed by Glory Face and Jake K from Full8loom, and once again 3RACHA
C: Soul on fire! H: Zero. Makes me want to watch "Code Geass" again
H: Annyeong!
*head bops*
K: Woahh, reggaeton turned into...
K: Okay, this is a pretty sick hook I: *sings*
I: This is Stray Kids right here K: *sings the synth part* That's really cool
K: It's got that old Eminem type of feel
E: Ooh, take away all of that busy texture and just have like, them singing in harmony?
That's pretty cool
H: Ahh the bell C: Boxing ring!
K: Oh, I like the shifting of those fifths upward, with the hook
K: Nice. Nice boxer um, reference
N: I really love the bells
It's just like, a single point of clarity in like, real grit
F: *sings* Cool background sounds
D: They're just kind of like, really layering it up with all these different types of sounds
F: This song is THICK
It's thick- it started off thick too
H: Triplets. *laughs*
C: Triplet triplet triplet triplet, boom H: Yeahhh
K: Yeah there are so many things still going on in this slightly slower section that keeps the energy going
F: Like, there's so many hype sounds
Silence... *ding*
E: I like the *makes wauw noises* they've got in the synth in the back
K: *sings bass note*
K: Oh nope, still in 4. Wow, very cool I: *imitates instrumental flair*
I: These embellishments just- wow
I: A lot of them, quite abundant
K: Ooh
K: Oh interesting, the overtones sound like a higher note, but then...
I: *laughs* K: Oh yeah, see now it's different. It's a different riff
K: Ohh yeah *makes synth noises*
J: We love harmonic minor!
B: *sings along*
B: *sings minor triad*
K: And despite this dense mixing, things still pop out in unexpected ways
D: Ayy. And I love how it ends without finishing with like, it's- another like
F: Chorus D: Like, rhythmic cadence (F: Yeah) Like boom
D: You know, it's like *sings* Boom. You expect that, and it kinda leaves you hanging (F: That's kinda how it started)
F: It was just like *slaps* It like, wasn't like-
F: What's the opening, like an exposition (D: A crescendo) to something, it was like
F: It was like, *chunk wheeew* D: *laughs* And it was like *whoop*
F: Until the end, then it was like *pfft* D: Then it was just like, leave you flying F: Just like, bye
D: I really liked when yeah, there was that silence and then you just have that voice right, it's like
"Boxers are the..." *beep* and it's censored, right?
D: And it's implied probably "shit" [in Korean] because you hear like, the S (F: The *beep*) The sh *beep*
D: But then I thought that was so interesting because like, the sound of that censoring noise is a lot more effective, in a certain way
F: Than the S word D: Because it leaves you kind of guessing for a split second what that thing is
D: And we always equate, when there's like a censor kind of noise that like, someone's saying a bad word
It's- there's always a connotation, it's just like, "Oh, bad word!"
"Oh shit, what is that word?" You don't even know what that word is, but you know it's bad, bad enough to censor it
And I think they're going off of that in a certain way, where it's like
The peak was "Boxers are the" *beep* and you're like, "Oh shit, it's a bad word"
You know, it's like, they're bad
D: You know what I mean? (F: Yeah) I think it's, it's so clever like, it's even more effective than just saying "Boxers are the shit"
F: Like, highlighted it in a way D: Yeah, exactly
D: They highlighted it by covering it up
O: I'm interested in how they can- how they make the bass like, stay interesting
'Cause when we have, when- in the orchestra when we have a drone note
O: Like, you almost think about crescendoing even though you're remaining really really soft and not important (E: Yeah)
O: So you can keep it like, interesting to the audience (E: Moving forward) Yeah
So I wonder if there's anything they're doing that-
Doing with that electronically and like keeping that *makes bass drone sound* Like, to maintain that interest
J: it's so important to have... like, I think what they're doing is so smart
Yeah, and I'm not just speaking about like, America anymore. I'm speaking about more like, generationally
I feel like the newest generations, like ours and younger
Like there's- there's just a much higher prevalence of like, mental health awareness, like mental health issues
As of the past maybe like, 10, 15 years of music, like we've seen a lot of like, emotional content being put out
And I think that's reflected In how our generation deals with like, mental health and like, depression and anxiety and all of this
Groveling in your feelings and having that like, emotional music to listen to is awesome
But I also think it's just as important to have music like this, which is...
Their music is essentially like a rallying call
Like it's supposed to be like, "Yeah, like get up and like, fight and like, be strong" basically, is essentially I think what their messaging is
And I think if addressing mental health is a coin
Like, that's the other side that I think is super important and they hit it on the head every single time
Every single song we've listened to, it's just like
Thinking about life as a fight, like you have to FIGHT against your depression, you have to FIGHT against your anxiety
Like, it's very much like a boxing match where you have to like, KO that sucker to win, you know
It's- I think it's a really important sentiment that a lot of young men, but also just young people in general really need to hear
I: That's called variants right there K: Yep
I: I personally- well, if we're choosing which one is better, THAT for sure. That is Stray Kids
K: Yeah I: Absolutely, that is very-
K: I think the other one is Stray Kids too
I: Really? REALLY? K: I think it's- I think it's Stray Kids as well, it very much is I: Ok
K: But this one definitely is more musically appealing and exciting and riveting for me I: Yes
K: Sometimes the chant-type stuff and the refrain *sings Victory Song hook* That type of stuff almost makes it sound a little more vanilla
But this just goes hard and I love the boxer theme
K: Oh yeah (I: *bing*) It came through so much
K: And again there were moments where the beat cuts off and they say something, like "Boxer"
But I think everytime there were some differences and it's really, really awesome!
U: Just realized it was a /boxer/, I always thought it was boxer dog
I: *undresses* K: *confusion*
U: Like the breed of boxer, you know? K: *thoroughly disappointed*
I always thought it was a dog!
U: [incoherently] You guys just, I don't know why I: [with an accent] It's cute dog
K: No, it's about boxing I: It's about boxing! U: *wails*
I: It's about knocking your opponents out, bloodying their face
U: I always thought it was a doooog!
[t/n: what a wild ride. Bang Chan we appreciate you and Stray Kids!!!!]
GECKO: What's up, my name is Cardi G
And I'm a little too lazy to chase around crickets, so I usually wait until they hop on my bed to eat them
Anyways, my mom Umu heard that Han likes leopard geckos, so she wanted me to say hi!
Hi Han! Hope you're doing well!