Stray Kids are finally back with the single ‘MANIAC’ and the EP ODDINARY.
ODDINARY is the group’s second EP, coming after Noeasy, their second-full album released in August 2021. The title ODDINARY is a combination of the English words “odd” and “ordinary”, to represent that “All of us who are ordinary also have odd sides. In other words, odd things will soon become ordinary,” according to a press release from JYP Entertainment.
The EP consists of seven tracks, led by ‘MANIAC’ representing the album’s overarching theme through lyrics like “After blinking once, back again, back to cosplaying what society defines normal to be/ Maniac, going crazy, like I have a loose screw, Maniac”.
‘MANIAC’ has been released with a fascinating music video. Stray Kids exist in two words while visiting different places in the “oddinary” world, with the members embracing and accepting their ‘odd’ and showing newfound confidence.
‘MANIAC’ is written and composed by 3RACHA, the group’s producing unit that consists of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, with VERSACHOI. The EP has five group tracks – ‘Venon’, ‘Maniac’, ‘Charmer’, ‘Freeze’, and ‘Lonely St’ – and two-unit tracks – Bang Chan, Lee Know, Seungmin, I.N in Waiting For Us’ and Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix in Muddy Water’ and all the members have taken part in writing the lyrics and composition for the different tracks.
ODDINARY is on its way to becoming one of the best-selling albums of 2022. Advanced order for the EP surpassed 1.3 million copies, making Stray Kids the first artist under JYPE to achieve this number in pre-sales.
ODDINARY is currently taking over the global charts; only 24 hours after its release, the album has topped the iTunes Album Chart in over 57 countries, including Australia, Austria, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, and more. The EP has debuted at No.1 on the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart and has reached No.1 on the US iTunes Album Chart.
Meanwhile ‘MANIAC’ debuted at No.1 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart and the European iTunes Song Chart. It also reached No.1 on iTunes Top Song Chart in 41 countries.
Moreover, Stray Kids made their US Late Night Show debut by performing ‘MANIAC’ on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Stray Kids will start their world concert tour in April. The tour will kick off in Seoul with two dates, April 30 and May 1, stop in nine cities in Japan, and run in the United States until July 27.
