Rock-Star (EP)

Did You Know?

• The EP's concept is based on the Korean four-character idiom huiroaerak, depicting various emotions.
• Dazed named 'Cover Me' the 25th best K-pop track of 2023.

Background

On January 1, 2023, Stray Kids posted a video outlining their plans for the year, including two album releases. Their first record of 2023 was the studio album 5-Star, released on June 2, which reached number one in several countries and earned a five-times million certification. The group supported it with the 5-Star Dome Tour in South Korea and Japan from August to October, and during that tour they issued the Japanese EP Social Path / Super Bowl (Japanese Ver.) on September 6.

News outlet Joynews24 reported on September 19 that Stray Kids planned a new album for November, which JYP Entertainment confirmed. On October 6, the group announced Rock-Star via a prologue video narrated by Felix and Bang Chan, showing a boy in a marching band falling asleep and scenes of the members robbing a bank, becoming pirates, and looking at a clock. The Korean title -Star plays on the Sino-Korean pronunciation of rak, similar to rock. Members described the EP as having a close relationship with 5-Star but showing more untamed energy, based on the four-character idiom huiroaerak.

Music and lyrics

Rock-Star contains eight tracks running 25 minutes and 27 seconds. 3Racha, the in-house production team of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, wrote and produced all songs; Hyunjin co-wrote 'Cover Me' with Bang Chan. Other contributors include Versachoi, Cubeatz, Willie Weeks, Millionboy, Nickko Young, and Jun2. Japanese singer-songwriter Lisa appears on the Korean version of 'Social Path', originally from the group's Japanese EP.

Release and promotion

Pre-orders began on October 6 in five editions: limited 'Star' and standards 'Rock', 'Roll', 'Postcard', and 'Headliner'. The track list and digital cover were posted on October 9, confirming 'Lalalala' as the lead single and a rock rearranged version. Two songs, 'Megaverse' and 'Leave', were teased via 'Unveil: Track' on October 20 and 24. At the 5-Star Dome Tour shows in Seoul on October 21–22, the group first performed 'Megaverse', 'Blind Spot', 'Leave', and the Korean 'Social Path'; performances of 'Megaverse' and 'Leave' were uploaded on October 26.

A mashup video came out on November 6, and an intro video on November 9. Four sets of teaser images were released, showing members in rock star outfits, balletcore costumes, with lion statues, and in a magazine-style photoshoot. The music video for 'Lalalala' debuted with the album, depicting a clash of emotions and a smoke-like creature attacking a marching band. The 'Megaverse' video, released November 20, showed Stray Kids knocking out a security guard and featured rapper Tablo.

The group performed 'Lalalala' on Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo, and M Countdown. A pop-up store ran in Seoul from November 12 to 26, and Changbin and Felix appeared on Amazing Saturday on November 18.

Commercial performance

In South Korea, Rock-Star sold 1,885,065 copies on its release day according to Hanteo Chart. It debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart with 3,650,904 copies for limited and standard editions and 177,901 for the Nemo edition, then topped the monthly chart with 4,126,466 copies, earning a quadruple million certification. In Japan, it reached number one on the Oricon Albums Chart and Combined Albums Chart, selling 128,000 copies in its first week.

Internationally, it peaked at number two in Australia, France, and Germany. In the United States, it entered the Billboard 200 at number one, making Stray Kids the first act to have their first four chart entries debut at number one since Alicia Keys and One Direction. The EP debuted with 224,000 equivalent album units, including 213,000 pure sales. It later received gold certifications from the RIAA and SNEP. The IFPI ranked it as the ninth most-consumed album globally in 2023, with 4.2 million units sold.