Noeasy
Noeasy is the second studio album by South Korean boy group Stray Kids. It was released on August 23, 2021, through JYP Entertainment, nine months after its predecessor the Japanese-language extended play All In, and eleven months after the Korean reissue In Life. The album's title is a wordplay on "noisy" and "no easy", and conveys the idea of the group making a loud impact on the world with their music.
For the album, 3Racha, an in-house production team consisting of members of Stray Kids, worked with songwriters and producers including Versachoi, HotSauce, Hong Ji-sang, Krysta Youngs, and the group's other members. The fourteen-track album spans the musical genres hip hop, EDM, pop, R&B, and rock, and includes the lead single "Thunderous", and earlier releases "Wolfgang" and "Mixtape: Oh".
Upon its release, Noeasy received favorable reviews for its creativity, storytelling, themes, and energy. The album peaked at number one on the Gaon Album Chart, and in the top 20 of album charts in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, and Switzerland. Over 1.3 million copies of Noeasy were sold in 2021 and the Korea Music Content Association certified it a million-seller, acknowledging it as the first million-selling album for the group and their label. Noeasy won Best Album at the 36th Golden Disc Awards.
Background
Stray Kids uploaded the video "Step Out 2021", which describes the group's accomplishments in 2020 and plans for 2021—including a second studio album—.through their social media channels on January 1, 2021. Between April and June of that year, the group participated in the Mnet competitive reality television show Kingdom: Legendary War, in which they competed against other similar groups and emerged as the winner. During the program, they released the song "Wolfgang" on May 28, from the extended play KingdomOn June 29, 2021, the South Korean news outlet SpoTV News reported the group would release an album in late August and hold Kingdom Week, a television-program benefit for the winner. Later, JYP Entertainment confirmed the group were preparing a new album but had not decided its format. Hyunjin would also participate in the new album's promotion. A month later, via the album trailer "Thunderous", the group announced their second studio album would be titled Noeasy and was scheduled for release on August 23, 2021, marking their first Korean physical release in 11 months.
Before the album announcement, in early July, Stray Kids released SKZ Camp Song: Howl in Harmony, a five-episode camp-type online program that documents the group's song-creation process and the making of music videos for them. They group were separated into three teams: Quokka Bbang Daengi to write the song "Gone Away"; Yeoreum Wangja for "Surfin'"; and Bekka Wang for "Red Lights". In early April, the group also teased the B-side "Sorry, I Love You" on their V Live's live-streaming content Chan's Room, and "The View" was teased as a title on the music video of "Mixtape: Oh" in late June.
Title and concept
The album's title, Noeasy, is a wordplay on "noisy"—describing the misconception of the group's music as "noise music"— and "no easy", reflecting the highs and lows of life. According to Bang Chan; "We actually thought the term 'noise music' was something that we could use as our own weapon".Both interpretations express that despite the group's hardships, they aim to be the noisiest group. Bang Chan, the group leader, told several South Korean news outlets; " means that we want to leave a loud impact on the world with our music". Seungmin said; "the meaning is something like, 'life is not easy because of the naggers who tell us to do this and that, but we are Stray Kids, and we are not backing down' ... "
Music and lyrics
Noeasy is forty-six minutes and thirty-five seconds long, and has fourteen tracks of various music genres. The album's first four tracks are described as hip hop and EDM songs with aggressive bass sounds to represent fighting, and to mock the group's critics and haters. Tracks five through nine are "emotional" songs with pop, rock, and R&B sounds. The album concludes with three sub-unit songs and two previously released songs. All of the tracks were produced and mostly written by Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, who work together as the group's production team 3Racha. Other group members also participated in song writing; Lee Know and Felix co-wrote "Surfin'", Hyunjin co-wrote "Red Lights", and Seungmin and I.N co-wrote "Gone Away". Several other Korean and foreign songwriter-producers, including Versachoi, HotSauce, Hong Ji-sang, and Krysta Youngs, also contributed to the album.Songs
Noeasy opens with "Cheese", an EDM track with a "strong" rock] sound, "cheerful" energy, and "rough" bass synth, which uses the word "cheese" as a wordplay to compare smiling with a variety of cheeses. The lyrics include a flippant response to the group's critics. "Thunderous", the second track and the album's lead single, is a hip-hop and trap song that includes elements of Korean traditional music, brass instruments, and chuimsae. The song expresses the conviction the group will not be discouraged and will maintain their principles despite criticism. The Korean title "Sori-kkun" has a dual meaning of jansori-kkun meaning "nagger", and sori-kkun meaning " singer".The hip-hop-influenced third track "Domino" begins with a doorbell sound, alluding to the pizza brand; the song also has "intense" beats, "distinctive" sounds, and high-pitched taepyeongso. It compares the group's ambition and confidence to a game of dominoes. The lyrics imply the group's actions encourage other to follow after them in a domino effect. "Ssick", the fourth track, is a mid-tempo hip-hop and EDM song whose title has the dual meaning of "sick", which in English is slang for "good", and the Korean word ssik, which means "grin smile". It references the influence of fame and its attraction, and conveys the message feeling special about oneself is enough.
"The View", the fifth track, is described as a "rhythmic", "summery", and "hopeful healing", upbeat, synth-pop track. The song is based on an EDM sound; its lyrics are about winning over past difficulties and future uncertainties while feeling refreshed and optimistic. "Sorry, I Love You", the mid-tempo R&B sixth track expresses a feeling of guilt and regret for liking someone and potentially ruining a friendship. The seventh track "Silent Cry" is an alternative rock song about two people who cannot see each other's pain, and offers comfort to the silent, world-weary soul. The eighth track "Secret Secret" is a slow-tempo R&B song that conveys comfort and sympathy with the narrator wanting to tell their secrets to rain. "Star Lost", the dance-pop, soft rock ninth track, is a "feel-good" song with a nostalgic composition that calls on fans who feel alone to believe in themselves.
The upbeat, alternative R&B tenth track was performed by Bang Chan and Hyunjin; "Red Lights" features a "wild" feeling created by "violent" string sounds and electric guitar, giving it a "ripened sexy charm". Its lyrics use the theme of continuing to love someone despite having concerns and suffering, and talk about an unhealthy obsession with work. The summer-vibe, upbeat, dance-pop eleventh track "Surfin'" which is sung by Lee Know, Changbin, Felix, is described as "like a glass of carbonated water" with tropical sounds and marimba beats and lyrics about how having occasional little adventures can heal the soul and mind, allowing one to keep one's lives on track and not solely focus on work. "Gone Away", the twelfth track, is a ballad that describes an unrequited love and the frustration of someone who cannot to be with their lover; it is sung by Han, Seungmin, and I.N.
"Wolfgang", the hip-hop thirteenth track, describes a wolf pack making music by following Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and compares Stray Kids to the pack-hunting behavior of wolves. It was intended to convey a cohesive and solid appearance, and unstoppable will to pursue a goal. The album concludes with "Mixtape: Oh", a mid-tempo electropop song from the Mixtape Project; it has a reggaeton rhythm that describes the frustration of being clumsy and immature in front of the object of one's desire, and expresses feelings of resentment and frustration at those feelings.
Release
Stray Kids released Noeasy on August 23, 2021, on CD in both limited-edition and standard versions and download, and on streaming platforms. A jewel case version of the album was released on August 30, one week after the official release date. Previewing and pre-orders for the limited-edition version began on July 22, concurrent with the trailer release, the two standard versions began one week later, and the jewel case version began on the day after the release date.The album's limited and standard editions contain a CD-R, a package sleeve, a photobook, a lyrics book, a randomized member sticker, a folded poster, photo cards, and a double-sided photo card. The jewel case version, which features a member's solo cover, contains a CD-R, a sticker, and a randomized photo card. The limited version exclusively includes a randomized pop-up card and an all-member photo card set. A randomized poster, a frame photo card, and a special mini photo book are available through pre-order.
Promotion
On July 22, 2021, Stray Kids released a two-and-half-minute-long official comeback trailer named "Thunderous" and announced their second studio album Noeasy was scheduled for release on August 23. The trailer was directed by Lee Hye-sung and produced by Sushivisual; it has a superhero theme and shows the members transforming into avenger corps against the ear-shaped "sound monster" by inventing technology and weapons, and brainstorming strategies in an apocalyptic world. On August 2, they released an exclusive clip with behind-the-scenes footage of the trailer. In the clip, the members tease the undisclosed lead single; Felix appears alone and greets the group's fans.The group released snippet videos for the eight of the twelve tracks: "Cheese", "Red Lights", "Gone Away", "Surfin'", "Domino", "Sorry, I Love You", "The View", and "Secret Secret". The teaser images were uploaded in three sets. The first concept shows a red avant-garde outfit with a smoky background. The second depicts a black-and-white outfit with plain white or hanok background. The third shows pastel-colored casual outfits surrounded by neon lights.
The complete track list of Noeasy was announced on August 12, 2021, with "Thunderous" as the album's lead single, and the previous releases "Wolfgang" and "Mixtape: Oh". Two music-video teasers of"Thunderous" were released on August 20 and 21, and the performance-video teaser with SKZoo's costumes was released the following day. The online cover artwork, and the 24-minute-long documentary video Intro: "Noeasy" introducing the album, were also released with the album on August 23. To promote the album, the group held an online listening party via Stationhead on August 27, and appeared on several television and radio programs, including domestic music programs, Weekly Idol, After School Club, Day6's Kiss the Radio, and Cultwo Show. In addition to the lead single, the accompanying music videos for B-sides "The View", "Cheese", "Red Lights", "Surfin'", and "Gone Away", and live videos for "Sorry I Love You" and "Secret Secret" were also released.