Oddinary
Oddinary is the sixth extended play and recorded by South Korean boy band Stray Kids. It was released on March 18, 2022, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, seven months after the band's second studio album Noeasy. The EP is Stray Kids' first release on Republic Records, which they signed in February 2022. A blend of "odd" and "ordinary", Oddinary represents "all of us who have something odd about ourselves" and the concept "odd things will soon become ordinary".
Material on the EP was primarily written and produced by 3Racha, an in-house production team of Stray Kids and other members; other producers on Oddinary include Versachoi, DallasK, Trippy, Jun2, Nickko Young, and Millionboy, with whom most of the group has previously worked. It consists of seven tracks, of which "Maniac" serves as lead single, and includes various musical genres such as hip-hop, trap, EDM, and rock. Upon its release, the EP received positive reviews from music critics. To promote Oddinary, Stray Kids embarked on their second concert tour, Maniac World Tour, which commenced in late April 2022.
Oddinary peaked at number one on the album charts in South Korea, Finland, Poland, and the United States; and entered the top 10 in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Hungary, Japan, Lithuania, Sweden, and Switzerland. It marked Stray Kids' first appearance on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Official Albums Chart, among others. The EP has sold over 1.7 million copies, becoming the group's second million-selling album after Noeasy, and was certified million by the Korea Music Content Association. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, Oddinary was the fourteenth best-selling album worldwide in 2022.
Background
Stray Kids uploaded the video "Step Out 2022" via their social media on January 1, 2022; the video outlined the group's accomplishments in 2021 and plans for the new year, which included releasing two albums. On February 10, it was announced the group had signed an exclusive contract with Republic Records for promotions in the United States. The group held their second fan meeting at Olympic Hall on February 12 and 13, the second day of which was webcast as a paid livestream via Beyond Live. At the end of the event, Stray Kids premiered a comeback trailer for their upcoming EP Oddinary, which was scheduled for release on March 18. The trailer was later uploaded on their social media accounts. According to band member Bang Chan: "With the title Oddinary, we want to bring the message that everyone has their own odd in them, and that's totally ordinary".The EP's title, Oddinary, is a portmanteau of two words: "odd" and "ordinary". It represents "all of us who are ordinary also have odd sides" and the idea that "odd things will soon become ordinary". In a StarNews interview on March 4, Stray Kids said the EP would show their "potential energy", be "crazy" in the meaning of "extraordinary", and show a "new side". Their label JYP Entertainment stated the group "will solidify its presence and continue its surge in popularity through the extraordinary music, concept, and performance of the new well-made release".
Music and lyrics
Oddinary is twenty-two minutes and three seconds long, and consists of seven tracks in various musical genres including hip-hop, trap, EDM, and rock. All of the tracks were mainly produced and written by Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, who worked as the in-house production team under the moniker 3Racha. Other members also participated in writing the tracks; Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N co-wrote "Waiting for Us" while Hyunjin and Felix co-wrote "Muddy Water". Other songwriter-producers Versachoi, DallasK, Trippy, Jun2, Nickko Young, and Millionboy, most of whom the group has worked with previous records, also co-wrote songs for the release.In an online press conference to promote Oddinary, Changbin stated the EP has added relaxation, composure, and moderation more than the previous release, which focused on explosive energy, while according to Bang Chan: "We wanted to tell that the part of you which can seem odd and strange to people around you can serve as a special factor that can make you cooler and more gorgeous". In the introduction video Intro "Oddinary", leader Bang Chan said every song on the EP blends into the main theme of Oddinary.
Songs
Oddinary opens with the trap hip-hop track "Venom", which suggests the impossibility of escaping someone's fatal charm, metaphorized as a spider, its web, and venom. It is followed by "Maniac", a trap electropop song whose bass-synth drop, bird-chirping, and power drill sound tell the story of "odd " people who break the society's social norms and expectations, comparing them with Frankenstein's monster. The third track "Charmer" is a hip-hop song that includes a snake-charmer-like flute sound that is inspired by the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin; it is about self-confidence, which can charm others. According to critics, "Maniac" and "Charmer" are influenced by Middle Eastern music. "Freeze", the fourth track, is a riddim, dubstep, and EDM song that is influenced by hip-hop beats and expresses the intention to overcome a problem, the excitement of breaking free, and the pursuit of dreams. The song was compared with the game freeze tag.The fifth track "Lonely St." is a rock song that describes loneliness and feeling lost, and the inner narrative of youths; it includes imagery of a person walking along an abandoned street. It is characterized by "rough" and "delicate" vocals; makes much use of Auto-Tune; and includes hand-claps, light grunge guitar, and trap beats. "Waiting for Us", the sixth track, is sung by Bang Chan, Lee Know, Seungmin, and I.N., and is described as a "heartfelt", soulful, soft rock, and indie rock ballad that talks about missing someone who promises to wait indefinitely for them. Oddinary concludes with Changbin's, Hyunjin's, Han's, and Felix's "Muddy Water", a jazzy '90s hip-hop, boom bap, and old-school that discusses actions that reject contemporary societal values.
Release and promotion
On February 13, 2022, Stray Kids premiered a video trailer for their upcoming EP Oddinary at the end of a fan meeting at SKZ's Chocolate Factory. On February 28, the trailer was uploaded to the band's social media accounts. Directed by Kwon Yong-soo, The video depicts band member Felix holding a padlock, boarding a bus, and entering a building with the neon sign "ORDINARY", which suddenly changes to read "ODDINARY". He meets the other members, who attempt to corner him. The trailer shows Hyunjin whispering in Felix's left ear, followed by the caption "Do you want to be ODDINARY?" and a series of ellipses. Hyunjin pushes Felix from the window before jumping after him, and breaking and unlocking the padlock. At the end, Felix, wearing a different outfit, walks to stand with the other members, showing his left eye turning green.Pre-orders for Oddinary began on the same day as the trailer release, coming in three editions on CD—a limited Frankenstein version and two standard versions, Scanning and Mask Off, including the Target exclusive versions alongside a pre-save on Apple Music and Spotify. The complete track listing of the EP was posted on March 3, confirming "Maniac" as the lead single. Concept teaser images were uploaded on social media in three sets from March 4–5, 7–8, and 11–12. The first set depicts the band members in black clothes standing in front of a radiograph or shadow of a head with screws. The second shows the members wearing black-and-white costumes with a black mannequin and metal detectors. In the third, the members wear colorful outfits with exploding firecrackers and cracked, smiling, emoticon props in the background.
Stray Kids teased the tracks via excerpt videos titled "Unveil: Track" for "Venom" on March 6, "Lonely St." on March 10, and "Freeze" on March 13, and as well as a mashup video that revealed the other tracks on March 14. Three music-video teasers for "Maniac" were released on March 15–17. Before the release, they uploaded the 20-minute documentary video Intro "Oddinary" and held an online press conference. Oddinary was released on March 18, in conjunction with an accompanying music video for "Maniac", at retail stores, and on digital music and streaming platforms. It was the band's first release on Republic Records after signing with label in February 2022. In addition to the lead single, the music videos for "Venom", "Lonely St.", and "Freeze" were released on March 23, 27, and 28, respectively, Individual-member-cover jewel case versions of Oddinary were released on March 28.
Stray Kids began promoting Oddinary with the debut performance of "Maniac" at KBS2's Music Bank, and CBS's The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on March 18, the same date as the release. However, on that day, JYP Entertainment announced that subsequent promotions had been postponed due to most members, except Felix and I.N, testing positive for COVID-19. On March 26, the label announced that Stray Kids would continue promoting at the music shows beginning at Show Champion on March 30, including M Countdown, Music Bank, Inkigayo, and Show! Music Core. The group also performed "Maniac" at Virtual Gayo Top 10 on March 25, and MTV Fresh Out Live on April 1.
In support of Oddinary, Stray Kids announced their second concert tour, titled "Maniac", on March 7, 2022, while teasing the EP. The 42-show tour opened with shows from April 29 to May 1 at Jamsil Indoor Stadium, Seoul, South Korea, and traveled to Japan, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. It was the group's first concert tour in two years since their first tour, District 9: Unlock. In this tour, besides "Maniac", Stray Kids performed all of Oddinary for the first time, except "Freeze", which was first performed at 37th Golden Disc Awards on January 7, 2023, and later included on the setlist on March 22, 2023, at Atlanta show of the tour.