1st K-pop Group to Attend the MET Gala, yet Stray Kids are Ignored by Koreans?

At the 2024 MET Gala, boy group Stray Kids made their official appearance on the red carpet on the morning of May 7 (KST), becoming the first K-pop group to attend this esteemed fashion event.

Despite facing some challenges, such as offensive comments from photographers on the red carpet, Stray Kids’ debut at the 2024 Met Gala was undeniably impressive. The group gained even more recognition, went viral on multiple social media platforms, and achieved yet another major milestone in their international success.

The announcement of the “first K-pop group to attend the Met Gala” also sparked the interest of fashion enthusiasts.

Following their appearance on the red carpet of the 2024 Met Gala, the phrase “Who are Stray Kids”quickly became a popular search trend.

International Superstars

Stray Kids, which made their debut in 2018, is considered to be JYP’s leading 4th generation boy group.

In the span of 6 years, Stray Kids has attained numerous remarkable feats, particularly in the global scene, notably in the United States. Among these accomplishments, they have secured 4 #1 spots on the Billboard 200 charts, solidifying their position as the top-selling male group of the fourth generation. Their most recent milestone in this aspect is their EP “Rock-Star,”which was released in late 2023. Stray Kids is closely trailing behind BTS’s record of 6 #1 Billboard 200 albums.

In 2023, Stray Kids experienced a year of great success, marked by record-breaking comebacks. Their comeback single, “5-Star,” surpassed 5 million pre-orders, solidifying their position as a top group. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) recognized their global impact, ranking them as the #3 artist and #2 album of 2023. Additionally, Stray Kids has become the most prominent 4th-generation male group in the US. Their albums, “5-Star” and “Rock Star,” were both among the top-selling albums in the US, with “5-Star” selling 520,000 copies, only behind Taylor Swift, and “Rock Star” selling 381,000

Stray Kids made history as the first fourth-generation male group to receive two major awards at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards and 2024 People’s Choice Awards. The JYP group of 8 members also claimed the Best Kpop award at the 2023 VMAs and performed on the prestigious stage at the US awards show.

Stray Kids made their debut on the renowned MET Gala red carpet, achieving a milestone that has never been seen before in the world of K-pop.

Stray Kids solidified their headlining status at the highly regarded Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago earlier this year. The public bore witness to Stray Kids’ remarkable development. Not only did they make their debut on the prestigious Met Gala red carpet, but they also achieved a feat that even BTS has yet to accomplish. As the current “rooster”of JYP, Stray Kids is expected to carry on the legacy of their predecessors in further elevating the position of K-pop on the global stage.

Ignored in Korea?

Despite their widespread success abroad, Stray Kids have not received the same level of recognition in their home country. In comparison to other groups from the same era, their accomplishments in the domestic market are not particularly remarkable, aside from album sales. While they have gained a dedicated fanbase and gained significant international recognition, their impact within their home country is not as strong.

Despite being active for over five years, Stray Kids have yet to achieve any national hits. At one point, the group was even dubbed as “JYP’s biggest failure project” due to their inability to make a breakthrough in the Korean market during the initial years of their career.

Despite consistently breaking sales records, Stray Kids’ songs did not perform well on Korean music charts last year, and they have not garnered much enthusiasm from the general public. This raises questions, as the group receives a highly positive response from their international fans.

One of the main reasons often cited is that the music direction of Stray Kids does not resonate with the general public. The group focuses on producing dynamic, intricate, and high-energy music, which can make it challenging to achieve chart-topping success.

Moreover, in recent times, female groups have been dominating the music charts, while fourth-generation male groups have faced difficulties despite having a large fan base. This lack of success has also negatively impacted the group’s image, resulting in their music having less of an impact in Korea.

K14