Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience

by Mike McGranaghan

The K-Pop phenomenon has transformed music in the 21st century, achieving massive popularity around the world. One of the top groups in the genre is Stray Kids. I confess that I’d never heard of them before the release of their concert documentary Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience. I’m more of a Foo Fighters kind of guy. Obviously, the film will play like gangbusters to their fan army, known as STAY. Anybody curious about K-Pop should check it out as well. I went in a novice and came out with a deep appreciation for this group of talented, hard-working young men.

Stray Kids’ music combines rap/rock and boy-band pop. For you ‘90s kids, think Backstreet Boys by way of Limp Bizkit. Much of the movie is a recording of their sold-out show at L.A.’s SoFi Stadium, the same place where Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was filmed. Their stage set has an enormous screen, confetti cannons, pyrotechnics, lasers, and platforms that move up and down. It’s an elaborate set-up for the eight-man group. Director Paul Dugdale captures the excitement of the high-tech concert, along with the frenzy of the mostly female audience.

Onstage, the members of Stray Kids let loose a stream of fast-paced raps, catchy melodies, and intricate choreography. Each song has its own visual style that extends to their wardrobe and dance moves. During a brief section of slower songs, you can really hear how nice their voices are. Amazingly, the guys have just as much energy at the end of the show as they do at the beginning. They perform at 100% from start to finish. Between the group’s dynamic performance and the crowd’s enthusiasm, getting wrapped up in the fun is easy.

Interspersed with the concert footage are interview segments (directed by Farah X) with each individual member. I expected empty platitudes on fame, but the singers get surprisingly candid about the pressure they feel to be perfect for their adoring fans, who come to shows wanting to be blown away. They also talk about the downsides of fame - including, as one reveals, a fear of having his personal insecurities revealed publicly. Most interesting are Felix, the gang’s blonde-haired, deep-voiced member, and Bang Chan, the unofficial leader. They prove especially thoughtful about what it means psychologically to be part of an act that has earned an uncommon amount of global fame.

Everything about Stray Kids: The dominATE Experience is dazzling. If you couldn’t be at SoFi Stadium in person, this is the next best thing. K-Pop, unlike most musical genres, is as much a visual artform as an aural one. The documentary therefore goes a long way in making its appeal obvious. Added bonus: watching it probably counts as exercise. I’m pretty sure I burned off quite a few calories from tapping my foot the entire time.

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