Stray Kids has concluded its largest-ever world tour, simultaneously achieving the most significant accomplishments as the first K-pop artist.
When discussing the status of K-pop on the global stage, simply looking at charts or album sales is no longer sufficient. It matters 'where', 'in front of how many people', and 'in what manner' the performances were conducted. And what records and narratives those performances left behind. There is a team that has directly answered all these questions. It is Stray Kids.
The 340-day-long world tour by Stray Kids was a historic moment that proved K-pop is no longer a 'genre for a specific fan base' but has confidently entered the local mainstream market.
Starting with their performance at the KSPO DOME in Seoul last August, Stray Kids embarked on a 'Stray Kids World Tour 'dominATE'' covering 54 shows in 34 locations worldwide. They concluded the grand tour with a performance in Rome on July 30 (local time).
Kicking off with the ambition to 'dominate not only the domestic and international music markets but also the global stage,' this tour indeed surprised the world. Of the 34 venues on this world tour, Stray Kids made their first entry into 31 venues, with 27 of those being stadiums, and their European tour held entirely in large stadiums has continuously set new records as the first, the most, and the highest in K-pop.
Stray Kids not only set records for 'sold-out tickets' at 8 stadium performances across 6 locations in Europe, including the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam, Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Riyadh Air Metropolitan Stadium in Madrid, Stade de France in Paris, and Stadio Olimpico in Rome, but also achieved unprecedented success with the largest K-pop performance and the most audience attendance.
Stray Kids' tour was not merely larger in scale. The stage composition that integrates a rich setlist based on band live performances, stage design considering audience movement and interaction, and elements of language and cultural communication for overseas fans all contributed to enhancing the quality of the performances.
In particular, their achievements, facilitated by music that they directly wrote, composed, and produced, helped solidify the new paradigm of 'producer-type artist idols.'
Furthermore, as noted by the representative of Live Nation France, who said, 'They are an iconic presence and have something special about them,' local industry experts are also paying attention to Stray Kids' influence, indicating the potential for expanding their position in the global market.
Through this stadium tour, Stray Kids has clearly raised the level of global tours that K-pop groups can achieve. Their achievements, which prove the market expansion potential of K-pop beyond simple performances, are unique.
Having wrapped up the grand finale of the 11-month-long world tour, Stray Kids is set to announce their fourth full-length album 'KARMA' on the 22nd, aiming once again at the global market. As this is a regular album released after about a year, there is anticipation for how the experiences and energy accumulated from the tour will be reflected in their music.
[Photo] JYP Entertainment
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