Stray Kids took the American stage by storm last Tuesday night at the VMAs after winning the Best K-pop Video Award. Their song “S-Class,” from their newly released album 5-Star, reached No.1 on Billboard 200 and took down all the other nominees; such as Aespa, Blackpink, Fifty Fifty, Seventeen, and Tomorrow x Together.
This is not Stray Kids’ first time at the VMAs, but it is the first time they have won the award since it was first presented in 2019. In 2022 they were nominated for Best K-pop Video, but lost to Lisas’ Lalisa. However, this award isn’t the only thing that Stray Kids accomplished that night.
All eight members took to the stage as they held their first-ever performance at an American awards ceremony. As they performed, you could see other American singers and songwriters such as Taylor Swift dancing along in the crowd.
As leader of Stray Kids, Bang Chan led the group to the stage to accept the award presented by Charlie and Dixie D’Amelio. I.N., the youngest member, held the award while Chan stepped to the microphone to comment on its significance.
“We’ve been making our music ever since the start of our career, but to receive this award just really means a lot to us,” he said.
Felix, one of the rappers of the group, thanked their fans, known affectionately as Stays, and said they could expect more to come. “We want to thank our fans, our Stays, for being so supportive, and please we have so much to show you guys.”
Stray Kids arrived on the music scene in March 2018. Their fan support in the United States is part of the reason they have made it to the top of K-pop charts. Kate Passey, a North Carolina fan who has followed the group since 2021, said much of their success is based on what happens before they step on stage.
“They worked hard to deserve it, they do a lot behind the scenes, individually, and as a group,” she said. “They do so much that people do not realize.”
With their last three albums (5-Star, Oddinary, and Maxident) hitting No.1 on the Billboard 200, fans like Passy expect Stray Kids to keep producing number-one hits and breaking new records.
