On Jan. 29, taking place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Stray Kids kicked off the U.S. leg of their first world tour.

The show started with an anthem to pump the crowd up and then lead into to the song “District 9.” 

The crowd and the band ended up having a chant battle saying “We love you!” to one another before Chan, the leader of the group, announced that they would be performing some more “cheery and fun” songs. 

Once he said that, the crowd went crazy, since there are mainly two songs that fit that criteria and which are popular with fans. “Get Cool” was performed next and once again, the crowd went crazy.

Composed of “ments,” which is short for announcments, the conncert continued throughout the night with a enduring and electric energy. 

This part of the concert also showcased the different units of the group: 3racha, Dance Unit and Vocal Team. 

3racha, is composed of members Chan, Changbin and Jisung, who mainly focus on rap. They performed the song “We Go.” 

The Dance Unit, consisting of members Lee Know, Hyunjin and Felix, performed “Wow.” 

Finally, the Vocal Team, consisting of members Seungmin and I.N, performed “My Universe,” featuring Changbin.

Throughout the whole concert, the Stray Kids fandom, which are dubbed as “Stays” were in unison with fan chants while waving their light sticks. 

In general, K-pop concerts have that sense of unity, but it was especially shown in this concert as the crowd collectively messed up the chant for the song “I am You,” when they chanted Chan’s line; “I am you, I see me in you” before he even had a chance to sing it.  

Towards the end of the concert, during the last segment, Seungmin was saying his thanks to the Stays who were able to attend and gave thanks to New York before singing a couple lines from Alicia Key’s “Empire State of Mind.” 

After this, the group finished off the concert by dancing to “Miroh,” a title track released in 2019 from their fourth E.P. Clé 1: Miroh. 

The track helped the group receive huge attention both internationally and domestically as it led to their first major win on a Korean music show, M Countdown. 

Their backup dancers also appeared in this performance and joined hands with Stray Kids to create a moving circle before finally bowing in front of the crowd.

The concert was a rollercoaster of emotions. While it was mainly hyped up with their heavily inspired EDM being at the forth-front of the concert, there were bittersweet moments as well, like when the group sang “Grow Up,” a song that talks about the hardships one goes through while, you guessed it, growing up. 

It’s a song of comfort that assures listeners that no matter how many times you fall, you’ll find the courage to stand up and solider on.  The song forst appeared as the sixth song on “I Am Not,” their second extended play from 2018.

This concert was able to show Stray Kid’s distinct color, as the members of 3racha are the ones who write and produce all of their songs. 

From “Side Effects” to “Grow Up,” Stray Kids continues to show their fans that they truly represent the youth of today.