In a decisive move, all eight members of Stray Kids have renewed their contracts with JYP Entertainment ahead of the original expiration date in 2025, ensuring their continued collaboration with the South Korean entertainment giant.
On July 18, JYP Entertainment confirmed the news, stating, “The contract renewal comes as a result of the Stray Kids’ members Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N’s strong trust with JYP Entertainment as they establish a unique position in the global music market,” per Korea JoongAng Daily.
Stray Kids, whose formation was documented in the 2017 reality survival show Stray Kids, officially debuted under JYP Entertainment in March 2018 with their mini album I am NOT. Since then, the group has risen to international acclaim.
As they prepare to release their ninth mini album, ATE, the group is also set to embark on a 40-city world tour named dominATE, beginning in Seoul on August 24, 2024. Additionally, Stray Kids will feature on the Deadpool & Wolverine soundtrack with their song “Slash,” set to release on July 26.
The announcement of their contract renewal follows closely on the heels of Stray Kids headlining two major festivals in Europe: I-Days in Milan and British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park in London, where they performed for tens of thousands of fans. The group is also scheduled to headline Lollapalooza Chicago in the U.S. on August 2, 2024.
During a press conference at BST Hyde Park, Felix expressed his excitement for their upcoming album: “It’s been nine months since we’ve done a comeback. We’ve prepared so much [and] we just wanted to come back as eight members to really express that we’ve truly ‘eaten’ this comeback. There are a lot of [new] concepts that we’ve included for this comeback, but also, just the music style, I don’t think fans would expect. It’s just very new. Everything we’ve put into this album, it’s going to be, I guess, much more satisfying, in a sense.”
With ATE set to release imminently and the contract renewal confirmed, Stray Kids are poised for even greater achievements in the future.