Karma (Stray Kids album)

Karma
Digital cover
Studio album by
Stray Kids
ReleasedAugust 22, 2025
Recorded
  • JYP (Seoul)
  • Channie's "Room" (Seoul)
Length32:02
Language
  • Korean
  • English
Label
Producer
Stray Kids chronology
Hollow
(2025) 		Karma
(2025)
Singles from Karma
  1. "Ceremony"
    Released: August 22, 2025

Karma is the fourth Korean-language studio album by South Korean boy band Stray Kids. It was released on August 22, 2025, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records. The album is a follow-up to the group's previous ninth Korean extended play Ate (2024), and serves as their first full-length Korean studio album since 5-Star (2023). The group's in-house production 3Racha participated in writing all tracks of Karma, alongside longtime collaborators DallasK, Jun2, Millionboy, and Versachoi. The album is supported by the lead single "Ceremony".

Background

In 2024, Stray Kids released two Korean-language albums: the ninth extended play (EP) Ate and the first mixtape Hop to critical acclaim.[1][2] Both record topped the charts in their home country South Korea[3] and the United States, among other countries.[4] Before the releases, the group had renewed their contracts with JYP Entertainment ahead of the expiration.[5] Furthermore, the band was also a part of lineups of artist featured on the soundtracks of superhero film Deadpool & Wolverine and the second season of animated fantasy series Arcane, titled "Slash" and "Come Play" (with Young Miko and Tom Morello), respectively.[6][7]

Stray Kids embarked on their Dominate World Tour in support of Ate from August 2024 to July 2025.[8][9] During the tour, the band worked and recorded songs for the next album in hotel room, while some tracks were prepared ahead the tour.[10] On January 6, 2025, Stray Kids announced plans to release two albums and hold an encore concert of the Dominate World Tour in Seoul in 2025 via the video "Step Out 2025", outlining their accomplishments in 2024 and plans for the next year.[11] The album title refers to karma with the word play of "calmer", expressing the meaning of "when bad karma comes, [Stray Kids] will calm it with our good karma."[12] Candidates for the album's lead single included "Creed", "Ceremony", "In My Head", "Phoenix", and "Half Time"; "Ceremony" was eventually selected.[13]

Released and promotion

Karma was announced on July 25, 2025, scheduled for release on August 22.[14] Set in the futuristic theme of the year 2081,[15] the accompanied trailer depicts an annual sports competition called "Karma Sports", being comparable to the Olympic Games or the World Cup.[16] All eight members portray the competition's former champion from 2074 to 2080 in order: Hyunjin, I.N, Bang Chan, Lee Know and Seungmin, Han, Changbin, and Felix, whose all outfits feature leopard or zebra prints.[17] All the champions receive "Karma Coin" and desire to compete for the championship once again in 2081.[18] The album's pre-orders and pre-save began on the same day, coming in 16 versions: Karma (limited), Ceremony, Hooray, eight Accordion, Compact, SKZoo (Nemo), and three vinyls.[19]

On July 27, the group posted football-match-table-styled pre-release promotional itinerary for Karma, as well as "2025 Stayweek" contents to celebrate the seventh anniversary of the band's official fan club Stay.[20] The next four days, they unveiled the track listing with "festive" background of red smoke bomb and blue confetti on the blue sky; "Ceremony" serves as the album's lead single.[21] KBS deemed "Bleep" unsuitable for broadcast due to the lyrics "promot[ing] anti-social or unhealthy values."[22] The snippet of the album's tracks were teased: "0801" via the song's "street video" teaser;[23] "Bleep", "Creed", and "Haft Time" via video series "Unveil: Track";[24][25][26] and all tracks via the EDM-based mashup video.[27]

The teaser images were released in three sets. The first reminisce about a high-end magazine cover, showcasing the members' mixing and matching of a formal blazer and athletic elements, along with hand wrap wrapped around each hand and finger and flashy accessories.[28] The second expresses the members in black-and-white modified taekwondo's uniform striking various poses, surrounded by vibrantly colored lights in a stadium-like space.[29][30] The third depicts members in red-white costumes against the background of red smoke on the sky.[31] Prior to the release, on August 20, Stray Kids held Karma's pre-listening session in Seoulfor fans who were selected by purchasing the album via JYP's own Fan Shop,[32] and released the video Intro: Karma to discuss the album's production and behind-the-scene.[33]

An accompaying music video for "Ceremony" premiered in conjuction with its parent album release, featuring cameo from professional gamer Faker.[34] To promote Karma, Stray Kids' selected members appeared late night news program SBS Nightline,[10] and various web shows, such as Salon Drip 2,[35] Vanity Fair,[36] and GQ's Actually Us.[37] The group will open pop-up store to sell the album's limited merchandise from August 23 to September 3 at Lotte World Mall and Lotte Cinema World Tower, Seoul,[38] and partnered with Spotify for "Staydium" pop-up in Seoul, Jakarta, and Tokyo.[39]

Track listing

Karma track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Bleep" (삐처리)
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Versachoi
  • Versachoi
  • Bang Chan
2:47
2."Ceremony"
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Versachoi
  • Versachoi
  • Bang Chan
2:44
3."Creed"
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Millionboy
  • Millionboy
  • Bang Chan
2:41
4."Mess" (엉망)
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Millionboy
  • Millionboy
  • Bang Chan
3:29
5."In My Head"
  • Changbin
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Bang Chan
  • Jun2
  • Bang Chan
2:56
6."Half Time" (반전)
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Versachoi
  • Versachoi
  • Bang Chan
2:50
7."Phoenix"
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Ronnie Icon
  • DallasK
  • DallasK
  • Bang Chan
3:02
8."Ghost"
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Versachoi
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Versachoi
  • Versachoi
  • Bang Chan
2:33
9."0801"Bang Chan
  • Bang Chan
  • Versachoi
Versachoi3:24
10."Ceremony" (Festival version)
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Versachoi
Versachoi2:52
11."Ceremony" (English version)
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Bang Chan
  • Changbin
  • Han
  • Versachoi
  • Versachoi
  • Bang Chan
2:44
Total length:32:02

Credits and personnel

Musicians

  • Stray Kids – lead vocals (all), background vocals (1–2, 5–7, 9–11)
    • Bang Chan (3Racha) – background vocals (3–4, 8), instruments (1–6, 8, 11), computer programming (1–2, 5–6, 8, 11), vocal direction (all)
    • Changbin (3Racha) – background vocals (3), vocal direction (1–3, 5–6, 10–11)
    • Han (3Racha) – background vocals (3–4), vocal direction (1–4, 6, 10–11)
    • Felix – background vocals (3)
  • Versachoi – instruments (1–2, 6, 8–11), computer programming (1–2, 6, 8–11), vocal direction (1–2, 6–11)
  • Millionboy – instruments (3–4), vocal direction (3)
  • Jun2 – instruments (5), computer programming (5)
  • Nickko Young – guitar (5)

Technical

  • Seo Eun-il – recording (1, 6–7, 11)
  • Eom Se-hee – recording (1–2, 4–5, 7, 9–11), digital editing (9)
  • Bang Chan (3Racha) – recording (1–3, 7, 10–11), digital editing (1–4, 7, 9–11)
  • Goo Hye-jin – recording (1–3, 6, 8)
  • Kwak Bo-eun – recording (5)
  • Lee Chang-hoon – recording (6, 8–9)
  • Lee Kyeong-won – digital editing (1)
  • Jang Woo-young – digital editing (2, 10–11)
  • A.Zero – digital editing (5), mixing (5)
  • Kwon Yu-jin – digital editing (6, 8)
  • Versachoi – digital editing (6), mixing (10)
  • Elliot Harper – digital editing (7), mixing (7)
  • Dallas Koehlke – digital editing (7), mixing (7)
  • Yoon Won-kwon – mixing (1, 3, 6, 8)
  • Manny Marroquin – mixing (2, 11)
  • Chris Galland – mix engineering (2, 11)
    • Ben Rugg – assistant (2, 11)
  • Stay Tuned – mixing (4)
  • Kwon Nam-woo – mastering (all)
  • Gu Jong-pil – mixing in Dolby Atmos (all)
    • P.O.D – assistant (all)

Locations

  • JYP Studios – recording (all), digital editing (9)
  • Channie's "Room" – recording (1–3, 7, 10–11), digital editing (2–4, 7, 9–11)
  • Millennium Mix Lab – digital editing (5), mixing (5)
  • Madmiix – mixing (1, 3, 6, 8)
  • Larrabee Studios – mixing (2, 11)
  • Stay Tuned Studio – mixing (4)
  • 821 Sound Mastering – mastering (all)
  • Klang Studio – mixing in Dolby Atmos (all)

Release history

Release dates and formats for Karma
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various August 22, 2025
Standard
[40]
CD
  • Limited
  • standard
 [41]
South Korea Nemo SKZoo [42]
United States Vinyl Vinyl [43]
Digital download Exclusive digital [44]

References

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  44. ^ Citations concerning Karma exclusive digital release formats:
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