– Pop trio Stray Kids slow down on nostalgic song “그날 (Back Then)” to close out the emotional part of their new mini album, THIS & THAT.
Han wrote this one with Helixx from Vendors, and the pairing displays true intent. While Stray Kids typically choose high-energy tunes like “RUN IT” or “MANIAC,” Back Then dials down the intensity for something softer, sitting next to “After You” among the album’s more delicate moments. Han develops the entire scene from minor elements of a wonderful summer day, and that specificity provides the song with its warmth. This is a far cry from the group’s regular sound, but it does fit in perfectly with the overall varied identity of the album.
Production is smooth and melodious all the way thru, based on warm instrumentation that evokes a late-summer reminiscence. This is not racing toward a hook. The composition is slow and delicate, allowing the nostalgia to creep in rather than imposing sentiment.
They remember the hot summertime wind, the sand on their skin, the hands joined as they plunge into the water. There’s a tremendous tenderness in the image and it marks the precise moment when a youthful, overflowing heart first termed this emotion love. No matter how many times the objects wither, the narrator promises his life, pledging to bloom brighter in someone’s heart.
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