Maps of Music

5-Star (2023)

Where the lyrics of 5-Star take you, and where it was really made.

The title 5-Star is a pun: it names the lead single "S-Class" and plays on the words "special" and "star".

Key places

Recording site JYP Entertainment — The album was recorded at JYP Entertainment in Seoul, the label that also released it. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

5-Star: third Korean-language studio album (fourth overall) by Stray Kids
Released June 2, 2023 through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records
Follows the seventh EP Maxident (2022)
Mix of hip-hop, pop, and electronica; lyrics on uniqueness, confidence, and aspirations
Twelve tracks, 36 minutes 35 seconds long
Lead single "S-Class"
Title refers to the lead single "S-Class", playing on the words "special" and "star"

Follow-up album first mentioned in an October 2022 interview with The Fact
Mentioned after the group won Artist of the Year (Bonsang) at The Fact Music Awards in 2022
Early March 2023: Hankook Ilbo first reported that the lead single music video had been filmed
Late April 2023, after the Maniac World Tour: SpoTV News reported an early June release; JYP confirmed
Formally announced via trailer on April 28; release set for June 2

All songs written and produced by 3Racha, the in-house team of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han
Other contributors: Versachoi, Chae Gang-hae, Restart, Zack Djurich, Millionboy, Trippy, Nickko Young, Kyle Reynolds, Chris LaRocca, and Jun2
Member Felix took part in "Super Bowl" and "FNF"
Tiger JK guest-appears on and co-wrote "Topline"
Includes the Korean version of "The Sound", originally from the Japanese album of the same name
Includes "Mixtape: Time Out" from the Mixtape Project

Pre-orders offered in five versions with 12 different covers: limited, standard A, B, C, and eight digipacks
Digital cover artwork posted on social media on April 30

Stray Kids is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment in 2017 through the reality show of the same name.
Leader Bang Chan personally handpicked each member from JYPE trainees rather than the agency selecting them.
The name was conceptualized by the members themselves, originally referring to a lost child chasing dreams.

The band has eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N.
Former member Woojin left the band in 2019 for personal reasons.
Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han form the in-house production team 3Racha and largely produce the group's music.

The group officially debuted on March 25, 2018 with the EP I Am Not, followed by the I Am series.
The Clé trilogy was released in 2019; the Japanese debut came in 2020 with SKZ2020 via Epic Records Japan.
The first studio album Go Live (2020) became the first platinum-certified album by KMCA; Noeasy (2021) was the first million-selling album.
After signing with Republic Records in 2022, the Billboard 200 streak of consecutive No. 1 debuts reached eight by Do It (2025).
As of May 2026 the group had sold over 40 million albums in Korean and Japanese releases.
Stray Kids won Kingdom: Legendary War in 2021 and was recognized by TIME's Next Generation Leaders in 2023.

Kim Do-heon (South Korean critic) praised the members' performance, the production, and the narrative of growth
NME: Crystal Bell gave the album five out of five stars
Ize: Kim Sung-dae said he did not want to give the album five stars, saying the title means "weird and brilliant" to Stray Kids
Newsis: Lee Jae-hoon called it a "K-pop adventure"
AllMusic: Neil Z. Young described it as a wild ride through genres and emotions
IZM: Jeong Da-yeol said it hit listeners' brains safely
Overall, critics gave generally positive reviews

Circle Album Chart: number one for the issue dated May 28 to June 3, 2023; topped it for two consecutive weeks
Circle Album Chart first week: 4,330,039 copies
Billboard 200: number one for the issue dated June 17, 2023; the group's third entry and third consecutive US number one
Billboard first week: 249,500 equivalent album units
Hanteo Chart: 2,392,666 copies on the first day; 4,617,499 in the first week
Number one in South Korea, Austria, Belgium, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and the United States
Number two on the Oricon Albums Chart, in Germany, in Switzerland, and on the ARIA Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart: debuted at number 40, the group's first top-40 album in the UK
KMCA: quintuple million certification
RIAA: gold certification on October 27, the group's first album to receive it
IFPI: second best-selling album worldwide, with 5.3 million units
Most pre-ordered release in K-pop history, with over 4.93 million pre-orders before release
Awards: Top K-Pop Album at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards; Artist of the Year – Album at the 13th Circle Chart Music Awards; Best Album (Bonsang) at the 38th Golden Disc Awards

The title 5-Star plays on the words "special" and "star", through the lead single "S-Class"
Pre-orders passed 4.93 million, breaking Seventeen's FML record of 4.64 million; Seventeen's EP Seventeenth Heaven later surpassed it in October
The trailer was based on the Korean game I Am Ground, with members introducing their chosen nicknames
The closing track "Mixtape: Time Out" recalls the group's trip to Gangwon-do before the promotion of their EP Oddinary
The group headlined Lollapalooza in Paris on July 21, performing songs from 5-Star
The space-themed fan meeting Pilot: For 5-Star at KSPO Dome on July 1 and 2 supported the album and debuted the performance of "Item"