Stray Kids close out their mini-album THIS & THAT with a warm, guitar-driven ballad that suits late-summer evenings perfectly and feels right at home.
The new song “Back Then” (Korean title: 그날, Geunal) is the seventh track on the project, and it trades their usual electronic textures for live instrumentation and heartfelt vocals.
Member Han took creative control here, writing the lyrics while longtime JYP Entertainment producer VERSACHOI handled composition and arrangement. Their partnership yields a sincere, acoustic-heavy sound that builds gradually like a live band warming up. The track captures the bittersweet feeling of revisiting a special memory, though it celebrates those moments rather than mourning them.
Stray Kids have spent years shifting between high-energy experimental cuts and stripped-back emotional pieces, and this ballad sits naturally alongside both sides of their catalogue. Because the group works with different producers across projects, each release brings a fresh texture, yet Han’s writing keeps things consistent and personal.
This reflective closer works because it lets the members’ voices carry the weight instead of relying on production tricks. The gentle guitar work and gradual progression give listeners room to sit with their own memories.
Have you heard Stray Kids – “Back Then” yet? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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