Rock-Star (EP)

On January 1, 2023, Stray Kids uploaded the video "Step Out 2023", outlining their accomplishments in 2022 and plans for the new year, including two album releases.[1] The group's first record of 2023 was their third studio album 5-Star, released on June 2.[2] The album topped several national charts including France, South Korea, and the United States,[note 1] which was certified five-time million by Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).[3] In support of the album, Stray Kids embarked on their concert tour 5-Star Dome Tour in South Korea and Japan from August to October. During the tour, the group released their third Japanese-language EP Social Path / Super Bowl (Japanese Ver.) on September 6.[4]

On September 19, news outlet Joynews24 reported that Stray Kids would release new album in November.[5] Shortly, JYP Entertainment confirmed the news.[6] On October 6, the group announced their tenth extended play, titled Rock-Star, via prologue video, to be released on November 10.[7] The Korean title of the EP 樂-Star is a word play with the English title Rock-Star, which Sino-Korean pronunciation of 樂 (rak) is similar to rock.[8] A "close relationship" with 5-Star,[9] the concept of Rock-Star is based on Korean phrase of emotions of life huiroaerak (Korean: 희로애락; Hanja: 喜怒哀樂; lit. 'joy, anger, sorrow and happiness'), but changed the character 哀 to 愛 ('love'), depicting human's various emotions from the group's perspective.[10]

Rock-Star consists of eight tracks with a duration of 25 minutes and 27 seconds. 3Racha—an in-house production team of Stray Kids members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han—wrote and produced all songs on the album, and member Hyunjin co-wrote the fifth track "Cover Me" with Bang Chan. Other contributors include Versachoi, Cubeatz (Kevin and Tim Gomringer), Luis Bacque, Willie Weeks, Millionboy, Nickko Young, and Jun2. Japanese singer-songwriter Lisa features on the seventh track "Social Path" recorded in Korean, which originally included on the group's Japanese EP Social Path / Super Bowl (Japanese Ver.).[11]

On October 6, 2023, Stray Kids uploaded one-minute-and-half long prologue video to announce Rock-Star. Narrated by Felix's "calming" and Bang Chan's "manic" and "theatrical" voices, the visual focuses on a boy who is a trumpet player of marching band falls asleep during waiting for performing the show, expressing his agitated emotion. The scenes switches to Stray Kids, alongside group of clowns, being joy from robbing the bank, becoming angry pirates on the ship, and looking up the clock sadly. As the boy and his bandmate enter the stage, the rock-inspired heavy electric guitar began playing, and Felix and Bang Chan shout "Let's show them how we rock!".[12][13]

Album pre-orders began on the same day as the prologue's release, coming in five editions: limited "Star", and four standards "Rock", "Roll", "Postcard", and "Headliner".[14] The EP's track list, scheduler, and digital cover artwork were posted to social media on October 9, confirming "Lalalala" as the lead single, as well as the rock version, and including the Korean version of "Social Path".[15] Stray Kids held two shows of 5-Star Dome Tour in Seoul, subtitled "Seoul Special (Unveil 13)" between October 21 and 22, where they first performed three tracks from Rock-Star: "Megaverse", "Blind Spot", "Leave", and the Korean version of "Social Path",[16] alongside teasing their web series SKZflix, to be released on November 3.[17] The performances of "Megaverse" and "Leave" were uploaded via YouTube on October 26.[18]

The group teased the EP's song via "Unveil: Track" series; the first was "Megaverse" on October 20. Additionally starring actor Yoon Seung-hoon,[19] it shows the members crossing time and space, featuring strong sounds in the background.[20] The second, "Leave", shows members' life in the campus, focusing on Felix who appears alone.[21] The first teaser images set expresses the members' "crazy" rock star looks in a bathtub full of amplifier cables and vinyls.[22]