Stray Kids have officially launched their next chapter with “RUN IT,” a thunderous new single that doubles as the opening statement for the group’s upcoming THIS & THAT era. Released on June 24 at 1 p.m. KST, the track arrives just days after the announcement of the Run It World Tour and signals a darker, more cinematic direction for the eight-member act.
Built around aggressive synths, booming electronic bass, and relentless percussion, “RUN IT” wastes no time establishing its intensity. From the opening seconds, Stray Kids lean into the stadium-sized sound that has become a defining part of their recent catalog, blending trap, hip-hop, and electronic production into a track designed for maximum impact.
The song’s production is among its biggest strengths. Dramatic string arrangements and pounding cinematic drums create a constant sense of tension before exploding into gritty electronic textures. Rather than slowing down between sections, the track maintains a near-unbroken momentum.
The accompanying music video amplifies that energy through striking visual storytelling. Massive groups of dancers dressed in black and white move alongside the members across abandoned concrete structures, rugged landscapes, and eclipse-filled skies. The contrast between darkness and light becomes a recurring motif throughout the video, reflecting the song’s battle between adversity and resilience.
“RUN IT” also serves as the first major preview of THIS & THAT, scheduled for release on August 7. The project follows Do It, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in November 2025 with 295,000 album-equivalent units. That release extended Stray Kids’ remarkable streak of chart-topping debuts in the United States while selling more than 2.21 million copies during its first week in South Korea.
Momentum around the group has continued to build throughout 2026. Earlier this month, Stray Kids became the first K-pop act to headline Governors Ball in New York, further solidifying their position among the genre’s biggest global exports.
Live plans are equally ambitious. The newly announced Run It World Tour begins in Seoul this July before expanding across Asia through March 2027. Confirmed venues include Seoul’s KSPO Dome, Tokyo’s Japan National Stadium, Kyocera Dome Osaka, Taipei Dome, and Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium.
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