Dear Stay, how have you been?
Or rather, where have you been? Perhaps around Lonely St.? It is true that Stray Kids have recently given a name to this street, yet many of us, if not all, have been there before.
Visitors do not choose to walk down this place expressly. They do so unconsciously, following a path which inevitably traverses it. In “Road Not Taken,” the kids encouraged us to take the less travelled path. This led us to follow our own way, alone, giving rise to side effects expressed precisely here, in “Lonely St.”
I sincerely believe that every song Stray Kids brings us has multiple meanings. If you take the kids' side, you can clearly see how that song fits in with their story. If you listen to it for yourself, you will find a description for a feeling that lacks an exact word to name it. Additionally, if the track has a music video, it is inevitable to look for its connection to the SKZverse or, at least, to be surprised by the meaningful images emanating from the screen, adding even more significance to the lyrics.
In this case, "Lonely St." fulfills all these meanings on the same level and intertwines them in a way that blurs their boundaries. If it pleases you, dear Stay, we will explore both strands: the lyrical and the imagery.
The lyrics
“I’m falling down” a desolated street. “The street is isolated.” “Still astray.” “Just stuff it all ‘cause I’ma go on my way.” In other words, I have chosen my own path, but I am still lost. I've arrived at a desolated street. I'm alone in this place where my mind wanders. And yet, despite everything, it doesn't matter, because I'll continue on my way.
"This lonely road with not a single light
The street lamp broke a long time ago
The soles on the torn shoes
Before long, its footprints will be erased"
I've been here before. The lamp, my lighthouse, stopped working a long time ago. I have walked for so long that my shoes are worn out. They have reached the point where they have lost their unique footprints. What made me special is fading, and along with it, my spirit.
"I think I'll fall out of exhaustion
I don't think I can go more
A lot got taken away from me, ayy
This is the last way I'll take
Don't come and comfort me now
I'm still on my way"
For me, this is the hardest verse of the song. Those lines express exactly that feeling of weariness because of the long and arduous travelled road (I don't think I can go any further). They express that feeling of despair for all that has been lost. However, don't come to comfort me now, the lyrics conclude, because I'm still on my way.
We have all been there, and so have the kids. Choosing a path in life is not easy. It is hard, because at some point, you are assailed by doubts: Is everything I have sacrificed, everything I have left behind, worth it? Am I on the right road?
There comes a point when tiredness leads us to visit Lonely St, so there we appear, with multiple wounds of which we were not even aware. Therefore, you might think “I don't want to visit Lonely St.” No, that's not the issue. The journey to Lonely St. is necessary in order to be able to heal. It helps us become aware of the improvements we need to make in life so that we don't need to visit it anymore.
"Every day and night I'm walking (Walking)
It's darker walking alone at night
I'm lonely but I'm the lone king (Lone king)
Take out a knife, I'll draw my true path
Towards the sunset but I'm blue
I can't see it, even with the moon
I'm still astray
I'm still astray, ayy, ayy"
Hope and struggle. I am willing to take up the sword and carve my own path, as much as it may cost me, as lost as I am.
The imagery
The connection between Stray Kids’ music videos are such that we would need several maps and compasses to find our way around. Therefore, I will only highlight those insights that burn brightly in my eyes.
Let's start with those images that have meaning on their own. Throughout the video, the members have stepped into their greatest fears while surrounded by loneliness. This solitude is key, because when they are together, those fears are actually insignificant. But in the moments they are apart, they are walking down Lonely St.
The stage lights are intimidating. They provoke a feeling of emptiness, as if you were falling, and put a mist in your eyes.
Running brings a burning sensation in the lungs, and you may even feel the metallic taste of blood in your mouth.
Felix and Hyunjin, two sides of the same coin. The inverted glass of an interrogation room. Hyunjin is inside but can see the outside. Felix is outside, yet he can only see his reflection.
The most powerful: Felix realising that those he must leave behind are his shadows, his demons, not himself. It is Felix who in “Muddy Water” states, “I execute the shadows all around me, call me demon slayer.”
Beyond the images above, which have a meaning and an impact on their own, if we relate the video to the rest of the SKZverse, quantum theory begins to stir strongly, messing up the multiverse. The most direct relationship we find is with the next sequence: “BMe” - “Ex” - “Mixtape Oh” - “The View” - “Lonely St.” and, perhaps, “Winter Falls” as a prequel.
During "B Me," the fatal accident happens. "Ex" represents mourning. In "Mixtape Oh," memories resurface and Felix wishes for a happy ending. That happy ending is reflected in the dream that is "The View."
"Lonely St." speaks of sacrifice – perhaps that's why it's inevitable to think of the wonderful performance they gave us in their Kingdom cover of "I'll be your man." During that piece, the kids went to heaven and hell to bring a child back to life, sacrificing themselves for him after forming a pact with the devil. Similarly, in this video, they seem to have fought against all odds to reach Lee Know. We don't know which bank of the river Styx they are on, but Lee Know's expression seems to comfort us by saying "It’s all good now."
Be that as it may, Stray Kids always reaches Stay with their music, giving voice to our feelings. After all, each of us has our own SKZverse.
Dream of music,
Before you go, let me recommend you this amazing edit by Binseolovely:
Written and designed by: Hilda
Edited by: Malo