Exploring The Hidden Meaning of the Song “N/S” Stray Kids from the album Skz2021
Table of contents
- “N/S” Stray Kids Introduction
- Lyrical Meaning of Song “N/S” Stray Kids
- The Deep Meaning of Song “N/S” Stray Kids
- Conclusion
1. “N/S” Stray Kids Introduction
The song “N/S’” (North/South) by Stray Kid’ uses the metaphor of the north and south poles to talk about contrasts and choices in life. The song has a structure consisting of a repetitive chorus, several verses, and a bridge. The lyrics feature the use of the phrase “O-X-O-X-O” which emphasizes the binary choice (yes or no).
Throughout the song, the members of Stray Kids take turns delivering their parts that talk about their preference for clear choices over ambiguity. They use various examples of contrast such as hot or cold, fast or slow, black or white, and so on.
2. Lyrical Meaning of Song “N/S” Stray Kids
“Weather feelin’ hot or cold” (Let’s go)
- Describes duality or contrast, like two opposite weather conditions.
- Can be a metaphor for life’s changing situations, sometimes good (hot/warm) sometimes bad (cold).
“Stray Kids going fast or slow” (Ooh-ooh)
- Shows the group’s flexibility in adapting various music styles and tempos.
- It can also describe their career journey that sometimes progresses rapidly, sometimes slows down.
“Life on the South and North poles N/S and N/S”
- A metaphor for living on two opposite extremes, such as the north and south poles.
- Symbolizing the differences and contrasts in life, yet both are still part of the same world.
“Red light green light swag” (Swag!
- Refers to the game “red light, green light” as a symbol of the decision to stop or continue.
- Depicts their dynamic lifestyle, sometimes having to stop and evaluate, sometimes moving forward with confidence.
“Bye or wassup man” (Wassup)
- The contrast between farewell and meeting/ greeting.
- Indicates duality in social interactions and relationships with others.
“O-X-O-X-O, that’s all I know, ayy, ayy” / “O-X-O-X, finally O, ayy, ayy”
- Represents the pattern of right (O) and wrong (X) answers, illustrating the process of trial and error in life.
- It can also indicate uncertainty and confusion in making decisions.
“Not this, that, not that, this” (Yeah, yeah)
- Reflects confusion in making choices or uncertainty.
- Indicates a complex and frequently changing choice-making process.
“Take everything ambiguous out” (Eh, ooh)
- Expresses a desire to eliminate vagueness and ambiguity in life.
- Indicates a preference for clarity and certainty.
“Ice or hot, cold bath or warm bath”
- Contrast between extreme opposite choices.
- A metaphor for various situations in life that require us to choose.
“If there are more than 3 options” (Eh) / “I never choose the answer”
- Indicates the difficulty in making decisions when there are too many options.
- Can describe the feeling of being burdened by the expectation to always choose correctly.
“White or black, colored chameleon”
- The contrast between black and white choices and chameleon-like adaptability.
- Reflects an identity that is flexible and not limited to simple categories.
“I feel dizzy a little, just pick one”
- Describes the mental fatigue of too many choices.
- An expression of the desire to simplify the decision-making process.
“Yes, it goes the same, When I practice, I hate something ambiguous the most”
- Showing frustration with unclear instructions or directions when practicing.
- Affirms a preference for clarity and structure in the creative process.
“I would rather go to the Play Station room and chill out”
- Describes a desire to escape a confusing situation.
- An expression of seeking simple pleasures rather than dealing with complexity.
“Mom rather than dad (Dad!), Dad rather than mom (Dad!), I can’t pick one (No), I’mma I like both of them”
- Indicates difficulty in choosing between equally important people.
- Reflects resistance to having to choose in certain situations.
“Short T-shirts in winter” / “Electric pads in summer”
- Describes actions that are unconventional or contrary to expectations.
- Can be a metaphor for doing things that are unusual or not within the norm.
“Should I do that? Give me a break”
- Expresses hesitation and fatigue at the demand to always make choices.
- Indicates a desire to be free from the pressure of making constant decisions.
“Light is light or black out” (black out)
- Describes the extreme duality between light and total darkness, with no room for anything in between.
- It can also be interpreted as a bold life choice – shine brightly or not at all.
“When I get dressed, only white or black” (pew pew pew)
- Indicates a preference for dressing in contrasting base colors, rejecting gray or mixed colors.
- A metaphor for a firm and clear attitude to life, without ambiguity.
“It definitely makes me look better (brr)”
- Expresses confidence in extreme and clear choices.
- Indicates that being firm in one’s choice makes one look more confident.
“If I try a new style, I could be the fashion terrorist”
- Describes a readiness to do unconventional things despite the risk of being criticized.
- Shows the courage to be different and experiment outside the normal boundaries.
“I’m not afraid of it”
- A statement of courage in the face of criticism or negative judgment.
- Reflects strong confidence in expressing true identity.
“That’s just my innate preference”
- Acknowledges that a preference for extreme choices is part of one’s character.
- Demonstrates self-acceptance and comfort with personal identity.
“I just hate anything ambiguous, so I hate the phrase, yuh”
- Expresses dislike for things that are unclear or ambiguous.
- Demonstrates the value of honesty and transparency in communication and self-expression.
“At least go halfway the most, if I was gonna be mediocre”
- Criticism of half-measures or not totality.
- Indicates a rejection of mediocrity and low standards.
“It’s all or nothing, even if it’s nothing, I go”
- Affirms an extreme philosophy of life – give everything or nothing.
- Demonstrates the courage to take a total risk even if the outcome could be zero, emphasizing the importance of process and effort over results.
Overall, the song explores themes of duality, dilemmas in decision-making, and the freedom to be outside the confines of binary choices. The song uses the north/south pole (N/S) metaphor to describe the extremes in life and how we navigate between them.
3. The Deep Meaning of Song “N/S” Stray Kids
The main theme of the song is about decisiveness in making decisions and avoiding ambiguity. The members express their inclination to choose one clear direction rather than being in the middle or halfway.
Some key lines that express this meaning:
- “I never choose the answer… I hate something ambiguous the most”
- “If I was gonna just go halfway, I’m finished”
- “It’s all or nothing, even if it’s nothing, I go”
- “There’s no in between”
The song also reflects Stray Kids’ identity and philosophy as a group that dares to take a firm stance and is not afraid to be extreme in their creativity and artistic choices.
4. Conclusion
“N/S” is a song that voices a firm and bold philosophy of life. The song encourages listeners to make clear choices, avoid ambiguity, and commit fully to their choices rather than halfway.
Through the use of various north and south polar contrasts and metaphors, Stray Kids conveys a message about the importance of knowing what we want and going after it wholeheartedly, even if it sometimes means taking extreme positions. The “all or nothing” philosophy they convey reflects the group’s bold and assertive spirit and identity.
The song also implies that while it’s hard to always make black-and-white choices (“It’s not easy” in the closing section), it’s still important to have a clear direction rather than being indecisive.
