Stray Kids Unveils Surreal "THIS & THAT" Comeback Trailer
Stray Kids dropped a comeback trailer that turns everyone who watches it into a member of Stray Kids, and theqoo has not recovered.
At midnight KST on July 8, JYP Entertainment quietly posted the official trailer for Stray Kids' upcoming mini album THIS & THAT — and it is one of the strangest, most talked-about comebacks teasers the group has put out in a while. Here's what's actually in it, and why fans can't stop dissecting it.
What's actually in the trailer
The concept: encountering Stray Kids apparently opens up a magical space filled with freedom, comfort, and limitless imagination — and the trailer runs with that literally. Every person who appears on screen suddenly becomes a member of Stray Kids. It's less of a straightforward teaser and more of a mood piece, heavy on surreal, almost dreamlike visuals rather than any clear narrative you can pin down on a first watch.
The album it's building toward
THIS & THAT drops August 7 as an eight-track mini album, following the pre-release digital single "RUN IT," which came out June 24. The album also comes bundled with a new world tour under the same "RUN IT" name — five shows at Seoul's KSPO DOME in late July, then Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok, and Singapore dates rolling out through early 2027.
How fans are reacting to the mystery
The trailer deliberately gives you almost nothing concrete to work with, and that's exactly why it's working. Instead of a clear concept reveal, fans are left piecing together frame-by-frame clues, and the discussion has turned into its own kind of fun — theory threads, close-reads of every visual detail, the whole thing.
A quick refresher on the album rollout so far
"RUN IT" dropped as the digital pre-release single on June 24, giving fans a first taste of the era's energy before any of the surreal trailer visuals showed up. That single-then-trailer order is a pretty deliberate sequencing choice — it let the song build its own momentum first, so the trailer could focus entirely on mood and world-building rather than also having to introduce new music at the same time.
🇰🇷 Korea vs 🌍 Global reaction
On Korean forum theqoo, the reaction has been loud and largely positive, with a lot of comments specifically praising how original and "addictive" the strange visual direction feels compared to a more conventional comeback trailer. There's a real appreciation in the Korean fan community for Stray Kids consistently refusing to play it safe with their teasers.
Globally, reaction videos are already stacking up on YouTube, with titles ranging from genuine confusion to full excitement — a lot of "I'm so ready" energy mixed with "wait, what did I just watch." International fans newer to the group are having their first real introduction to how unconventional Stray Kids' rollout style can get, and the consensus so far is that it's working exactly as intended: nobody knows what's coming, and everybody wants to.
Why it matters
Stray Kids have built a reputation on comeback trailers that function more like short films than promo clips, and THIS & THAT continues that streak. It also lands right as the group kicks off a genuinely massive touring cycle, which means this mini album isn't just a release — it's the soundtrack to a full year of stadium dates across Asia.
Jamie's Take 💬
I watched this trailer twice before I had any idea what I was looking at, and honestly that's the point. Stray Kids trailers are never supposed to answer questions, they're supposed to create them, and this one does that better than most. My personal theory is that "everyone becomes a member of Stray Kids" is less about the concept and more about the fandom itself — like, that's basically already what being a STAY feels like. We'll find out August 7 if I'm right.
FAQ
Q: When does the full album THIS & THAT come out?
A: August 7, 2026, as an eight-track mini album.
Q: Is there a pre-release single?
A: Yes — "RUN IT" was released digitally on June 24.
Q: Is there a tour attached to this comeback?
A: Yes, a new world tour called RUN IT kicks off with five Seoul KSPO DOME shows in late July, followed by stops across Japan and other parts of Asia into early 2027.
Q: Where can I watch the trailer?
A: JYP Entertainment posted it on Stray Kids' official social media channels starting midnight KST on July 8 — it's also circulating widely on YouTube and X.
Q: What does "THIS & THAT" as a title actually mean?
A: JYP hasn't spelled it out yet. Given the trailer's theme of everyone transforming into a Stray Kids member, fans are reading it as a title about identity and duality — but that's still fan theory, not confirmed concept info.
Where this fits in Stray Kids' trailer history
Stray Kids have built a whole reputation on comeback trailers that feel more like short films than teasers — moody, symbol-heavy, deliberately confusing on first watch. THIS & THAT fits squarely into that tradition, and if past rollouts are any indication, expect the group to slowly drip concept photos and moodier teasers before the August 7 release that recontextualize everything in this trailer. That's usually when the theory threads really explode.
Key Details
Trailer release: July 8, 2026, midnight KST
Album: THIS & THAT (8 tracks), out August 7
Pre-release single: "RUN IT" (June 24)
Tour: RUN IT World Tour, starting late July at Seoul KSPO DOME
Reaction: Strongly positive on Korean forum theqoo; global reaction videos trending on YouTube
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