#hellevator

[vexipathy]

Uhmmm, they goin on the hellevator?!

[heartyongbok]

♡ YONGBOK in MVs

1/∞

[baby-stay92]

Baby-stay92’s MV pics, part 2/♾️ ~ Hellevator part 2 (last part for Hellevator)

DISCLAIMER: I >ONLY< have pictures of Channie, Hannie, Hyunnie, Lixie and (later on) Minho.

@imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @adestayskz @skz-lover21 @miss-daisy04 @c0m3t143 @chanchansgirlybabymvs

[astraykittysky]

DON'T KNOW ABOUT YALL BUT IM OBSESSED 😭😭😭😭😭

[2383-lines-of-code]

made this bc I’ve had Hellevator stuck in my head all day

[th3realsp1nb4llwh1zz3r]

There’s no icon for hellevator yet so I’m using this image as a placeholder for my meme

lmao-

[catch-me-hello]

Stray Kids, Episode 2:  so don’t stop, we like this party

Mission time, STAYs!  Now that our fearless leader, Bang Chan, has gotten his team to pre-debut status, he has to write and produce a song.  No biggie.  Let’s do this.

We begin at the dorm, where our boys are wheeling in their luggage and settling in.  Is that a bed in the living room?  I don’t know how these guys are going to get any sleep.

We get several minutes of everyone deciding on roommates.  This goes on for quite a while.  It’s such a tiny space for nine guys.  Beds are crammed into every available space.  If this group were any bigger, they’d be sleeping on the roof.  One of the rooms has six beds in it.

I’m sorry, but this alone would keep me out of K-pop.

JYP:  Congratulations!  Your group is going to debut!

Me:   oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my god

JYP:  Here’s your dorm.  You’ll be sharing with eight other girls.  You get the top bunk two inches from the ceiling.

Me:

JYP:  (looking around) Where’d she go?

My bandmates:  She left.  She decided to be a delivery driver for Pizza School instead.  Dibs on the cot in the living room!

Once the boys settle in, they decide to name the rooms, because it’s not like they should be writing their first mission song or anything.  Nothing but time on their hands.  Then they check out the kitchen and discover that none of them can cook.  Well, Bang Chan offers to make Spaghetti Bolognese, but he doesn’t remember how.  Woojin knows his way around the kitchen, but we know he’s leaving the group at some point, so our boys will starve unless there’s a Pizza School nearby.

They play games in the living room, and seriously, why aren’t they writing a song?  When is this assignment due?  Back in the kitchen, three of our guys have started cooking, and I realize we’re about to get a mukbang segment.

Our boys slurp up the pasta.  Then they decide to clean up and go to an arcade.  I’m hoping “arcade” is Korean slang for “recording studio” because they haven’t written a single lyric and I AM STRESSING OUT.  (Why yes, I do have OCD.  Why do you ask?)

Off they go to the arcade, and this place looks pretty cool.

They have fun with basketball, archery, and soccer.  They’re bonding.  Despite my song deadline anxiety, I do enjoy watching this segment.  I could spend hours in that arcade.  Especially if it had Skee-ball.  Next, they head out to a road lined with food trucks.  I love how they call big cheesy hot dogs “snacks.”

Finally, we cut to the JYP Building.  The boys huddle to discuss their song.  Not only do they have to write it, they have to choreograph and perform it for JYP himself.  Of course, Bang Chan has already prepared some tracks.  I can’t believe I ever doubted him.

The boys like one of the tracks a lot.  It’s an ominous, moody piece called “Elevator.”  What I like about all the tracks is the dark, mysterious vibe they all have.  A couple are kind of scary sounding, reminding me of the Stray Kids song “Venom.”  So not only is Bang Chan our daring and fearless leader, he’s also responsible for the shivers down your spine when you hear “Side Effects” or “Double Knot.”

He now works on modifying the track to fit nine members.  I like watching this.  It gives us insight into his creative process and how his mind works.  He immediately starts looking for a melody in the sound.  He improvises a melody and then immediately discards it for not packing enough of a dramatic punch.  Meanwhile, Han and Changbin are in another room, working on lyrics.  They want to write about blood, sweat, and tears, and now the song “Spinning Wheel” is stuck in my head because I am old.

In keeping with the dark theme, our lyricists decide to change the song title to “Hellevator.”  STAYs know this song as the group’s first music video and digital single.  I watch the official video, and all nine members are in it, so it looks like we’re not losing Woojin during this show.

We’re now four days from D-Day.  Bang Chan has mixed everything and is ready to present it to his bandmates.  I love how everyone excitedly gathers around to hear it.

The show doesn’t let us hear the whole track.  When we cut to the end, the group is excited and ready to assign parts.  They’re a little nervous about the high notes on the chorus and ask Han to try it, along with the rapping.  Han is stressed out about taking both parts.  Is there no one else in the group who can hit high notes?

But Han is game to try it and starts rehearsing.  He’s struggling with the vocals, but at least he’s got great style.  I want this sweater.

Now we cut to two days until D-Day.  Choreo rehearsal.  Lee Know is leading the group.

The routine looks exhausting, with the group doing formations while lying flat on the floor and slowly rising.  From the dramatic music to the demanding vocals to the very physical choreography, these guys are not phoning it in.

The pressure must be getting to Bang Chan again, because he gets frustrated with I.N, who is having trouble with some of the moves.  Everyone is getting tense.  I can’t believe I’m suggesting this, but maybe they should all go back to the arcade.

As the hours tick down, they practice nonstop.  Finally, we’re at D-Day.  They report to the performance room, looking like they’re about to face the firing squad, and in a way, they are.  Here he comes now.

JYP is smiling and trying to put the boys at ease.  He’s a bit confused by the title of this song, which tells me this man is NOT prepared for the beast idol group these guys will become.  To his credit, he does like the title, once they explain it to him.

Next, he says, “I also asked you to think of a team name.”  What?  I must have missed that part.  This should be VERY interesting.  Especially since group names are usually revealed to the group by the company in the series finale.  I’ve never seen a company let the group choose their own name.

Our boys look very excited.  Bang Chan counts to three (“hana, dhul, set!”) and they all bow and loudly introduce themselves.

“Hello, we’re Stray Kids!”

I get a thrill out of this.  It’s a historic moment for the fandom.  And I love that they don’t introduce themselves politely like so many groups do.  They belt it out like you would expect a gang of stray kids to do.

JYP looks intrigued.  Bang Chan tells him, “The meaning is we’re lost kids who are still finding our dreams.  We’re still seeking our goals.”

JYP likes it, but he’s concerned that it’s a long name.  I check the JYP Entertainment roster, and yeah, I’m looking at ITZY, Day 6, NMIXX, GOT7, and of course, 2am and 2pm.  However, the roster also has Wonder Girls and Xdinary Heroes, and Stray Kids is a shorter name than both of them.

If I may digress for a second while looking at this roster, why do so many K-pop band names look like typos?  Jus2, Vcha, NiziU … and I just finished recapping the survival show for idid, a name I really, really hate.  So I’m glad Stray Kids stuck to their guns here.  My spell checker is working overtime, underlining every other name on the roster.

Okay.  No more stalling.  The name of the group won’t matter if the performance isn’t good.  Showtime!

It’s good.  I can see there are issues (mostly the high notes), but I see the strong energy, wild choreo, and serious attitude all starting to come together.  They need more confidence, and they need to bring the notes down an octave or ten.  Speaking of which, I can hear that Felix is starting to use the lower register of his voice.  It’s not ocean deep yet, but it’s deeper than it was before, in the showcase. 

When it ends, JYP doesn’t speak for several minutes.  When he does, he says the song is really good.  The title, lyrics, arrangement, and melody – he likes it all.

Now for the bad news.  He pulls up a keyboard app on his phone, which is so cool and I want one.  He plays a line from the melody and asks Bang Chan why he wrote it in a “female key.”  (As an alto, I feel like I caught a stray.)

“The range is ridiculous!” he says.  “This would be the end of our country’s best singing ability’s range!”  Weirdly, I understand what he means.

He tells Bang Chan to fix the key.  Then he pauses and says, “Right now, only one person is up to my standards.  Jisung [Han] did better than I thought.”  He praises Han for singing as well as he raps.  Han tries to smile, but he feels bad for the rest of his bandmates.

Bang Chan gets the same criticism as before – he needs to show more charisma.  And then the other shoe drops.  JYP reminds them that any member who can’t keep up with the others will be eliminated.  We get this dramatic godlike shot right after he says it.

Gulp.

Well, that ended on a downer.  Even though I know how this turns out in the end, I still feel scared for them right now. 

See you next episode, where I’m guessing we’ll eventually see Bang Chan get more charismatic and learn to write notes for boys (and for me, apparently).  Bye for now!

[eclipseangel]

CRAZYYY how yesterday was my 4th anniversery with straykids as a stay whatttt 😭😭

[kokinu09]

Hellevator has surpassed 120 million views on YouTube!! 🎉

[skz-devotee]

Anyone else notice Chan’s video was a callback to Hellevator and District 9?????

The siren… the elevator… even a pink couch!

[freakinfreakinbad]

[straykidsnews]

[🧸| EnevStar]

Oneily Vibe in a recent article, talks about the unveiling of the track "Stray Kids":

"The preview video for the song "Stray Kids," which takes viewers on a nostalgic journey, uses the elevator as a metaphor for traveling between the past and the present... Incorporating elements from their previous songs, such as "Hellevator ", "District 9" and "Blueprint", Stray Kids have created a sense of continuity and growth in their music."

Remember to interact with the article :)

https://oneilynews.com/vibe/stray-kids-unveil-teaser-video-for-self-titled-track-stray-kids/

[kangaracha]

NEVERMORE; AN ANNOTATION chapter 1 (cruel and fearful days)

Read Nevermore | Annotations Masterlist | Nevermore Masterlist

---

Summary

The fic opens in Han's POV towards the end of a dance rehearsal. Tired, he sits down for a moment and wonders how the others continue to push when they are exhausted. Changbin comes over to check on him, as tomorrow is the evaluation they have been practising for and he is sure that Han is nervous.

In Han's POV still, we turn to the aftermath of the evaluation, in which the company heads watching them are unhappy with their performance. Upon dismissal from the room, Han, restless, tells the others he is going to the bathroom and retreats down the hall alone. He does not stop, but instead continues all the way to the street outside, trying to outrun his nerves.

His head hurts; he stops to rub at his eyes and breathe. When he opens them again, he is no longer on the street, but in a strange, abandoned warehouse-type of building. Among other things, there is a piece of a mirror on the floor - when he picks it up, he sees a reflection of himself crying, even though he is not.

His efforts to escape the building lead him to an elevator with five floor buttons that don't work and a single button labelled 'hell'. When he presses this button, the elevator starts to move up, shuddering through a black shaft. It stops in the centre of an open field of purple flowers - before Han can consider how strange this is, he hears a song playing far off in the distance and finds he can't think of anything but the need to find where it is coming from.

In Chan's POV, the other boys search for the missing Han. A hooded figure on the street who seems vaguely familiar informs them of the direction he had headed in - presently, the seven of them come upon the building Han had found himself in.

Minho insists that he can hear Han singing inside and leads them into the elevator. It delivers them to the same strange field, just in time for them to spot Han running away from them. Chan gives chase, dragging the other boy to a halt. Han comes back to himself long enough to point to a city reflected in the sky and the two moons visible there, and then they all lose consciousness, described as 'the ground falling out from beneath their feet'.

Characters

This chapter may not start off with a loud bang, but rather as an introduction to the eight characters we'll continue to follow throughout the story and the level of strange shenanigans we can expect in the future. In particular, it introduces us to Han and Chan, two characters who will be important to this section of the story (as a pose to someone like Hyunjin, who plays more of a supporting role until much further into the story).

There's insights into most of the boys' characters in this opening chapter; Han is trying to swallow his anxiety about the future and how he believes Chan is troubled, an anxiety that quickly becomes the driving force for him to discover the Hellevator and fall into the Cle. Changbin is introduced as charismatic and openly caring for the other boys, while Minho watches from the fringes, described as sharp and sly and yet seen as fiercly protective when he is the first to dive into the building to chase Han later on.

Chan is the focal point of Han's anxiety - in several lines, Han is worried about the pressure Chan is swallowing as their leader, and the things he might not be telling them. From his own point of view, too, we learn that Chan is indeed keeping secrets in an effort to protect the others, and perhaps feels out of his depth in just the way Han has described seeing past his fearless exterior earlier.

Plot

The first two scenes of this chapter serve more to lend backstory than any information about the Cle and the world we are moving forward into - instead, they describe the situation Stray Kids are in with the company and the bond that already exists between them prior to the fic beginning.

The final scene, of course, draws directly from Hellevator, the first music video and the key to the beginning of the story here. The boys are drawn into the shell of a building, surrounded by 'concrete walls' and 'the bare bones of a domed ceiling overhead'. They emerge in a field of deadnettle - purple, brackish flowers - that seems to stretch into eternity.

There are still some clues to much later plot points to be found even here though!

Han notes Chan as looking distinctly upset when he exits the meeting room in the second scene - this is foreshadowing for his admittance, much later, that the company have decided not to continue with Stray Kids as a group

when Han picks up the mirror, his reflection moves independantly from him - this is a common occurance in the Cle, next seen at the manifestation of Jeongin's power in Injeon

Han hears a song on the wind in Beiseu (the world of the open field) and finds that he can't think of anything else, or resist the urge to follow it to its source. This, already, is the first manifestation of his power

the wind is a very important force in the SKZCU, an instrument to illustrate shifts of power or important changes in the environment, and it is first seen here, picking up at the instance that Han first hears the song. This is also the first tie-back to Levanter that we see - Levanter being the name of a mediterranean wind.

the hooded figure on the street is familiar to them in a way they can't pinpoint. It will take them a long time to figure out why.

the ground falls out from beneath their feet - Beiseu is a world of unpredictable doorways between it and the rest of the Cle, and this is them falling through one of those doorways, committing them to the story that follows.

[baby-stay92]

Baby-stay92's MV pics, part 1/♾️ ~ Hellevator part 1/2

DISCLAIMER: I >ONLY< have pictures of Channie, Hannie, Hyunnie, Lixie and (later on) Minho.

@imperfectlyperfectprincess1 @adestayskz @skz-lover21

[zxwynrpp]

Aslında yağmurlu havalarda dinlemek için harika bi şarkı ama dinlemek için yağmura gerek yok

[catch-me-hello]

Stray Kids, Episode 3:  kicking the leaves in the autumn breeze

Quiet down, class.  We have a quick morning announcement before we get started.  P1Harmony just dropped a video for their song “Duh!”.  It’s got an infectious beat, and it’s cheeky as hell.  I couldn’t help laughing at the flippant attitude of it all.  I can’t wait for this to come up on my exercise playlist.

Back to our Stray Kids!  They have (barely) made it through the first mission, and they have a LOT more work to do.  Leader Bang Chan has to find charisma and the ability to write songs in a key that won’t shatter glass when his bandmates try to sing them.

But it turns out we’re not done yet with JYP’s assessment of the first mission.  We return to the performance room.  He’s just finished telling the Stray Kids that he will eliminate anyone who can’t keep up.  Oh wait, he means NOW.  The three at risk of elimination are I.N, Hyunjin, and Lee Know.

Lee Know, Hyunjin, and I.N

JYP says these three are currently least prepared to debut.  I.N’s vocals are shaky.  Hyunjin’s pronunciation isn’t clear when he raps.  Lee Know only sang one line, but it was enough to make JYP decide he didn’t want to hear any more.  Oof. 

JYP switches some of the parts around.  He wants Lee Know to try rapping.  Lee Know has never rapped before.  And without any rehearsal, the group has to perform the song again, right now.

I immediately hear a difference in Hyunjin’s rapping, even though I don’t understand Korean.  The words are more clear and forceful. 

When it’s time for Lee Know to rap for the very first time, Han holds his hand for support.  We find out later that Han is squeezing Lee Know’s hand in time with the beat to help him keep on track.

It helps.  JYP likes the new performance.  He tells Lee Know to keep practicing his rapping.  Do we have a potential all-rounder in this Stray Kid?

Now for some big news.  JYP is going to have them make the video for “Hellevator” so Mnet can air it with this show.  For a group that just had their parts switched around, things are happening very quickly.  This also explains why Woojin is still in the group when this video is made.

We are finally done here.  JYP leaves, and our Stray Kids take their first deep breaths in what seems like hours.  But they can’t rest for long.  We’re jumping right into the music video filming.  I can’t imagine how bewildered these kids must be.  They were chosen to debut a week ago, and now they’re on a video set.  They’ve all got that “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore” look on their faces. 

We get some really cool behind the scenes footage.

I had to do some Googling to find this shooting location.  It’s an unnamed abandoned building that is a very popular filming spot.  Videos by VIXX, Kim Lip, Minseo, VICTON, ONEUS, and ONF have also been filmed here.  It’s located in Gimcheon, about two and a half hours from Seoul.  Filmmakers like its post-apocalyptic vibe.

Now back to the JYP Building.  The boys have a new mission, and it’s based on our three members in danger of elimination.  The group will split into three teams, each one meant to show the improvement of one of the three in danger, and if JYP isn’t impressed, they will be eliminated. 

The boys huddle to choose their songs.  And I’m guessing this show is sponsored by Coca-Cola.  The bottles of Coke have been inconspicuous set dressing up to this point, but now the show is getting blatant with it.

Also out of nowhere:  Felix likes mosquitos and can imitate their buzzing sound.  One of the tracks the group is considering has the mosquito sound on it.  This is going to be one weird mission.

The boys split up into their three teams and choose their songs.  These are the teams:

As I’m watching I.N’s group huddle, I’m struck by how supportive and protective Woojin is of him.  I had to stop here to find out why he left the group.  And it turns out that we don’t know.  He left in 2019 due to personal reasons, and of course, the online rumor machine cranked up into full gear.  Happily, he overcame the online abuse and debuted as a solo artist in 2021.  He also landed a role on an HBO MAX series.  He’s currently carrying out his military service as a member of the army band.

Back to our show.  We watch the songwriting process as the boys build songs around Bang Chan’s sample tracks.  Han is writing lyrics about high school life.  He has to read about it online and ask his teammates for their stories, because he grew up being homeschooled in Malaysia.  At fourteen, he left school to be a K-pop trainee.  These Stray Kids are really interesting people.

Now on to Hyunjin’s team.  In an attempt to keep the focus on Hyunjin’s improvement in rapping, Bang Chen suggests not doing choreography.  I’ve been recapping K-pop shows for almost two years now, and I’ve never heard this suggestion.  It feels almost sacrilegious.  Hyunjin pauses, then he diplomatically says, “It’s right we don’t dance, but I feel like I need to.”  He’s also concerned because his specialty is dance.  It’s hard for him to let go of that.

However, now that he’s not dancing, he can focus on his pronunciation.  He holds a pen in his mouth and tries to enunciate around it, which is a great speech exercise.

We get a few minutes of watching Lee Know’s team.  They have the biggest challenge, as he must change from a singer who just started rapping to an actual rapper.  He’s going through some anxiety.

After watching them for a while, we cut to two days later, when the boys are getting a rare day off.  We find them relaxing at the dorm in their bunk bed storage closet posing as a bedroom.

In their own room, Bang Chan and Woojin decide to get everyone out of the dorm so they can have some fun.  “They haven’t had a moment where they aren’t thinking about JYP’s criticism,” says Bang Chan, who will make a great dad someday.

Our teams split up.  Lee Know’s team heads out to a place called Banpo Hangang Park.  Google tells me this is a great place for riverside walks, bike rides, and sports, plus views of an illuminated bridge fountain.  I found some pictures of this fountain online, and wow.

Seoul looks like an amazing place to visit.

Lee Know’s team takes a selfie stick and walk through the park on this gorgeous day.  They bring inflatable sofas, which I did not know were a thing and I want one.  Felix practices his Korean by ordering fried chicken delivery.

Meanwhile, Hyunjin’s team goes bowling in the cleanest bowling alley I have ever seen.  You could eat off those floors.  Seungmin has never bowled before and starts by throwing nothing but gutter balls, but after a few minutes, he’s all strikes and spares.  I love watching this.  I haven’t been bowling in years.

Now over to I.N’s group.  They are in a karaoke bar.  Karaoke is insanely popular in Korea.  As an introvert, I’d rather eat tinfoil.  But our guys are having fun.  They sing trot songs, which I just now learned is a thing.  Trot is the oldest form of Korean pop music and sounds very much like polka music.

Back at the park, Lee Know’s team plays Jenga while waiting for their food delivery.  This version of the game has truth or dare challenges on the blocks, and long story short, this happens:

We end the episode on this really nice shot:

After the stress of the previous two episodes, it’s nice to have a chill ending here.  STAYs, go outside, touch some grass, order fried chicken, and give your bestie a big kiss.  See you next episode!