Discussion about what Stray Kids would do at the VMAs began when the nominees for Best K-Pop were announced, weeks before the event itself. This was the group’s second year being nominated for the award after “Maniac” earned them a chance at the trophy in 2022. However, fans were excited to learn that Stray Kids would be attending and performing at the 2023 VMAs.
Stray Kids were already wowing fans around the world when they appeared on the VMAs red carpet wearing brands that their members are ambassadors for, like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Versace, and Gucci. However, the night and the excitement was only beginning for the group. Felix told Billboard on the red carpet that they were not getting their hopes too high over winning an award. He explained that they always want to strive harder and work to continue past their limits as artists. Bang Chan shared that the group was very excited to show the performance that they had worked hard to prepare, and that they were just hoping to have a good time.
When it came time to announce the winner of Best K-Pop, Stray Kids won the category with their latest title track “S-Class”, which debuted on the Billboard top 200 on their album 5 Star in June. The members could not believe that they won and hesitated leaving their seats to accept their Moon Man. Bang Chan even looked around asking “Us?” repeatedly before leading his group to the stage. Of course, the award was passed to their beloved youngest, I.N., to hold onto during their acceptance speech. Bang Chan explained that this award meant a lot to them since they had been making their own music since the start of their career. Felix shared thanks to many that have supported their journey, including their label and their fans.
The next time Stray Kids was seen on the VMAs, they had changed into striking new outfits and appeared on stage for their performance among cheers and screams from the audience. Making their VMAs debut, the group performed “S-Class”. The lyrics state that they are “best of the best on first class” and this debut lived up to that standard. The powerful performance included an original dance break featuring back-up dancers and new choreography. This new choreography added a shocking move where dancers come together and flip I.N. up from the floor. Meanwhile, the lights and smoke effects were adding to the excitement. Overall, Stray Kids absolutely nailed this performance. It showcased their color as artists and highlighted what makes them unique performers. Fans had already taken to social media just minutes after to rave about how much they loved the performance. One fan stated that they kind of loved that Stray Kids won the award before performing, saying that this allowed them to prove why they deserved the win. Other fans praised Lee Know’s flawless spin kick and the amazing styling choices.
As the excitement of Stray Kids’ first VMAs performance and win dies down, the group is only giving fans more things to look forward to. Felix, Hyunjin, and Lee Know are set to attend Milan Fashion Week, the group is performing at Global Citizens Festival in New York, then they will continue their sold out Dome Tour in Asia. Even though Stray Kids have been releasing music for over five years, it seems that the best of their careers is just starting. Their spotlight is only getting brighter.