The trailer for Stray Kids fourth full studio album, KARMA, dropped on July 24, 2025. It’s a futuristic, Hunger Games-meets-Olympics, set in the year 2081. KARMA will be released on August 22 at 12AM EDT/ 1AM KST.
What Is the “KARMA” Trailer Really About?
Each member is introduced as a reigning champion of a mysterious “KARMA Sports Event.” It’s a dystopian tournament where dominance is earned through relentless competition and records are both won and broken. We see the members either reacting to news of the next tournament or training themselves to prepare.
Karma, Cycles, and the “Final Boss”
What happens when your biggest rival is yourself and karma never forgets?
At first glance, the trailer plays out like a high-budget sports film, but the imagery is heavy with symbolism. This is more than just winning, it’s about why you keep competing.
The idea of karma is as structural as it is cyclical. The members are past champions caught in a loop of repetition and consequence. Every triumph comes with a cost. Every record broken carries the weight of the one before.
The cyberpunk aesthetics, glowing arenas, and battle-ready posturing frames each member as someone shaped by their victories and scarred by what it took to get there. There’s a lack of individual backstories or clear plotlines for each member. More will probably be revealed in time, but the absence leaves the focus on the collective price of dominance.
A High-Stakes Return to the Spotlight
KARMA marks Stray Kids’ first Korean full album in over a year, and it arrives right in the middle of their global dominATE tour. There’s a lot of excitement and anticipation as STAYs (Stray Kids fans) look forward to new music from their favorite group.
In the world of Stray Kids, karma isn’t passive. It’s a sport and they’re not here to just play the game. They’re here to rewrite the rules.
