“I Want To Stay With Stray Kids For A Long Time”: Bang Chan On Brotherhood, The Pursuit Of Perfection And Growing Up

Seven years after his debut and at the cusp between boyhood and manhood, let it be said that Bang Chan might just be one of the hardest-working figures of today’s generation of Korean pop singers.

Bang Chan—short for Christopher Chahn Bahng—has more than 200 music credits to his name to date. Under his leadership, the K-pop boyband Stray Kids has chalked up a string of pole position honours on the Billboard charts, and their song “Lalalala” was their first foray in the Billboard Hot 100. Clearly, the guy knows a thing or two about music.

Yet, in spite of Stray Kids’ seemingly carefree and jovial disposition in interviews, the newly minted brand ambassador for Fendi is also surprisingly serious when it comes to work. For starters, he’s a self-professed perfectionist who never settles for the accolades of the band. And as he turns 28 this October, he’s spent more time dwelling on what it means to grow up in the media spotlight, circumstances for which a large fraction of us wouldn’t be familiar with by any measure.

Togged in Fendi’s spring/summer 2025 collection, Bang Chan reflects on making peace with himself, and with time.

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Hop, the first mixtape released by the group last December, has spent six consecutive weeks at the top spot of Billboard’s album charts. Do you feel like Stray Kids has hit its peak in terms of success?

Bang Chan (BC): Definitely not. People around us have always said that we’ve grown so much as a group, but I always tell them that we’ve still got so much drive in us to take us further. We’re often told to embrace the compliments and the success, but I feel that we still have a long way to go. The direction for the band is set, but we still haven’t decided where the destination and the end goal is just yet. We are still in the journey of growth.

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When we think of Stray Kids, we think of energy, not only from the music or the performance, but also from the debut of the group right until now. What drives the energy of Stray Kids?

BC: If you look at each member, there is something that burns within us. Then, when these sparks of passion hit the stage, they burn even more fiercely. Our fans also fuel this fire (laughs). In fact, while the energy may dip and the fire weakens over time, we’re always there as a team to pick each other up.

Is that what makes you proud of Stray Kids?

BC: It might be cheesy, but I think the members have a real love for each other, and we understand one another like real brothers.

So it feels more akin to friendship than just a working relationship between the boys then.

BC: I’d say it’s closer to love than to friendship or teamwork. It’s our honesty and sincerity that gives ourselves a sense of understanding for each member. If we make mistakes, we grow together. I think this is the most important, and honestly, even I ponder over how strong this bond is.

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Do you think you have grown?

BC: Recently, I’ve been feeling the call of time to grow up, but on the other hand, I wonder if maturity is what we really need. When we first met, we were all teenagers teasing one another. I get teased the most even though I’m the oldest. It’s childish, but I like childishness. That’s how real friends are. It’s not cool to pretend to be mature just to fit your biological age. We’re going to continue being childish, just as we are now.

Your nickname is “Bang Chan Daddy”, right? Were you a strict leader when you were a trainee?

BC: I apologise to my teammates if I came across as cold in the past. My time spent as a trainee was quite long, so I saw my close friends debuting and then leaving the training. And the new friends that would come into the programme would disappear after they debuted before me. That was probably the darkest period of my life. My personality changed drastically, because I didn’t want to form friendships just to feel that it was a matter of time before I would get left behind and I would get hurt. And just when I was worried and thinking about where my life was going, Stray Kids happened.

Are you still very strict with yourself?

BC: I tend to pay attention to things that may not appear apparent. When I rewatch our performances, I am rarely satisfied with it and I cast a critical eye on certain things I’ve done. What’s the point if I am the only one who likes it, but others don’t? Music is subjective; there are no right answers, so when I work on new music, I am constantly revising it based on the reactions of those who get to preview it. Company executives, friends, family members, I am grateful to them because they’ve helped our music along the way.

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What’s on your playlist now?

BC: Because I’m always producing music, I find it a bit difficult to listen to other people’s music. I end up listening to it with a purpose or a goal in mind. What I enjoy listening to these days are the outdoor sounds such as the sounds of the city, the cars driving by, or the joy of children in the playground.

Sounds like you’re going to put a bucket over your head like Ryuichi Sakamoto later.

BC: I have done this in the past! Probably because I arrange and produce the tracks, so I’m always wondering whether unique sounds can be produced.

You left your hometown of Sydney, Australia at a very young age and entered the entertainment industry. It has been 15 years, including the trainee period. What made you persist?

BC: The drive to not let my bandmates down. Maybe the validation I want to hear most from my fellow teammates is “Bang Chan is real. He’s cool”. Or maybe I’m just being childish (laughs). Our members, including myself, are not good at expressing things. I want to be a reliable and trustworthy brother. I guess I want to be recognised by my bandmates.

What’s the future like for you?

BC: First of all, I want to stay with Stray Kids for a long time. I think it would be so funny if I became a grandfather and said, “I was like that back then.” But to be honest, I feel like I might just be stuck as a 25-year-old for eternity.

Forever 25, you mean.

BC: Yes, I want to continue living as a guy in his mid-twenties forever. If I can ask you, how do you define “growing up”?

Going by today’s conversation, I think you are in the middle of the growth process. It is about acknowledging the inevitable, knowing how to let go, and listening to other people’s opinions.

BC: Then, I guess I am really growing up. (laughs)

Editor: Seo Dongbeom
Photographer: Kim Sinae
Stylist: Seo Soomyeong
Interview: Son Anna
Makeup: Hwang Heejung
Hair: Jang Haein
Set Design: Kwon Dohyung, Lee Dain
Assistants: Jeong Minho, Kim Jinwoo