Stray Kids – Clé 2: Yellow Wood
Yellow Wood captures the overwhelming feeling of standing at a fork in the road. It’s anxious, experimental, and raw.
STRAY KIDS
Stray Kids – Clé 2: Yellow Wood: Choosing the Harder Path
Released in June 2019, Clé 2: Yellow Wood continues Stray Kids' journey of self-discovery, this time arriving at a crossroads. The title, inspired by Robert Frost’s famous poem "The Road Not Taken," symbolizes a pivotal moment: when faced with two paths, Stray Kids take the one less traveled—even if it’s darker, harder, or more uncertain. This special album blends new material with previously released mixtapes, pulling together the group's themes of resistance, confusion, and individuality into one introspective package.
Track list
“Road Not Taken” – haunting instrumental intro signaling tension and choice
“Side Effects” (부작용) – title track fusing trance, trap, and chaos, reflecting emotional whiplash
“TMT” (Tell Me Today) – upbeat yet conflicted, about uncertainty in relationships and life
“Mixtape #1” – an honest conversation about pressure and expectations
“Mixtape #2” – tackling self-doubt and questioning one’s purpose
“Mixtape #3” – nostalgic look at friendship and the trainee journey
“Mixtape #4” – quiet, reflective closing on identity and self-worth
Feel & Themes
Yellow Wood captures the overwhelming feeling of standing at a fork in the road. It’s anxious, experimental, and raw—with “Side Effects” in particular pushing the limits of what a K-pop title track can sound like. The songs are less about having answers and more about navigating confusion: emotional highs and lows, mental burnout, and figuring out who you are when no one’s watching.
By including the earlier “Mixtape” tracks, Stray Kids root their current confusion in the past, suggesting that growth is not a straight line. Clé 2: Yellow Wood doesn’t offer clarity—it embraces the chaos and chooses to move forward anyway. In a world demanding perfection, this album chooses honesty instead.
Check out the Album here: