Changbin: The Charmer

Seo Changbin is your favourite Stray Kids member’s favourite Stray Kid. Ask the group about each other and Changbin’s name comes up constantly. “Changbin is someone that you want to look after. You need an extra hand with him,” says I.N cheerfully when I ask him which of his hyungs (older brother figures) he, as maknae, likes to look out for.   

Lee Know affectionately shares a little moment that he and Changbin have when they’re alone. “This is a secret that only I know. So, whenever I [reach] out my hand to Changbin’s chin, he just puts it on top of my hand and it’s very cute. It’s just between myself and Changbin,” he says.   

Hyunjin has also spoken about how, as the group’s official cheerleader, Changbin lifts the mood. But every mascot needs someone to cheer them on, too. For Changbin’s part, he reciprocates the maknae’s feelings.  

“I.N is very cute. So cute. His smile gives me a good energy. But all the members give me good energy. I try to conserve positive energy through workouts, too. I channel the good energy,” says Changbin. “I actively try to lift up the mood, especially in situations that are hard, and bring up the mood with bright energy.”  

As well as the ‘minister of the Stray Kids’ mood’, he’s also responsible for getting everyone in shape. All the members are regular gym goers. Felix reveals, “Our members are keen on getting their body shape and becoming healthier. I have seen Hyunjin working out more. I have seen Seungmin working out, too. Everyone is just working [out] these days.” Of course, Changbin is at the centre of this aesthetic push.  

HAN explains, “Yesterday, Changbin, who is like a leader figure in the gym, although he  [had] ended his workout routine, he decided to stay and support the other members throughout theirs.” If there were a ‘BUFFRACHA’, he would be the leader of the unit.  

On the set, the Stray Kids management affectionately advise that Changbin is a little shy. I watch him closely. His hair, which he dyed a vivid violet at the beginning of their most recent comeback (the name given to K-pop album cycles), has abated to a soft lilac by the time our shoot comes around, and even though he is reserved, he is doing what every good Leo does best and is posing like a pro. That is part of the charm of Changbin: he can oscillate between serious and cute on a whim. During the group shots, his staccato laugh pierces the air, and this playful shriek of joy also erupts when Seungmin roughhouses him, bringing fresh energy to the room.  

He can switch into serious mode quickly, too, carrying his inimitable spirit from the studio to the stage. During the Hyde Park BST set, his rapping was astoundingly fast and clear, receiving rapturous cheers from STAY in the crowd. His explosive rapping style is one of the signature sounds of Stray Kids. For Changbin, there is no shyness on stage. It’s pure confidence, born from being involved in the creative process from the very beginning.  

Along with fellow 3RACHA members Bang Chan and HAN, it’s the final moments of the song cycle that he relishes. “I enjoy performing the songs that I and the others have produced ourselves. That’s the best,” he says. He struggles to pick a favourite song that he likes to perform. “Wow. That’s so hard… ‘God’s Menu’? But for reception from the fans: ‘TOPLINE’.”  

Changbin is one of a handful of male stars including Harry Styles, Jacob Elordi, and his close friend Wooyoung from ATEEZ, who have been nicknamed ‘babygirl’. He is applauded on social media for never masculinising the choreography when he does girl group dance challenges (idols often team up to perform other groups’ songs as a reciprocal way of promoting each other’s music). Every time he does a girl group song, they catch fire, spawning thousands of fan-cams and engagement.   

“I don’t look at it as something that will go viral. Our schedule is very set, but when it allows it, I see a girl group challenge as a new challenge. I enjoy that way of dancing,” he says, relishing the chance to perform in a different way.    

It’s this vigour that Changbin puts into everything he does with Stray Kids, and this feeds into his bond with the other members. “Something that I feel within my own skin is how important teamwork is and the relationship between the members,” he says. “That is the most important thing about Stray Kids and my focus. I attribute Stray Kids’ success to teamwork.” In this way, Changbin is at the nucleus of the band, bringing them together with endearing warmth.  

Taken from the October/November issue of Rolling Stone UK – you can pre-order it here now.