Stray Kids have officially ignited the countdown to one of the most anticipated comebacks in K-pop this year. On July 25, the group announced the release of their 4th full-length album KARMA, slated to drop on August 22 at 1 PM KST (midnight EST)—marking their first full album in over two years since ★★★★★ (5-STAR) in 2023.
The comeback trailer, released at midnight KST, immediately sent fans into a frenzy and quickly became the #1 trending video on YouTube worldwide, charting in 74 regions just three hours after release. Fourteen hours in, it was still holding the top spot—proving that the thirst for a full-length Stray Kids comeback is very, very real.
Stray Kids(스트레이 키즈) "KARMA" Trailer
— Stray Kids (@Stray_Kids) July 24, 2025
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2025.08.22 FRI 1PM (KST) | 0AM (ET)
🏆 PRE-SAVE "KARMA"https://t.co/8bsECR2gnU
#StrayKids #스트레이키즈#KARMA#StrayKidsComeback#YouMakeStrayKidsStay pic.twitter.com/sS79rOA12D
Set in the year 2081, the KARMA trailer unveils a dynamic sci-fi universe where the group reimagines global festivals like the Olympics and the World Cup as the “2081 KARMA SPORTS.” Champions—Hyunjin, I.N, Bang Chan, Lee Know, Seungmin, Han, Changbin, and Felix—return to the arena, each one burning with ambition to win once more. The storyline revolves around a mysterious item called the “KARMA Coin,” tying together personal rivalries, ambition, and fate in a visually stunning cyber-future metropolis.
Stray Kids are known for pushing the limits of creativity, and with KARMA, they’re building an entirely new mythology. The trailer's slick cinematography, narrative depth, and immersive worldbuilding are already raising expectations for what could be their most conceptually ambitious album yet.
Still Chart Kings—Even Without an Album
Despite not having released a full-length album since 2023, Stray Kids have remained chart-toppers. According to Luminate’s 2025 Midyear Music Report, their surprise mixtape-style project SKZHOP HIPTAPE ‘合 (HOP)’, released in December 2024, sold 149,000 physical CDs in the U.S. alone—ranking #2 in the U.S. Top CD Albums and making it the highest-charting release by any Asian artist this year so far.
Global Stage, Global Power
Their massive popularity isn't just reflected in numbers—it’s global and undeniable. Since August 2024, the group has been on their biggest tour yet: Stray Kids World Tour 'dominATE', which includes 54 concerts across 34 cities, 38 of them in stadiums. The tour has taken them from Seoul’s KSPO DOME to stages across Asia, Oceania, Latin America, and North America, and is set to conclude with a grand finale in Rome on July 30—marking their first-ever European tour.
Mark your calendars: KARMA drops August 22 at 1 PM KST, and if the trailer is any indication, Stray Kids are ready to flip the rules of the game—again.
What happens when fate, ambition, and a coin collide in the year 2081?
We’ll find out soon.