Staying Power- As they gave their first performance in the UK for five years, Rolling Stone UK caught up with Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Felix, Seungmin and I.N, who together make up the record-breaking K-pop phenomenon Stray Kids

As they gave their first performance in the UK for five years, Rolling Stone UK caught up with Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, HAN, Felix, Seungmin and I.N, who together make up the record-breaking K-pop phenomenon Stray Kids. Here, they open up about the bonds they share between themselves and their devoted fans, as well as their common goal of super stardom

- By Joseph Kocharian - Photography by Kosmas Pavlos

Bang Chan, the leader of K-pop group Stray Kids, visibly recoils when I ask how it feels to be part of a global phenomenon. Are we that big? he laughs nervously, genuinely flustered by the suggestion as he twiddles the ring on his finger, his hair perfectly sculpted to look effortlessly messy. When I press the point, he concedes with a modest OK in a self-deprecating way that suggests he doesn't really believe me.

Felix, the other Aussie member in the group alongside Bang Chan, is similarly stunned by the idea of the band's immense popularity. Taking over the world? No, no! he says, shaking his long icy blond hair and causing dozens of tendrils to fall over his face, every strand seemingly falling with purpose. His distinctive looks have the air of an otherworldly character from a Renaissance painting.

Despite their protests, the eight-piece consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, Felix, HAN, Hyunjin, I.N, Lee Know and Seungmin - are arguably the biggest band in the world right now. It's hard to keep up with their journey as they rack up milestone after milestone at breakneck speed. In between me interviewing them in July and Rolling Stone UK going to print, they have broken a record, becoming the first group to see their first five albums debut at number one on the Billboard 200 following the July release of their latest mini album, ATE. They have since performed for more than 250,000 fans over three concerts and as many continents, leaving a glittering trail of A-list celebrities and billion-pound brands fawning over them in their wake.