"Maniac" is a song recorded by the South Korean boy band

Stray Kids Stray Kids (often abbreviated to SKZ; ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The band consists of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han (musician), Han, Felix (rapper), Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. For un ...

. It was the second track released from their sixth Korean extended play (EP), ''

Oddinary ''Oddinary'' is the sixth extended play and recorded by South Korean boy band Stray Kids. It was released on March 18, 2022, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records, seven months after the band's second studio album ''Noeasy'' (2021). The ...

'', and was its

lead single A lead single (or first single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. A similar term, "debut ...

on March 18, 2022, through

JYP Entertainment JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1997 by Park Jin-young, J. Y. Park. Operating as a record label, talent ...

and

Republic Records Republic Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Based in New York City, it was founded by Avery Lipman and Monte Lipman as an independent label in 1995, and was acquired by UMG in 2000. Republic was initially ...

. Written by Stray Kids' in-house production team

3Racha Stray Kids (often abbreviated to SKZ; ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The band consists of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. For undisclosed personal reasons, ...

and Versachoi, "Maniac" is a trap, EDM and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...

song about "odd" people who break the "ordinary" social norms set by the world, referring to

Frankenstein's monster Frankenstein's monster, commonly referred to as Frankenstein, is a fictional character that first appeared in Mary Shelley's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' as its main antagonist. Shelley's title compares the monster's ...

. Commercially, "Maniac" peaked at number 29 on the South Korean

Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based on ...

, and made its first appearance on the US ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

at number 19, as well as in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. The song also debuted at the top of

World Digital Song Sales The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—its first issue was dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-speci ...

, which is the second song after " Mixtape: Oh". It took two wins from music programs, ''

Show Champion ''Show Champion'' () is a South Korean music television program broadcast live by MBC M every Wednesday at Bitmaru Broadcasting Center in Ilsan. Hosts * Shindong (February 14, 2012 – December 25, 2012) * Hahm Eun-jung (January 30, 2013 – ...

'' and ''

Music Bank ''Music Bank'' () is a South Korean music program which airs every Friday at 17:15 KST on KBS2. the show is also broadcast in more than a hundred countries through KBS World. Episodes are filmed at the KBS New Wing Open Hall in Yeouido-dong, Ye ...

'', and was nominated for Best K-Pop Video at the

2022 MTV Video Music Awards The 2022 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey on August 28, 2022. The show was emceed by LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj, and Jack Harlow. Minaj was honored with the Video Vanguard Award, presented to her by ...

. "Maniac" was certified

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA).

Background and release

On February 13, 2022, after the fan meeting 2nd #LoveStay 'SKZ's Chocolate Factory', Stray Kids surprisingly premiered the trailer video for the upcoming EP ''

'', scheduled for release on March 18. The completed track listing of the EP was posted on March 3, confirming "Maniac" as the lead single. Three music video teasers were uploaded from March 15 to 17. "Maniac" was released alongside the EP, in conjunction with its accompanying music video, According to a ''

Nylon Nylon is a family of synthetic polymers characterised by amide linkages, typically connecting aliphatic or Polyamide#Classification, semi-aromatic groups. Nylons are generally brownish in color and can possess a soft texture, with some varieti ...

'' interview, the member Han said that the song was written during fall and winter, and 3Racha want to give off a different vibe from the previous single, "

Thunderous "Thunderous" (, "Singer" (of ''Pansori'')) is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Stray Kids. It was released as the second track of their second studio album ''Noeasy'', and serves as its lead single on August 23, 2021, through JYP Entert ...

". The Japanese version of "Maniac" was pre-released on May 18, through

Epic Records Japan Epic Records Japan is a Japanese record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment Japan. Its founder was Shigeo Maruyama. Between 1978 and 1988 the label operated as a wholly owned subsidiary: Epic/Sony Inc. () was established in August 1978

and included on the group's Japanese-language second EP ''

Circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicy ...

'', released on June 22.

Lyrics and composition

"Maniac" is described as a

Middle Eastern The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

-influenced "powerful" trap, EDM,

song, with

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

synth A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

drop Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to: * Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid ** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes * Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume * Falling (physics), allowing ...

, bird-chirping, and

drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...

sounds. It was composed in the key of

C♯ major C-sharp major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has seven sharps. Its relative minor is A-sharp minor (or enharmonically B-flat minor), its parallel minor is C-sharp minor, ...

, 120 beats per minute with a running time of three minutes and two seconds. The song spans from the low note of F

♯ In music, sharp – eqv. (from French) or (from Greek ) – means higher in pitch. The sharp symbol, ♯, indicates that the note to which the symbol is applied is played one semitone higher. The opposite of sharp is flat, indicating a low ...

2 by members Hyunjin and Felix, to the high note of F♯5 by member Bang Chan. The song was written by Stray Kids' in-house production team

, consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, and co-composed with Versachoi, who also handle in arrangement with Bang Chan. It is 3Racha and Versachoi's second collaboration on the Stray Kids' lead single after "God's Menu" from '' Go Live'' (2020). Lyrically, "Maniac" supports the thematic of ''Oddinary'', expressing the story of "odd" people who break the "ordinary"

social norm A social norm is a shared standard of acceptance, acceptable behavior by a group. Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into wikt:rule, rules and laws. Social norma ...

s and expectations set by society, comparing them with

having a few screws loose.

Critical reception

Teen Vogue ''Teen Vogue'' is an American progressive online publication, formerly in print, launched in January 2003, as a sister publication to '' Vogue'', targeted at teenage girls and young women. Like ''Vogue'', it included stories about fashion and ...

'' Crystal Bell compared "Maniac" as "proof enough that it doesn't matter which way Stray Kids decide to turn" if ''Oddinary'' exists at the crossroads. She praised the group "can continue to evolve their sound while also staying true to themselves as artists." ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' critic, Tássia Assis, admired that "how much Stray Kids refined their talents for this comeback, successfully combining their abrasive energy with more tempered tones." Yemi from ''

Idology ''Idology'' () is a South Korean music webzine specializing in idol criticism, founded by music expert Mimyo in 2014, and consists of about 10 writers. Mimyo, whose Korean name translates to "Subtlety", serves as the webzine's editor-in-chief. ...

'' said that the song "shows a relatively flexible mood compared to previous works that were consistent with divergence, and it was impressive that the group's unique strong energy was still there, but that they had enough room to try to make rapid adjustments." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked "Maniac" number 56 on its list of the Best Songs of 2022. Other publications who ranked it amongst the best K-pop songs of 2022 include ''

'' (5th), '' CNN Philippines Life'' (5th), ''

The Korea Herald ''The Korea Herald'' () is a South Korean English-language daily newspaper founded in August 1953 and published in Seoul. The editorial staff is composed of Korean and international writers and editors, with additional news coverage drawn from i ...

'' (2nd), ''

'' (24th), and ''

'' (unranked).

Commercial performance

In South Korea, "Maniac" debuted at number 105 on the

in the chart issue dated March 13–19, 2022. After that, the song ascended to number 29 in the next week, becoming the group's highest peak on the chart. In Japan, "Maniac" entered ''Billboard'' Japan Hot 100 at number 89 and jumped to number 43 in its next week. After the Japanese version release, the song re-entered and peaked at number 21. The song also peaked at number 33 on the

Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that ...

Combined Singles Chart, while the Japanese version at number 28. In North America, "Maniac" debuted at number 19 on the ''

, becoming their first appearance on the chart, as well as number one on the

, making it the second song to top the chart after " Mixtape: Oh". Later, it received

gold certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

from

(RIAA) for 500,000 units in May 2024. The song also entered

Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' magazine. It was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007 as the standard record chart in Canada; a new chart ...

at number 79. In Europe, "Maniac" appeared for the first time on the main UK Singles Chart at number 98. Globally, the song debuted at number 21 on the ''Billboard'' Global 200, as well as number 12 on the Global Excl. U.S., becoming the group's highest-charted song.

Music video

An accompanying music video for "Maniac was uploaded on March 18, in conjunction with the ''Oddinary'' release. Directed by Bang Jae-yeob, the music video oscillates between two worlds, depicting the members exploring various locations of a deserted town in an alternate dimension, and doing random things, such as playing on the subway or cleaning up the diner, and the upside-down version of the town. It also shows a giant, graffitied brain, before being transported back to the real world at the end, where the members hold part-time jobs and hang out. ''

Rolling Stone India ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known f ...

'' Divyansha Dongre compares the two worlds as " Marvel multiverse meets the ''

Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American television series created by the Duffer brothers, Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the Stranger Things season 1, first season was released on N ...

'' upside-down". The music video reached 50 million views on March 30, and 100 million views on June 22, becoming the sixth music video to reach this milestone following "God's Menu", "Miroh", "Back Door", "My Pace", and "Thunderous".

Promotion and live performances

Stray Kids performed "Maniac" for the first time on March 18, the same date as the release, at ''

'' and ''

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert ''The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'' is an American late-night talk show, late-night news satire, news and liberal political satire talk show hosted by Stephen Colbert, which premiered on September 8, 2015. Produced by Stephen Colbert, Spartin ...

''. However, in that day, JYP Entertainment announced that the promotions had been postponed due to most members, except Felix and I.N, testing positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

. On March 26, the label announced that Stray Kids would continue promoting at the music shows beginning at ''

'' on March 30, including ''

M Countdown ''M Countdown'' () is a South Korean music program broadcast by Mnet from the CJ E&M Center Studio in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul. It features appearances by popular music artists who also perform live on stage. First hosted by Leeteuk ...

'', ''Music Bank'', ''

Inkigayo ''Inkigayo'' (; English title: ''The Music Trend'', previously ''Popular Song'') is a South Korean music program broadcast by SBS. It airs live every Sunday. The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform on stage. ...

'', and ''

Show! Music Core ''Show! Music Core'' (), or simply ''Music Core'' is a South Korean music television program broadcast by MBC. It airs live every Saturday at 15:30 (KST). The show features some of the latest and most popular artists who perform live on stage. I ...

''. The group also performed "Maniac" at '' Virtual Gayo Top 10'' on March 25, and ''

MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...

Fresh Out Live'' on April 1. Stray Kids included "Maniac" on the set list of their

Maniac World Tour The Maniac World Tour, officially Stray Kids 2nd World Tour "Maniac", was the second concert tour by South Korean boy band Stray Kids in support of their 2022 extended plays '' Oddinary'', '' Circus'' and '' Maxident'' and 2023 album '' The S ...

(2022). The group performed the song at Seoul Festa's K-Pop Super Live concert at

Seoul Olympic Stadium The Seoul Olympic Stadium (), a.k.a. Jamsil Olympic Stadium (formerly romanised as ''Chamshil''), is a multi-purpose stadium in Seoul, South Korea. It is the main stadium built for the 1988 Summer Olympics and the 1986 Asian Games, 10th Asian Ga ...

on August 10, alongside "God's Menu". Stray Kids performed "Maniac" and "Venom" with the theme "Do You Want to Be Oddinary" at

2022 MAMA Awards The 2022 MAMA Awards ceremony organized by CJ E&M and broadcast through its music channel Mnet, was broadcast live on November 29 and 30, 2022. The ceremony was held at the Kyocera Dome Osaka, Japan. The theme for the ceremony is titled "K-POP Wo ...

on November 29. The show depicted a concept of "bizarre laboratory creating eight maniacs" and featured giant spider AR wrapped around the stage. They also performed the song alongside "

Case 143 "Case 143" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Stray Kids and the lead single from the group's seventh extended play ''Maxident'', which was released on October 7, 2022, through JYP Entertainment and Republic Records. Written by 3Racha, Ra ...

" at the ''

2022 KBS Song Festival The 2022 KBS Song Festival () was the 12th edition of KBS Song Festival, broadcast live from Jamsil Arena by Korean Broadcasting System, KBS 2TV at 8:30 pm Time in South Korea, KST on Friday, December 16, 2022. A total of 24 teams were invi ...

'' on December 16. The group performed the song at ''

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...

'' as musical guest on March 29, 2023. Stray Kids performed the Japanese version at

NHK General TV , abbreviated on-screen as NHK G, is the main television service of NHK, the Japanese public broadcaster. Its programming includes news, drama, quiz/variety shows, music, sports, anime, and specials which compete directly with the output of its co ...

's '' Venue101'' on June 11, broadcast from

World Memorial Hall or World Hall is a multi-purpose arena located in the Chūō-ku Ward of Kobe, Japan. It has a maximum capacity of 8,000 people and is optimized for large-scale meetings, sport events, trade shows and concerts. It is located on the artificial isl ...

, where the group held the

Kobe Kobe ( ; , ), officially , is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. With a population of around 1.5 million, Kobe is Japan's List of Japanese cities by population, seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Port of Toky ...

show of their concert tour, as well as '' Best Artist 2022'' on December 3, alongside "

Usage in media

"Maniac", alongside "Venom" from the same EP, featured on the fourth episode of American romantic

dramedy Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

XO, Kitty ''XO, Kitty'' is an American romantic comedy drama television series created by Jenny Han for Netflix that premiered on May 18, 2023. It is a spin-off of the ''To All the Boys'' film series (itself an adaptation of Han's book trilogy '' To Al ...

''.

Accolades

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from ''Oddinary'' liner notes. Locations *

JYP Publishing JYP Entertainment Corporation () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate founded in 1997 by Park Jin-young, J. Y. Park. Operating as a record label, talent ...

(

KOMCA The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) is a South Korean non-profit copyright collective for musical works, administering public performance and broadcasting rights, and mechanical recording and reproduction rights. Founded in 1964, it ...

) – original

publishing Publishing is the activities of making information, literature, music, software, and other content, physical or digital, available to the public for sale or free of charge. Traditionally, the term publishing refers to the creation and distribu ...

* JYPE Studios –

recording A record, recording or records may refer to: An item or collection of data Computing * Record (computer science), a data structure ** Record, or row (database), a set of fields in a database related to one entity ** Boot sector or boot record, re ...

* Channie's "Room" – recording * Larrabee Studios – mixing * The Mastering Palace – mastering Personnel *

– vocals ** Bang Chan (

) –

lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer, ...

composition Composition or Compositions may refer to: Arts and literature *Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography * Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include ...

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

digital editing In mass communication, digital media is any communication media that operates in conjunction with various encoded machine-readable data formats. can be created, viewed, distributed, modified, listened to, and preserved on a digital electronic d ...

, recording ** Changbin (3Racha) – lyrics, composition ** Han (3Racha) – lyrics, composition * Versachoi – composition, arrangement, all instruments,

computer programming Computer programming or coding is the composition of sequences of instructions, called computer program, programs, that computers can follow to perform tasks. It involves designing and implementing algorithms, step-by-step specifications of proc ...

* KayOne Lee – digital editing * Goo Hye-jin – recording *

Manny Marroquin Manny Marroquin (born September 21, 1971) is a Guatemalan-American record mixing engineer. He has been credited on albums for high-profile pop, R&B, hip hop and rock acts. He has worked with artists including Rihanna, Kanye West, Katy Perry ...

– mixing * Chris Galland – mix engineering ** Ramiro Fernandez-Seoane – assistant * Dave Kutch – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Year-end charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Stray Kids 2022 singles 2022 songs Electronic dance music songs JYP Entertainment singles Republic Records singles Songs about Frankenstein's monster Songs in Korean Songs written by Bang Chan Songs written by Changbin Songs written by Han (musician) Stray Kids songs Trap music songs