Songfacts®:

• If Stray Kids had a victory parade and scored it themselves, the soundtrack would almost certainly be "Ceremony." Released as the lead single from their fourth Korean-language album, Karma, the track is basically a pep rally stuffed into three minutes of EDM trap and baile funk. There are stadium chants, "hip hip hooray," and repeated references to "karma," linking hard work with rewards.
• "Ceremony" is brash, brassy, and unashamedly about clawing your way past hardship and finally holding up the trophy, whether that's in music, sports, or just surviving another week of jet lag. The lyrics lean heavily into athletic imagery, treating the group as if they're competing athletes, training and, crucially, winning for their team (and their fans, known as STAY).
• Behind the scenes, "Ceremony" comes courtesy of 3Racha - the group's in-house production unit consisting of Bang Chan, Changbin, and HAN - alongside frequent collaborator Versachoi. Changbin admitted the idea landed in their laps thanks to circumstance: they had a stadium tour looming and wanted to give fans something appropriately victorious. The word "ceremony" stuck, and when they wondered what celebratory phrase might click with international audiences, Bang Chan pulled "hip hip hooray" from his English-language back pocket. The chant made the cut, giving the track an even more gleeful, universal feel.
• The music video, directed by Seong Won-mo, looks like it fell out of a futuristic Olympic Games. Each member explores sci-fi-tinged scenarios before colliding in glossy, high-energy group sequences. There's also a cameo from Korean professional League of Legends player Faker.
• As with most things Stray Kids, one version was never going to be enough. Between the album cut, the English-language version, festival and hip-hop-tinged reworks, the "hip hip" spin, the "karma" mix, and a handful of others, "Ceremony" exists in numerous official forms.
• When Karma entered the Billboard 200 at #1, Stray Kids became the first act in Billboard history to debut atop the chart with their first seven entries. They also became the first group to achieve seven #1 albums on the Billboard 200 in the 21st century.