Songfacts®:

• On "This & That," Stray Kids reject the idea that life requires choosing one option over another: they can go fast or slow, drink a cappuccino or an americano, drive a coupe or a truck, perform a show, and head straight back to the studio. Why choose when you can have everything? It's a philosophy that would make a supermarket trolley very happy.
  
  The repeated "this and that" sums up their confidence: Whatever comes next, they're ready for it. Instead of agonizing over possibilities, Stray Kids treat having options as part of the flex.
• Musically, the song takes a noticeably more relaxed route than harder-hitting Stray Kids singles such as "MANIAC" and "Chk Chk Boom." Stray Kids' in-house production team, 3RACHA (Bang Chan, Changbin, and HAN) described the approach as "laid-back hip-hop," with conversational rap verses and an easy, mumble-rap-influenced flow. They haven't lost their edge; they've simply stopped shouting for a moment.
• "This & That" was written by 3RACHA, alongside The Monsters & Strangerz, Jackson Foote, Tele, Rayman, and Isaiah Tejada. The title came from an ordinary snack-break conversation. In the official Intro "THIS & THAT" film, 3RACHA recalled someone asking what was in a snack bag. The answer was simply, "This and that." The phrase immediately sounded like a song title, and the track grew from there.
• "This & That" was one of several tracks developed for the This & That EP in Los Angeles, alongside "RUN IT" and "After You". Although the core concept arrived quickly, the song took the longest to finish. Changbin was particularly meticulous about finding the right words to represent "this" and "that," later explaining that the seemingly effortless choice-pair lyrics were carefully calculated. The "cappuccino and americano" line, for instance, was chosen for its rhyme scheme and instant memorability.
• Stray Kids recognized "This & That" could become the lead single while still working on it in the United States. They saw its mainstream catchiness and cool restraint as a fresh direction for a Stray Kids title track. It kept their trademark wit, performance energy, and lyrical attitude, but without the need to hit the listener over the head with a musical hammer.
• The music video carries the song's contrast-heavy concept into surreal territory. It mixes full-throttle choreography with everyday Korean settings, including domestic interiors, stairwells, and kitchens, before shifting into theatrical spaces, stylized lighting, and surreal visual effects. The members spent five days shooting the video, including three days in Gunsan. The result makes the ordinary and the bizarre coexist comfortably, the visual equivalent of ordering both drinks.
• The This & That EP debuted at #1 on the US albums chart with 369,000 equivalent album units, marking Stray Kids' biggest sales week to date. The release meant that all nine of their US chart entries debuted at #1, extending their record for the most visits to the summit by a group in the 21st century.