"Mixtape: Time Out" is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Stray Kids. It was released on August 1, 2022, through JYP Entertainment, and Republic Records as a standalone single. Written by Bang Chan, Changbin and Han from 3Racha, Versachoi, and Jun2, the song was released to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the group's fandom name announcement, named Stay, as part of their Mixtape Project, following "Mixtape: Gone Days", "Mixtape: On Track", and "Mixtape: Oh".
On July 26, 2022, Stray Kids announced the "2022 Stayweek", to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the fandom's name, "Stay", releasing special contents daily for a week, such as behind-the-scenes videos, and unseen photos, etc.[1] On July 31, the group uploaded a video called "SKZ Time Out Talk Room", a chat room talking about their Gangwon-do trip and the new song inspired from it, revealing that they would be surprise-released the new single as a gift for their fans, titled "Mixtape: Time Out", on August 1, at midnight KSTtodigital music and streaming platforms.[2][3] Later, the song was included on the group's third studio album 5-Star.[4]
"Mixtape: Time Out" is described as a "fresh" and "energetic" upbeat punk rock and pop rock track,[5][6] conveying a sense of freedom.[7]3Racha, Stray Kids' in-house production team (Bang Chan, Changbin, Han) wrote the song and co-composed with Versachoi, and Jun2 in the key of D major, 160 beats per minute with a running time of two minutes and 55 seconds.[8] Lyrically, the song reminisces about Stray Kids' trip to Gangwon-do before beginning the promotion of their latest EP Oddinary.[9] Additionally, the sea sounds in the song were recorded directly by the group from the Sea of Japan.[5][10]
An accompanying music video for "Mixtape: Time Out" was uploaded on August 1, 2022, in conjunction with the song release.[3] Directed by Jimmy,[16] the music video shows Stray Kids enjoying a trip to the beach together, and lounging and playing in a nearby beach house.[6]
^Park, Seo-hyun (May 1, 2023). "스트레이 키즈, 신곡명은 '특'..6월2일8개월만 컴백(공식)" [Stray Kids, New Title Track 'S-Class'.. Comeback After 8 Months on June 2 (Official)]. Herald Pop (in Korean). Retrieved May 1, 2023.
^Lee, Mi-young (August 1, 2022). "스트레이키즈, 1일 신곡 'Time Out' 깜짝 공개…팬 향한 선물" [Stray Kids, Surprise-Release New Song 'Time Out' on the 1st… Gift for Fans]. Joynews24 (in Korean). Retrieved August 1, 2022.
^Lee, Seul-gi (August 1, 2022). "스트레이 키즈, 팬덤 STAY 결성4주년 맞아 노래 선물" [Stray Kids Presents a Song for the 4th Anniversary of the Formation of the Fandom STAY]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved August 1, 2022.
