K-Pop Dominates Global Music Charts – “Golden” Ranks No. 1 in UK for 5 Weeks, Stray Kids’ “Karma” Takes Billboard Album Chart Top Spot

K-Pop is sweeping across global music charts. Led by the OST “Golden” from *KPop Demon Hunters*, actual K-Pop groups are also consistently achieving top positions on major charts. “Golden” held the No. 1 spot on the UK’s official singles chart for five non-consecutive weeks. It marked the first time a K-Pop song reached the UK chart’s summit since PSY’s “Gangnam Style” (1 week in 2012), breaking that song’s previous record as K-Pop’s longest-running No. 1. In addition to “Golden,” songs from the film such as “Soda Pop” (No. 5) and “Your Idol” (No. 8) also made it into the UK chart’s top tier, further demonstrating K-Pop’s global dominance. TWICE’s “Take Down” (No. 24) and “Strategy” (No. 32), along with BLACKPINK’s “Jump” (No. 34), also entered the UK chart, with six K-Pop songs appearing in the top 40 within a single week, showcasing the genre’s overwhelming presence. The strength of K-Pop is equally evident on the Billboard 200 album chart. Stray Kids topped the album chart with their new release “Karma,” marking their seventh consecutive chart victory. Since spring 2022, all seven of their albums that entered the chart have reached No. 1, setting a record for the most No. 1s in Billboard 200 history (since 1956). “Karma” sold 296,000 copies in just one week, achieving the second-highest sales figure of the year. During the same week, the OST from *KPop Demon Hunters* remained in second place for the sixth non-consecutive week, while Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Prove” dropped from No. 1—where it had stayed for 12 weeks—to third place. These results clearly indicate that K-Pop holds significant influence in the U.S. popular music market.