Stray Kids Rewrite Billboard 200 History with Seven Consecutive No. 1s for “KARMA”

Stray Kids achieved their seventh overall No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart with their fourth studio album “KARMA.” They sold a total of 313,000 copies in the United States from March 22 to 28 last month, the first week after release, breaking their own previous record and ranking as the third-best-selling album of the year. This accomplishment represents a significant milestone in the 69-year history of the Billboard 200 chart, which began in March 1956. Stray Kids became the first act to have seven albums debut at No. 1 on the chart, surpassing the previous record of six consecutive No. 1s held by BTS, Linkin Park, and the Dave Matthews Band. Additionally, every album and EP by Stray Kids that has charted debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making them the only K-pop artist to achieve this this year. Starting with their sixth mini-album “ODDINARY” in 2022, Stray Kids have topped the Billboard 200 with each of their releases. While previous chart-toppers maintained No. 1 for exactly one week, “KARMA”’s sales accounted for 95% of the weekly chart metrics, suggesting it will likely struggle to stay in the top positions in the following week. Meanwhile, K-pop demonstrated its strong presence on Billboard’s two main charts. The OST song “Golden” from the Netflix animated series “KPop Demon Hunters” reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, allowing K-pop to dominate both Billboard’s main single and album charts alongside Stray Kids’ “KARMA.” This is the first time in five years since BTS took over both charts in December 2020 with their album “BE” and title track “Life Goes On.” Stray Kids’ new song “CEREMONY” reached No. 52 on the Hot 100, marking their fourth entry on the chart. The duet song “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars reached No. 43 and has remained on the chart for 45 weeks, while TWICE’s “STRATEGY” reached No. 51. HYBE’s global girl group KATSEYE’s “GABRIELA” climbed nine spots to reach No. 63, and BLACKPINK’s “JUMP” reached No. 78. Stray Kids’ achievement of seven Billboard 200 No. 1s in just three and a half years illustrates the significant influence the current K-pop industry holds in the U.S. music market.