South Korean boy band Stray Kids debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart with their mini-album "THIS & THAT" [1, 2].
This achievement signals the group's expanding dominance in the American music market and places them in the company of some of the most successful musical acts in history.
Billboard said the chart position on Sunday [3]. The album moved 369,000 equivalent album units in its first week [4, 5]. This figure represents the biggest sales week of the group's career [4, 5].
With this release, Stray Kids have secured nine number-one albums on the Billboard 200 [1, 2]. This milestone allows the group to tie The Rolling Stones for the second-most number-one albums by a group [3]. Only The Beatles hold a higher record in this category [3].
The group's ascent to the top of the U.S. charts reflects a broader trend of K-pop's integration into mainstream Western music consumption. The high volume of first-week units suggests a highly mobilized fan base capable of driving immediate commercial success upon a project's release [4].
Stray Kids continue to build a consistent track record of chart-topping success in the U.S. market. The group's ability to maintain this momentum across nine different projects highlights their sustained appeal to an international audience.
“Stray Kids have secured nine number-one albums on the Billboard 200”
The tie with The Rolling Stones underscores the shift in global music consumption, where K-pop groups are now competing with legacy Western rock acts for historical chart records. By achieving their largest sales week to date, Stray Kids demonstrate that their U.S. commercial trajectory is still climbing rather than plateauing.
