A Historic First in Billboard's 70-Year History
Stray Kids Achieve Seven Consecutive Number Ones with "KARMA"
Break Sales Records and Top Global Charts
The group Stray Kids has made history by topping the main album chart of the US Billboard with their new full-length album "KARMA," setting a first-ever record in Billboard's 70-year history.
On August 31 (local time), Billboard reported in a preview article that Stray Kids' fourth studio album "KARMA" sold approximately 313,000 units in its first week in the United States, debuting at No. 1 on the "Billboard 200" chart dated September 6. With this achievement, Stray Kids became the first artist in the world to have seven consecutive albums debut at No. 1 on the chart, starting with "ODDINARY" in 2022.
Stray Kids have reached No. 1 with all of their albums, including "ODDINARY," "MAXIDENT," "★★★★★ 5-STAR," "樂-STAR," "ATE," "合·HOP," and now "KARMA." Previously, they were tied with BTS, Linkin Park, and Dave Matthews Band for the most No. 1 albums on the "Billboard 200" in the 2000s. With their seventh consecutive No. 1, they now stand alone at the top.
The group also set a new personal sales record. "KARMA" recorded 313,000 album units sold in its first week, an increase of about 63,500 units compared to "★★★★★ 5-STAR" released in 2023, which sold 249,500 units. Among K-pop albums released this year, "KARMA" had the highest first-week sales in the United States and ranked third overall among all artists, following Morgan Wallen and The Weeknd.
"KARMA" also achieved its highest-ever ranking on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100, placing 22nd, while the title track "CEREMONY" ranked 37th on the singles chart. The album took the No. 1 spot on the official charts in France and Germany, and ranked high on major charts in the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and Lithuania.
At the MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) in the United States, Stray Kids were nominated for "Best Group" for the first time, and were also nominated for "Best K-Pop" for the fourth consecutive year with "Chik Chik Boom."
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