Stray Kids set 21st-century record with 9th consecutive Billboard 200 No. 1

Stray Kids have set an unprecedented record by reaching the top of the US Billboard main album chart, the 'Billboard 200', with nine consecutive albums. Moving beyond the achievements of a typical K-pop group, they have established their own historical significance in the global music market by becoming the group with the most No. 1 albums among all 21st-century acts.

On the 17th, JYP Entertainment announced, citing a preview from Billboard, that Stray Kids' new mini album 'THIS & THAT' claimed the No. 1 spot on the 'Billboard 200' as of August 22.

The 'Billboard 200' is not a chart ranked solely by physical album sales. It measures the comprehensive consumption scale of an album by combining physical and digital album sales with SEA (Streaming Equivalent Albums), which converts streaming counts into album sales, and TEA (Track Equivalent Albums), which converts digital music downloads.

On this chart, Stray Kids secured a total of 369,000 units, recording 357,000 album sales, 11,000 SEA, and 1,000 TEA. This figure represents a 25% increase from their previous work, allowing them to achieve their highest-ever sales in the US market during their first week of release while completing the massive feat of their ninth total 'Billboard 200' No. 1.

What is most noteworthy is the 'continuity.' This is not a one-off success, but a streak of No. 1 hits that has continued through nine works, starting from 'ODDINARY' in 2022.

After reaching the top of the 'Billboard 200' for the first time with 'ODDINARY', Stray Kids sent all eight subsequent releases straight to No. 1 on the chart. Following their record of six consecutive No. 1s with 'HOP' in 2024—a record at the time for the first global artist to do so—they broke that record again with 'KARMA' and 'DO IT' in 2025. In 2026, with their new release 'THIS & THAT', they surpassed the record they themselves had set.

With this, Stray Kids now stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Taylor Swift for the most No. 1 albums on the 'Billboard 200' among all artists in the 2020s. Expanding the scope to groups, they now hold nine No. 1 albums, following in the footsteps of the Beatles and alongside the Rolling Stones. In particular, they have set a record as the artist who reached the top of the 'Billboard 200' with nine albums in the shortest period of time since the Beatles.

The reason this achievement is so meaningful lies in the fact that Stray Kids' musical identity has not been subordinate to chart strategies. They have consistently adhered to a method of directly creating and producing their own music for every album. For 'THIS & THAT', the group's internal producing team 3RACHA also took credit for all eight tracks, including the title track 'This & That'.

Instead of receiving music supplied from the outside to fit global trends, the result of building their own language and sensibility has led to repeated climbs to the top in the United States, one of the world's largest music markets.

In Korea, sales records also showed a steep upward trend. According to the Hanteo Chart, 'THIS & THAT' recorded 3,289,269 copies in its first week of sales. This is an increase of approximately 1 million copies compared to their previous work, 'DO IT'. The fact that both US chart performance and domestic album sales rose simultaneously shows that the scale of the Stray Kids fandom and their global consumption power are still expanding.

'THIS & THAT' is an album that captures the confidence of 'doing everything' through its music and visuals. Based on 3RACHA's unique production, it combines a chill and cool atmosphere with trendy sounds, maintaining Stray Kids' existing strengths while attempting new colors.

Ultimately, this record is difficult to explain simply with the number '9th No. 1'. The core fact is that the streak of No. 1 hits has never once been interrupted during the four years since Stray Kids first reached the top of Billboard in 2022. Staying at the top of the chart is much harder than reaching it once.

Particularly, in a global music market where the lifespan of groups is shortening and the trend cycle for artists is changing rapidly, it is noteworthy that they have created new consumption every time while maintaining their own musical color.

The record written by Stray Kids shows the present of K-pop while also serving as an example of how much of a powerful musical narrative a group format can still create in the global pop market. The 9th consecutive No. 1 on the 'Billboard 200' is no longer just a single record, but the clearest evidence that the musical world built by Stray Kids is continuously functioning in the global market.