Stray Kids just rewrote K-pop history. The group lands its seventh straight No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 with new album 'KARMA,' becoming the first act in the chart’s 70-year history to open seven releases at No. 1 in a row.
According to Billboard’s Aug. 31 preview, the fourth studio album 'KARMA' starts with approximately 313,000 first-week sales in the U.S., bowing at No. 1 on the Sept. 6-dated Billboard 200.
Beginning with 2022’s 'ODDINARY,' followed by 'MAXIDENT,' '★★★★★ (5-STAR),' 'ROCK-STAR,' 'ATE,' 'HOP,' and now 'KARMA,' Stray Kids have notched seven consecutive No. 1 debuts―an unprecedented feat since the chart launched in 1956.
'KARMA' also sets a new personal best for the group, topping the opening-week tally of 2023’s '★★★★★ (5-STAR)' (249,500) by more than 63,500. It’s the biggest first week in the U.S. for a K-pop release in 2025 and the year’s third-largest overall, trailing only Morgan Wallen and The Weeknd.
On the U.K.’s Official Charts, 'KARMA' enters the Official Albums Chart Top 100 at No. 22, while lead single 'CEREMONY' debuts at No. 37 on the Official Singles Chart.
The album hits No. 1 on France’s SNEP Albums Chart and Germany’s Official Albums Top 100, and reaches the upper tier of charts across the Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, and more―underscoring the group’s global footprint.
The milestones keep coming: Stray Kids are nominated for Best Group at the MTV Video Music Awards for the first time, and, together with their earlier nod for Best K-Pop with 'Chk Chk Boom,' they’re up for two awards this year.
Back home, 'CEREMONY' swept the music shows, taking consecutive wins on Mnet’s M "Countdown," KBS2’s "Music Bank," MBC’s "Show! Music Core," and SBS’s "Inkigayo"―cementing their status as K-pop powerhouses.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)