Stray Kids Achieve 6th No. 1 on Billboard 200... 'A New History for K-pop'

Billboard 200 No.1 for 6 Consecutive Weeks... First Time in 69 Years

Group Stray Kids has reached the top of the US Billboard main album chart, the 'Billboard 200,' for the sixth time overall. This achievement places them alongside BTS as K-pop groups and is regarded as a remarkable milestone in K-pop history.

Stray Kids. [Photo by JYP Entertainment]

On the 21st (local time), Billboard announced through its chart release that Stray Kids' new album 'HOP (合·HOP)' sold 187,000 copies, securing the number one spot on the 'Billboard 200.' This marks the sixth time Stray Kids have topped the chart, following their 2022 mini-album 'ODDINARY,' 'MAXIDENT,' their third full-length album '★★★★★ (Five Star),' mini-album '樂-STAR (Rock-Star),' and 'ATE.'

Stray Kids made history as the first group in the 69-year history of the Billboard 200 chart to have six consecutive albums reach number one. This achievement ties the record for most number one albums held by Linkin Park and Dave Matthews Band, symbolizing their establishment as a new global icon of K-pop following BTS.

In this album, Stray Kids experimented with a new genre called 'SKHOP HIPTAPE,' a fusion of their group abbreviation 'SKZ' and hip-hop. The album includes 12 tracks spanning various genres, including the title track 'Walkin On Water,' with all songs involving direct participation from the members.

Billboard stated, "Stray Kids' recent record is an example of K-pop's global strength, as most of the tracks are in languages other than English," adding, "Since BTS first topped the Billboard 200 in 2018, Korean-language albums have consistently gained attention in the US market."

Through their agency JYP Entertainment, Stray Kids expressed, "We are truly grateful to our fans for helping us achieve such a historic record, and we are very happy. It is an honor to receive so much love from fans all over the world."

Currently, Stray Kids aim to re-enter the 'Hot 100' chart and achieve a new highest ranking with the title track from this album. Their previous highest position on the 'Hot 100' was 49th with the title track 'Chick Chick Boom' from 'ATE,' and attention is focused on whether they can surpass this.

Starting in March 2025, Stray Kids will embark on their 20-city stadium world tour 'DOMINATE,' covering Latin America, North America, and Europe, to meet their global fans.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.