Stray Kids Make Billboard History: 7th Straight No.1 ‘KARMA’ with 313K First-Week U.S. Sales
Sep 01, 2025
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According to a preview article released by Billboard on August 31st (local time), Stray Kids' fourth full-length album 'KARMA', released on the 22nd, topped the main album chart 'Billboards 200' with sales of about 313,000 copies in the U.S. in the first week of its release. With the group's seventh career 'Billboards 200', Stray Kids became the first artist in the world to top seven albums in a row since debuting at #1 on the chart throughout its 70-year history of 'Billboards 200' that began in March 1956.
Stray Kids, who ranked No. 1 for the first time with their 2022 mini-album 'ODDINARY'(Ordinary), has since placed six works straight to the top of the chart, including 'MAXIDENT'(Maxident), '★★★★★(5-STAR)'(Five Star), '樂STAR(Rock Star), 'ATE(Eight), and SKZHOP HIPTape'(HOP)(HOP)(HOP)(HOP). At the time, Stray Kids became the most ranked group in the 2000s 'Billboards 200' along with BTS, Linkin Park, and Dave Matthews Band with 'KARMA', achieving its seventh consecutive #1 feat.
In particular, Stray Kids also broke its own record for sales in the first week of the U.S. with 'KARMA'. The figure is up about 63,500 copies from the previous record of 249,500 copies of the third full-length album '★★★★★ (5-STAR) in 2023, which is the first week of sales in the U.S. among K-pop albums released in 2025 and the third place behind Morgan Wallen and The Weekend even if it expands to all artists.
It also achieved a record in the UK's official charts, one of the world's top three music charts. 'KARMA' first appeared at #22 on the latest 'Official Album Chart Top 100' and the title song 'CEREMONY' (ceremony) appeared at #37 on 'Official Singles Chart Top 100'. On top of that, 'KARMA' was ranked No. 1 on the latest Top 100 Albums chart and the Official Top 100 Albums chart in Germany released by the French Recording Industry Association (SNEP), and it showed its presence in various overseas music charts, including No. 3 on the Dutch Top 100 Albums chart, No. 3 on the Swedish Top 60 Albums chart, No. 4 on the Australian ARIA Top 50 Albums chart, No. 7 on the New Zealand Official Aotearoa Top 40 Albums chart, and No. 9 on the Lithuanian AGATA Top 100 Albums chart.
Stray Kids was also nominated for the award of the American Popular Music Awards 'MTV Video Music Awards. According to the recent announcement of the official social media channel 'MTV VMA', Stray Kids was nominated for the 'Best Group' category. This is the first time that Stray Kids has been nominated for the 'Best Group', and after being nominated for the 'Best K-Pop' category for the fourth consecutive year with the announcement of the 5th, they have been nominated for the 'Chk Chk Boom' category, '2025 MTV VMA'.
Stray Kids' comeback title song 'CEREMONY' Mnet 'M Countdown' on the 28th, KBS2 'Music Bank' on the 29th, and MBC 'Show' on the 30th! From Music Core' to SBS'Inkigayo' on the 31st, he swept the No. 1 trophy in domestic music broadcasting in the last week of August and achieved 'K-pop Champion' status.
rightlight@sportschosun.com
