Stray Kids has etched their name in music history books by becoming the first artist ever to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with six entries.
On December 23 (KST), Billboard revealed that Stray Kids’ latest release, “合(HOP)”, has secured the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart, dated December 28, with impressive sales of around 187,000 copies. This achievement marks the group’s sixth consecutive No. 1 debut on the chart.
Stray Kids has made history as the first artist to achieve six consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 chart since its inception in 1956. This remarkable feat also earns them a spot alongside BTS and Linkin Park as the groups with the most No. 1 albums on the chart in the 2000s.
They achieved their first No.1 entry in 2022 with their mini-album “ODDINARY”. They became the third K-pop artist, after BTS and SuperM to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Building on this momentum, they went on to achieve four more No. 1 debuts with their subsequent releases: “MAXIDENT” (2022), “★★★★★ (5-STAR)”, “樂-STAR” (2023), and “ATE” (2024). This made them the first group and global artist, after DMX, to achieve five consecutive No. 1 debuts.
Now, with their latest release “合 (HOP)”, Stray Kids has taken it to the next level, achieving an unprecedented six consecutive No. 1 debuts on the Billboard 200 chart. They hit this milestone in just six years since their debut in March 2018.
SKZHOP HIPTAPE is a groundbreaking album that introduces a fresh, undefined sound for Stray Kids, dubbed the “new genre of SKZ”. The first installment, “合 (HOP)”, cleverly fuses the Korean character for “harmony” with the English hip-hop term “HOP”.
The lead single, “Walkin On Water”, is a bold, aquatic-themed anthem that likens the group’s confidence on stage to defying gravity and effortlessly gliding across the water.
On another note, Stray Kids is currently on their largest world tour yet, ‘dominATE‘, with 48 shows across 32 regions worldwide.
Next, in March 2025, the group will embark on an extensive stadium tour, visiting 20 regions, including Latin America and North America. The tour includes performances at iconic, large-scale stadiums such as Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and New York City’s MetLife Stadium.