Stray Kids Makes History with Six Consecutive No. 1 Debuts on Billboard 200

On December 21, 2024, K-pop boy group Stray Kids achieved a historic milestone by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with their album '합 (Hop)', marking their sixth overall No. 1. This accomplishment makes them the first group in the 69-year history of the Billboard 200 to have six consecutive albums debut at the top of the chart.

Since their debut in 2018, Stray Kids first topped the Billboard 200 in March 2022 with their sixth mini album '오디너리'. They followed this with '맥시던트' (October 2022), '파이브스타' (June 2023), '락스타' (November 2023), and '에이트' (July 2024), achieving No. 1 with each release in their first week. While BTS (방탄소년단) was the first K-pop group to reach six No. 1s, some of their records involved albums that initially entered the chart at lower positions before climbing to the top. Billboard noted that Stray Kids now ranks alongside BTS, Linkin Park, and Dave Matthews Band as the groups with the most Billboard 200 No. 1s since 2000.

Stray Kids' album '합' outperformed notable competitors like Kendrick Lamar's 'GNX' and Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department', selling 187,000 copies in its first week, with 171,000 of those being physical albums. The album's title is a blend of 'SKZ', the abbreviation for Stray Kids, and 'HIP-HOP', reflecting their free-spirited musical style akin to '집 나온 아이들' (runaway kids). It features 12 tracks, including the title song 'Walkin On Water', which draws inspiration from 1990s old-school hip-hop.

Billboard highlighted that '합' is the 27th album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 that is primarily in a non-English language, with 18 of those being in Korean. Since BTS first topped the chart in 2018, 23 of these non-English albums have been K-pop releases. In total, eight K-pop groups have achieved No. 1 on the Billboard 200, including Stray Kids and BTS (each with six), and others like ATEEZ (에이티즈), SuperM, BLACKPINK, Tomorrow X Together (투모로우바이투게더), NewJeans, and TWICE (트와이스).

Currently, Stray Kids is on their world tour 'Dominote', performing in 32 regions across 48 shows. Starting in March 2025, they will perform in major stadiums in South America, North America, and Europe, including SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Citi Field in New York. The members expressed their gratitude to fans for helping them achieve this historic Billboard 200 milestone.