Stray Kids on verge of making Billboard history — again

Stray Kids are one day away from potentially setting an unprecedented record in the 70-year history of the Billboard 200, with the pop music world widely expecting the group to claim their ninth consecutive No. 1 album on the chart.

According to US chart-tracking accounts and music sales data compiled Sunday, the group's new mini-album "This & That" is projected to debut atop the next Billboard 200 with approximately 335,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.

That figure dwarfs the projected second-place total of about 85,000 units for pop star Ariana Grande's new release "Petal" — a gap of roughly four to one. Should Stray Kids claim the top spot again, all nine albums released since "ODDINARY" in 2022 will have debuted at No. 1, a feat never achieved in the chart's history.

Stray Kids' grip on global charts is driven by the physical album-buying power of a devoted core fandom worldwide.

According to South Korea's Circle Chart and Japan's Oricon, the group's combined shipments across 28 albums released in the two countries surpassed 40.267 million copies as of April 2026 — a milestone reached roughly eight years after their 2018 debut, and just 15 months after crossing the 30 million mark in January last year.

First-week domestic sales for "This & That" have also been striking. According to the Hanteo Chart, the album sold more than 3.03 million copies in its opening week, making it the second release of 2026 to achieve "triple million-seller" status, behind only BTS's "Arirang."

Stray Kids' US chart trajectory has climbed steadily since the group forged a strategic partnership with major North American label Republic Records in 2022.

That year laid the foundation. Mini-album "ODDINARY" debuted at No. 1 with 110,000 units — the group's first chart-topper — followed by "MAXIDENT" at 117,000 units for a second consecutive crown. Analysts credited the gains largely to distribution deals with US brick-and-mortar retailers including Target and Barnes & Noble.

The 2023–2024 period marked a decisive leap. Full-length album "5-STAR" broke the 200,000-unit barrier for the first time at 249,500 units. "ROCK-STAR" (224,000 units), "ATE" (232,000 units) and "HOP" (187,000 units) then sustained consistent output in the 200,000-unit range.

The 2025–2026 era has established the group among the global elite. Fourth full-length album "KARMA" set a new personal best with 313,000 units in its opening week, and the follow-up "DO IT" held the top spot at 295,000 units. If "This & That" hits its projected 335,000 units, it will set a new all-time first-week record for the group.

Particularly notable is that 85 to 95 percent of those figures come from pure physical album sales rather than audio streaming equivalent units — a factor analysts identify as the key to consistently outpacing rival major pop acts in the North American market.

Each of Stray Kids' eight No. 1 finishes came not during slow periods on the chart but in direct competition with the biggest names in American pop.

When "MAXIDENT" was released in 2022, it topped the chart over Bad Bunny's "Un Verano Sin Ti" and Beyoncé's "Renaissance," both of which had been dominating the Billboard 200 for months.

"5-STAR" and "ROCK-STAR" unseated Morgan Wallen's "One Thing at a Time," SZA's "SOS" and Taylor Swift's re-recorded album "1989 (Taylor's Version)" — all of which had held the Billboard 200 for months — on the strength of physical album sales.

In the second half of 2025, "HOP" and "DO IT" held off challenges from hip-hop heavyweight Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" and the soundtrack to the blockbuster musical film "Wicked: For Good."

While domestic pop acts have relied on massive streaming numbers to defend their chart positions, Stray Kids have conquered the chart through the unwavering demand of North American fans for physical copies and the competitive appeal of their album packaging.

Stray Kids rank among the top sellers on the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's global album sales chart every year, and the new release reaffirms their status as one of the most reliable commercial forces in the global recorded-music market.

"In a US music market that has completely restructured around streaming, the number of artists capable of consistently moving more than 300,000 pure physical units in a single opening week is no more than a handful — Taylor Swift and a few others," an industry insider said. "The nine-consecutive-No.-1 record Stray Kids are writing will stand as a symbolic milestone not just for K-pop but for the global pop music market of the 21st century."