Stray Kids, 8 Consecutive Weeks at No. 1 on 'Billboard 200'!...Rewriting K-Pop History

Group Stray Kids has rewritten K-Pop history by achieving 1st place on the U.S. Billboard main album chart 'Billboard 200' for 8 consecutive weeks with their new album 'DO IT'.

Billboard announced on the 30th (local time) through a chart preview article that 'DO IT' debuted at the top of the 'Billboard 200', surpassing Taylor Swift's 7-week No. 1 album 'The Life Of A Showgirl'(The Life Of A Showgirl).

Starting with 'ODDINARY'(ODDINARY) released in 2022, Stray Kids has had a total of 8 albums consecutively reach the top of the chart, including 'MAXIDENT'(MAXIDENT), '★★★★★'(★★★★★), '樂-STAR'(樂-STAR), 'ATE'(ATE), 'HOP'(合·HOP), and 'KARMA'(KARMA), leading up to this 'DO IT'.

With this, Stray Kids has once again broken their own record as the K-Pop artist with the most No. 1s on the 'Billboard 200'. They also set a historical record as the only group to have all 8 consecutive albums debut at No. 1.

Billboard reported that Stray Kids has also set a record for achieving the most 'Billboard 200' No. 1s in the 21st century with their 8th No. 1.

The 'Billboard 200' ranks albums based on physical album sales, streaming converted to album sales, and digital downloads converted to album sales.

'DO IT' recorded 295,000 album units during the counting period. Among these, physical album sales accounted for 286,000 copies, securing the No. 1 spot on the 'Top Album Sales Chart', while streaming-converted sales recorded 9,000 copies.

Billboard added that 'DO IT' recorded the 7th highest album units and the 4th highest album sales based on the first week of release this year.

'DO IT' is an album that tells the story of Stray Kids creating newness while enjoying today. It includes a total of 5 tracks, including the double title tracks 'DO IT' and 'Fresh Play', as well as 'Holiday', 'Photobook', and the team’s producing team 3RACHA(Bang Chan, Changbin, Han) participated in the production of all tracks.

In particular, 'Fresh Play' showcased the aesthetics and worldview of Korean tradition in its lyrics and music video, receiving great responses from fans.

This album was released under the unique title 'SKZ IT TAPE' instead of a regular or mini album. Member Bang Chan explained that it was specially prepared to show the diversity of Stray Kids' music and new challenges, incorporating new genres and messages into each track.

Stray Kids successfully completed their world tour 'domiATE'(domiATE), consisting of 56 performances in 35 regions worldwide this year. They then held an encore concert at Incheon Asiad Main Stadium, marking their entry into the domestic stadium stage after 7 years since their debut.

Im Hee-yoon, a popular music critic, evaluated that Stray Kids' music possesses a unique identity of K-Pop differentiated from Western pop, as it combines intense rap, choruses, and beats with Eastern elements, which is a reason for their strong support from international fans.