K-pop acts took over Billboard’s main album chart with Stray Kids nabbing its fifth No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and BTS’ Jimin landing at No. 2.
This marks the first time that K-pop albums have claimed the No.1 and No. 2 spots on Billboard 200.
Stray Kids topped the Billboard 200 dated Aug. 3 with its ninth EP “Ate” earning 232,000 equivalent album units in the US, according to Billboard.
The Billboard 200 chart, compiled by Luminate, ranks the best-performing albums in the US based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units.
This is the largest number of albums sold in the first week of release for a K-pop album released this year.
“Ate” is Stray Kids’ fifth album in a row to claim No. 1 on Billboard 200.
Previously, the K-pop sensation’s sixth EP “Oddinary” (Mar. 2022), seventh EP “Maxident” (Oct. 2022), third LP “5-Star” (June 2023), and eighth EP “Rock-Star” (Nov. 2023) had topped the Billboard 200 within the first week of release.
US rapper DMX is the only other artist with the same record.
Jimin of BTS’s second solo album “Muse” followed Stray Kids, landing at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 dated Aug. 3 with 96,000 equivalent album units earned.
Jimin’s first solo album “Face” released last year also landed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
“Who,” the lead track from “Face,” is likely to debut at No. 13 on Billboard’s main single chart the Billboard Hot 100, according to Billboard.
