[OSENWORLD] Stray Kids have achieved a milestone no artist has ever reached in the 70-year history of the Billboard 200. With their new album KARMA, the group became the first in the world to debut seven consecutive albums at No. 1 on Billboard’s main albums chart.
7-for-7 on Billboard 200
Billboard announced on August 31 (local time) that KARMA, released on August 22, entered the Sept. 6-dated Billboard 200 at No. 1 with 313,000 units sold in its first week in the U.S. The feat makes Stray Kids the only act since the chart launched in March 1956 to score seven straight No. 1 debuts.
The group’s streak began with ODDINARY in 2022, followed by MAXIDENT, ★★★★★ (5-STAR), 樂-STAR (ROCK-STAR), ATE, and SKZ HIPTAPE 合 (HOP). Their six consecutive No. 1s had already tied them with BTS, Linkin Park, and Dave Matthews Band. With KARMA, Stray Kids now stand alone at the top.
Record-Breaking Sales
KARMA also set a new personal best for U.S. sales, surpassing the 249,500 units of ★★★★★ (5-STAR) with 313,000. It marks the highest first-week sales for a K-pop album in 2025 and the third-highest overall this year, behind only Morgan Wallen and The Weeknd.
Global Chart Power
The group’s impact spread across global charts. In the U.K., KARMA debuted at No. 22 on the Official Albums Chart — their best yet — while lead single CEREMONY entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 37. The album also claimed No. 1 in France and Germany, No. 3 in the Netherlands and Sweden, No. 4 in Australia, No. 7 in New Zealand, and No. 9 in Lithuania, among other territories.
Double Nod at the MTV VMAs
Stray Kids also secured two nominations at the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards: Best Group — their first time in that category — and Best K-pop for “Chk Chk Boom”, marking their fourth straight year as a nominee.
K-pop Champions at Home
Back in Korea, Stray Kids swept all major weekly music shows with CEREMONY, winning on Mnet’s M Countdown, KBS2’s Music Bank, MBC’s Show! Music Core, and SBS’s Inkigayo during the final week of August.
With KARMA, Stray Kids didn’t just break records — they rewrote Billboard history and reaffirmed their place as one of the most powerful groups in global pop today.
/k_inside@osen.co.kr
Photo courtesy of JYP Entertainment
