Stray Kids Earn Ninth Billboard 200 No. 1 With THIS & THAT

Stray Kids have secured their ninth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, extending one of the most consistent chart runs in the ranking’s history. The group’s latest release, THIS & THAT, opened at the top of the chart dated August 22 after earning 369,000 equivalent album units in the United States during the tracking week ending August 13.

The result represents Stray Kids’ biggest U.S. week by total units. Traditional album sales accounted for 357,000 of the opening figure, also setting a new personal best for the group. Streaming-equivalent units contributed 11,000, representing 12.21 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs, while track-equivalent activity added another 1,000 units.

A record-setting run continues

Every Stray Kids release to enter the Billboard 200 has now debuted at No. 1. The sequence began with ODDINARY in 2022 and has continued without interruption through nine charting projects. When HOP became their sixth leader in 2024, the group had already established a new benchmark as the first act whose first six chart entries all opened at the summit. Three additional releases have since stretched that record.

The ninth No. 1 also strengthens the group’s position in the broader history of the U.S. albums chart. Stray Kids now share second place with The Rolling Stones for the most Billboard 200 leaders among groups. Only The Beatles, with 19, rank higher. Within the period since 2000, Stray Kids hold the record for the most No. 1 albums by any group.

That comparison is notable because it places a contemporary K-pop act alongside groups whose catalogs span several decades. Stray Kids reached the mark in a concentrated four-year period, reflecting both a highly active release schedule and a fan base able to mobilize repeatedly around new albums. The achievement is not simply one successful launch; it is the continuation of a pattern sustained across every one of the group’s U.S. chart entries.

The scale of the opening week

THIS & THAT posted the sixth-largest week for any album in 2026 based on total equivalent units. Its 357,000 traditional sales formed the second-biggest sales week of the year, behind BTS’s ARIRANG, which opened with 532,000 sales. The new release also entered the Top Album Sales chart at No. 1.

The album was offered in 17 CD and vinyl configurations, including editions with collectible elements such as photocards, posters, stickers, and signed items. Eight digital download versions were also available. Those formats helped drive the sales component, while the streaming total showed that listening activity formed a smaller but still measurable part of the overall debut.

The Billboard 200 combines several forms of music consumption into one weekly ranking. One equivalent album unit can represent a traditional album sale, 10 individual track purchases, or a defined number of official on-demand streams. Under the current formula, 2,500 ad-supported streams or 1,000 paid subscription streams equal one album unit. That framework allows physical purchases, downloads, and streaming to contribute to the same chart result.

What the milestone signals

Stray Kids’ performance illustrates the continued importance of physical albums within K-pop’s international business model. Collectible packaging and multiple configurations remain powerful sales tools, but the group’s record also depends on consistency: each release must generate substantial demand during the same tightly defined tracking window. Repeating that outcome nine times has turned an individual chart statistic into a long-term career marker.

The debut further reinforces K-pop’s established role in the U.S. album market. Stray Kids are no longer chart newcomers breaking through for the first time; they are a recurring leader whose releases arrive with expectations of major first-week activity. With THIS & THAT, the group has converted that expectation into its largest U.S. opening yet while moving closer to the highest tier of group achievements in Billboard 200 history.