![associate_pic](https://realkpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NISI20230602_0001280688_web.jpg)
Stray Kids. 2023.06.02. (Photo = Provided by JYP Entertainment) photo@newsis.com *Resale and DB prohibited
Reporter Lee Jae-hoon = Trending group Stray Kids (SKZ), who have posted three albums in a row on the top of the US Billboard’s main album chart ‘Billboard 200’, expressed their overwhelming feelings.
Stray Kids said through their agency JYP Entertainment on the 12th, “I was really happy and surprised to hear the news of the third ‘Billboard 200’ No.
“We will continue to move forward with the hope that many people at home and abroad will be able to feel fresh stimulation and vivid pleasure from our music,” he added. .
According to the billboard chart preview article on the 11th (local time), Stray Kids’ 3rd regular album ‘★★★★★ (5-STAR)’ (Five Star) released on the 2nd topped the Billboard 200 chart on the 17th (local time). rose to Accordingly, following the 6th mini-album ‘ODDINARY’ in April of last year and the 7th mini-album ‘MAXIDENT’ in October of the same year, Stray Kids showed off their spirit by placing 3 albums at number one on the ‘Billboard 200’ in a row. done.
In addition to Stray Kids, the K-pop teams that have ranked first on the Billboard 200 so far include global supergroups BTS, SuperM, Blackpink, and Tomorrow by Together (TXT, Tubatoo). there is. Among them, the only teams to have three or more albums at the top of the chart are BTS (a total of six albums ranked first) and Stray Kids.
According to Luminate, an American record sales research company, ‘Five Star’ sold 249,500 albums in the first week of release. It is the fourth largest first week sales this year. Among them, the physical album sold 235,000 copies, the most sold in North America this year. Last year, Taylor Swift’s 10th full-length album ‘Midnights’ sold 1.14 million copies in the first week (as of November 5 last year), the most.
![associate_pic](https://realkpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/NISI20230602_0001280690_web.jpg)
Stray Kids. 2023.06.02. (Photo = Provided by JYP Entertainment) photo@newsis.com *Resale and DB prohibited
In addition, the sales of 249,500 copies is more than twice the sales of Stray Kids’ previous works in the United States. In addition, following BTS’ 4th regular album ‘Map of the Soul: Seven’ (2020) (422,000 copies) and anthology album ‘Proof’ (2022) (314,000 copies), K-pop’s first-week album sales in the US It is also the equivalent of 3rd place.
Stray Kids is evaluated as a K-pop boy group that succeeds BTS by building a powerful fandom ‘Stay’ in the North American market. On March 31 and April 2, they held concerts at the Bank of California Stadium (BMO Stadium) in Los Angeles, becoming the second K-pop boy group to enter a local stadium and sell out after BTS.
Previously, Stray Kids rewrote the record for K-pop album sales with “Five Star.” It has surpassed 5.13 million pre-orders, the highest ever for K-pop. Based on the Hanteo Chart, the Initial Chodong (album sales for a week based on the release date) was 4,617,499 copies, also breaking the all-time Initial Chodong record for a K-pop album. The title song ‘Special’ is also standing out on the global music charts.
Stray Kids will hold their third solo fan meeting ‘Pilot: Four Five Stars’ at KSPO DOME (former gymnastics stadium) in Songpa-gu, Seoul on July 1-2.