Stray Kids have done it again. The K-pop group just scored their biggest sales week in the United States with their new mini album ‘This & That’. The album landed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking their ninth time reaching the top spot.
The numbers are huge. ‘This & That’ earned 369,000 equivalent album units in its first week. Out of that total, 357,000 came from traditional album sales alone. This is the group’s best sales week ever in the US.
The album’s success does not stop there. It also recorded the sixth-largest week for any album in 2026 and the second-largest week by traditional album sales this year. The only album that sold more in pure sales was BTS’ ‘Arirang’, which moved 532,000 copies back in March.
Stray Kids Now Tie with the Rolling Stones for Second-Most No. 1 Albums
This new achievement puts Stray Kids in elite company. With nine No. 1 albums, they now tie with The Rolling Stones for the second-most No. 1s on the Billboard 200 among groups in the chart’s history. The only group ahead of them is The Beatles, who hold the record with 19 No. 1 albums.
Stray Kids also hold the record for the most No. 1 albums among any group this century (since 2000). They have extended their own record with this latest release.
What makes this run even more special is that all nine of their Billboard 200 entries have debuted at No. 1. Stray Kids are the first artist in the 71-year history of the Billboard 200 to have their first nine chart entries all debut at the top spot. This streak started in 2022 with their album ‘Oddinary’.
How ‘This & That’ Performed in the US and Worldwide
The 369,000 equivalent album units for ‘This & That’ broke down into three categories:
- 357,000 came from traditional album sales (CDs, vinyl, and digital downloads)
- 11,000 came from streaming equivalent units (SEA), which equals 12.21 million on-demand audio streams
- 1,000 came from track equivalent units (TEA)
The album’s sales were boosted by the release of 17 different CD and vinyl versions. These included collectible items like photocards, posters, and stickers. Some versions even came with signed editions.
In South Korea, ‘This & That’ also performed extremely well. According to Hanteo Chart, the album sold approximately 3.28 million copies in its first week. This number beat the 3.04 million copies recorded by their previous album ‘Karma’. The group achieved this with just eight tracks on the album, compared to 11 tracks on ‘Karma’.
This marks the group’s fourth album to sell over 3 million copies in its first week. Their agency JYP Entertainment confirmed the first-week sales total of 3,289,269 copies on the Hanteo Chart.
The album also topped the Worldwide iTunes Album Chart for six straight days from August 7 to August 12.
What ‘This & That’ Sounds Like and What the Group Said
‘This & That’ is a mini album with eight tracks. The tracklist includes:
- “RUN IT” (pre-release song)
- “This & That” (title track)
- “After You”
- “Farming”
- “I Do”
- “Way Out”
- “Back Then”
- “This & That (Festival Version)”
The title track “This & That” has a more relaxed hip-hop feel compared to some of the group’s previous high-energy songs like “MANIAC” or “Chk Chk Boom”. The album shows a more confident and mature side of the group.
All the songs were written and produced by the group’s in-house production team 3RACHA, which includes members Bang Chan, Changbin, and HAN.
Member Seungmin spoke about the group’s approach to their success during a recent press conference. He said:
“When we prepare each album, we always focus on doing our best rather than worrying about the results. We hope that good results follow. Most of all, we want our music to reach STAY (the fandom name) and all listeners.”
The group’s agency JYP Entertainment also noted that their older albums continue to sell well. Catalog album shipments increased from 120,000 copies in the second quarter of 2025 to 420,000 copies in the same period of 2026 — a 3.5-fold increase.
Related:
What Else Happened on the Billboard 200 Chart This Week
The Billboard 200 chart for the week dated August 22, 2026 saw some other notable movements.
Ariana Grande’s album “Petal” dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in its second week. It earned 82,000 equivalent album units.
Olivia Rodrigo’s album “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love” stayed at No. 3 with 72,000 units.
Ella Langley’s album “Dandelion” came in at No. 4, and Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” fell from No. 2 to No. 5.
Other new entries in the top 10 included Pooh Shiesty’s “All Eyes on Shiest” at No. 7 and Karol G’s latest album at No. 8.
Stray Kids are currently on their “Run It” world tour. They started with five sold-out shows in Seoul in July. More tour dates in North America and Europe are planned for the rest of 2026 and into 2027. The group is also set to headline Rock in Rio Brazil in September and will hold their own “StrayCity” festival in three Latin American countries — Colombia, Argentina, and Mexico — also in September.
The full Billboard 200 chart for August 22 will be posted on Billboard’s website on August 18.
Also Read: Stray Kids Address BTS Grammy Boycott Without Taking Sides, Focus on Music Over Awards
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