South Korean group Stray Kids continues to redefine K-pop success on the global stage. Their fourth studio album, “KARMA,” has broken the group’s personal record for the longest run in the top 100 of the prestigious Billboard 200 chart. The album demonstrates impressive staying power, proving to be their steadiest hit in the United States to date.
A Record-Breaking Chart Run
“KARMA” is spending its 13th consecutive week on the Billboard 200 chart. This achievement means the album has spent more weeks in the top 100 than any previous Stray Kids release. It surpasses the performance of their 2023 album “5-Star.”
This week also marks the album’s ninth non-consecutive week in the top 50 of the Billboard 200. This solidifies “KARMA” as the Stray Kids album with the most weeks in the chart’s top 50. Beyond the main chart, “KARMA” also climbed back up to No. 2 on Billboardโs World Albums chart. It also rose to No. 4 on both the Top Album Sales and Top Current Album Sales charts, meaning it was the fourth best-selling album in the United States for that week.
Historic Debut and Unprecedented Achievement
“KARMA” was released on August 22, 2025. It immediately debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, a feat that set a new record for the group. This marked their seventh No. 1 album on the chart, and significantly, all seven of their chart entries have debuted at No. 1. This makes Stray Kids the first act in the 69-year history of the Billboard 200 to have their first seven entries all open at the top spot.
The album earned 313,000 equivalent album units in its first week in the United States. Of that total, a staggering 296,000 were traditional album sales. These numbers represented career highs for the act and secured the third-biggest week by units for any album in 2025. The first-week sales figure is the second-largest of the year.
Global Dominance and Album Concept
The success of “KARMA” was not limited to the United States. The album debuted at number one in multiple countries, including France, Germany, and Belgium, while also cracking the Top 5 in Australia. In the group’s home country of South Korea, “KARMA” sold over 2 million copies on its release day and exceeded 3 million in its first week, making it the country’s top-selling album of 2025 so far.
The album’s concept revolves around the idea of destiny and shaping one’s own path through choices and actions. The title plays on the word “calmer,” expressing the idea of calming bad karma with good karma. The group’s producing team, 3Racha, consisting of members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han, participated in writing and producing all tracks on the album, which was heavily inspired by their ongoing Dominate World Tour.
The lead single from the album, “Ceremony,” is an EDM trap and baile funk track that celebrates achievements and success forged through perseverance. The album contains 11 tracks in total, including fan-dedicated songs and multiple versions of the title track.
Changbin explained the reason at the album’s press conference, saying “We want to create the album that contains the positive karma of the achievements and results we have with [fans] so far.”
A Landmark Year for Stray Kids
The release of “KARMA” followed the group’s monumental Dominate world tour, which included 54 shows across 34 regions. The tour featured 27 stadium shows, a first for Stray Kids, and saw them break attendance records in several cities. The group has successfully channeled the momentum from their global touring into a record-breaking album, further cementing their status as a leading force in the global music industry.
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