Stray Kids’ ‘5-STAR’ Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart
Written by djfrosty on June 11, 2023
Stray Kids lead a busy week in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated June 17), as the pop group debuts at No. 1 with 5-STAR. It’s the Korean act’s third chart entry, and third to debut at No. 1, following MAXIDENT and ODDINARY, both in 2022.
The new album launches with 249,500 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending June 8, according to Luminate. That marks the fourth-largest week, by units earned, for any album in 2023. Further, of its starting unit sum, album sales comprise 235,000 — the largest sales week for an album this year, and the biggest for any title since Taylor Swift’s Midnights sold 1.14 million in its first week (Nov. 5, 2022-dated chart).
Also in the top 10 of the new Billboard 200 albums chart, five other titles arrive in the region: Jelly Roll’s Whitsitt Chapel starts at No. 3; ENHYPEN’s Dark Blood bows at No. 4 after its CD release on June 2 (it was issued via streamers and digital download on May 22); Metro Boomin’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse soundtrack flies in at No. 7; Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are starts at No. 8; and Moneybagg Yo’s Hard to Love enters at No. 10.
With six debuts in the top 10, the region hosts the most new arrivals in over two and a half years, since the Oct. 10, 2020-dated chart, when six albums also began in the top 10.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new June 17, 2023-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on Tuesday (June 13). For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of 5-STAR’s 249,500 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 235,000, SEA units comprise 14,000 (equaling 19.55 million on-demand official streams of the set’s tracks) and TEA units comprise 500.
As Stray Kids have seen their first three entries on the Billboard 200 all debut at No. 1, the last act also to have its first three chart entries all debut atop the list was Harry Styles, with his first three solo albums: Harry Styles (2017), Fine Line (2019) and Harry’s House (2022).
Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of 5-STAR was issued in collectible CD packages (18 total, including exclusives for Barnes & Noble, Target, Walmart and a signed edition in the group’s webstore), each containing a standard set of bonus items and randomized elements (photo cards, mini posters, sticker sets, photo books). There were also four alternative digital versions of the album, sold only in the act’s webstore, each containing the base song tracklist, but with alternative covers and bonus voice memos from individual members of the eight-member group, each selling for $6.99.
Effectively all of 5-STAR’s first-week album sales were CDs (98%; 231,000), with about 2% from digital album sales (about 4,000). The set was not available in any other retail format (such as vinyl or cassette).
5-STAR is mostly in the Korean language, but includes some English lyrics. It is the 19th mostly non-English language album to hit No. 1, and the third of 2023, following Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito (one week, March 11 chart) and TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s The Name Chapter: Temptation (one week, Feb. 11).
Stray Kids have yet to chart a song on the U.S.-based Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (through the most recently published list, dated June 10). The act has notched four entries on the Billboard Global 200, and seven titles on the Billboard Global 200 Excl. U.S. chart, which rank the most popular songs globally, and globally excluding the U.S., respectively.
Morgan Wallen’s former leader One Thing at a Time is a non-mover at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 with 117,000 equivalent album units earned (down 7%).
Jelly Roll rocks in at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with Whitsitt Chapel, starting with 90,000 equivalent album units earned — his biggest week yet and first top 40-charting release. (He previously logged three albums, none going higher than No. 97.) Of the new set’s first-week units, album sales comprise 63,000, SEA units comprise 25,000 (equaling 33.09 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise 2,000.
Whitsitt’s album sales were aided by three vinyl LPs (including a color variant exclusive for Walmart), a standard CD, a signed CD sold through Jelly Roll’s webstore, a deeply-discounted digital album (only $4.20 for a limited time during the tracking week in his webstore), nine deluxe CD boxed sets that included branded merch and a copy of the CD and a “hymnal” Zine/CD package.
ENHYPEN notches its second top 10 on the Billboard 200, and the Korean pop group’s highest charting effort yet, as Dark Blood bows at No. 4 with 88,000 equivalent album units earned (also the act’s best week yet by units). Of its first-week units, album sales comprise 85,000, SEA units comprise 3,000 (equaling 3.79 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
Like many K-pop releases, the CD edition of Dark Blood was issued in collectible CD packages (17 total, including a number of retailer-exclusives), each containing a standard set of bonus items and randomized elements. Dark Blood’s debut on the Billboard 200 comes only after its CD was released, as its digital album and streaming album both dropped on May 22.
Swift’s chart-topping Midnights falls 1-5 on the Billboard 200 with 83,000 equivalent album units earned (down 70%) and Lil Durk’s Almost Healed dips 3-6 in its second week (67,000; down 46%).
Metro Boomin’s star-studded soundtrack to Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse swings in, debuting at No. 7 with 66,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, streaming equivalent album units comprise 62,000 (equaling 83.57 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 3,000 and TEA units comprise 1,000. It’s the sixth top 10-charting set for Metro Boomin. The album features guests such as Future, Lil Wayne and Nas.
Foo Fighters’ But Here We Are — the band’s first album since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in early 2022 — starts at No. 8 with 62,000 equivalent album units earned. It’s the 10th top 10 album for the group. The album was led by the single “Rescued,” which topped both the Alternative Airplay chart (the act’s 11th leader there) and the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart (its 12th No. 1).
SZA’s chart-topping SOS drops 4-9 with 51,000 equivalent album units (down 8%).
Moneybagg Yo’s Hard to Love is the sixth and final debut in the top 10, as it bows at No. 10 with 51,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, SEA units comprise 48,500 (equaling 66.56 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 2,500 and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. It’s the sixth top 10-charting set for the rapper.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.