It’s a historic week on the Billboard 200, dated Aug. 3. Stray Kids‘ ATE debuts atop the albums chart this week, while Jimin‘s MUSE falls just behind it at No. 2 — marking the first occasion in Billboard 200 history where Korean pop artists occupy the listing’s top two spots simultaneously.
For Stray Kids, the ATE bow marks the group’s impressive fifth No. 1 album on the chart in five tries. Jimin’s MUSE is also his second straight LP to enter at the runner-up position, while the set’s single “Who” bows at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Global 200 — his first solo leader on the latter chart.
How momentous is this occasion for K-pop on the Billboard charts? And which Korean artist could be next to top the Billboard 200? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. Stray Kids’ ATE and Jimin’s MUSE control the top two spots on the Billboard 200 this week — the first time Korean pop albums have occupied Nos. 1 and 2 simultaneously. On a scale from 1-10, how historic a moment do you find this to be for K-pop as a genre and movement?
Rania Aniftos: Maybe a 9. K-pop has really been dominating charts and streaming over the past few years, so it’s not completely shocking that the day has finally come for a historic Billboard 200 achievement (hence why I didn’t give it a 10). However, it’s incredible to see this solidification that K-pop is a force to be reckoned with when compared to albums of all genres on the tally. I’m so happy for both Stray Kids and Jimin!
Hannah Dailey: I’ll give it an 8! As much as K-pop has expanded in the past few years, I think that therewas still a huge part of the Western world whose only reference point for the genre was BTS and maybe BLACKPINK. This shared feat shows that that’s changing, leading the way for more groups and even soloists to enjoy that global spotlight.
Kyle Denis: A solid 7. This is a fantastic feat for any genre, but the achievement does feel a bit muted because neither album has yet made much of a crossover impact outside of their respective fanbases. That’s not incredibly unusual for a Billboard 200 chart-topper in recent years, but the disparity between these albums’ pure sales and streaming figures is notable.
Jason Lipshutz: A 5. That’s not to take away from the dual achievement of Stray Kids and Jimin, particularly during a busy release week that also included the Twisters soundtrack and new albums from Childish Gambino, Koe Wetzel and Glass Animals. Yet K-pop has been firmly entrenched in the U.S. mainstream for years, especially at the top of the Billboard 200, with fans using their purchasing power and preferred streaming site to support their their favorite artists (including Stray Kids, who have scored four previous No. 1 projects on the chart before this week). Although the side-by-side launches mark another first for K-pop’s chart impact, the genre’s track record has been too successful for this week to represent an enormous flash point.
Andrew Unterberger: I’ll say a 7. It’s an impressive indicator of Korean pop’s current commercial strength, and it makes for an eye-catching headline, but it feels more like good timing than a particularly new breakthrough — especially since Stray Kids and Jimin had both reached their respective placements this week on the chart before with prior sets.
2. ATE marks the fifth consecutive No. 1 album for Stray Kids on the Billboard 200 — comprising their entire history on the chart. What do you think the biggest reason is they’ve been able to have such consistent success on the chart?
Rania Aniftos: The group’s members have their musicality and stage presence on lock. They know what STAY loves, so they’ve been able to keep their consistent fanbase over the years by delivering the same caliber of pop hits as well as visuals and choreography. With big festivals and concert performances, Stray Kids garners new fans all the time, allowing for a consistent presence atop the charts.
Hannah Dailey: In addition to taking multiple opportunities to continuously broaden its global exposure – recent examples include walking the Met Gala carpet as a band and tapping Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman for a music video in partnership with Deadpool & Wolverine – the band seems really intentional about the music it wants to make and release. That’s definitely thanks to its main composers and producers being a sub-unit of the band, 3RACHA, consisting of members Bang Chan, Changbin and Han. With this album in particular, it sounds as though the group was really discerning about experimenting with new sounds while staying familiar to longtime fans.
Kyle Denis: Stray Kids’ debut studio album – Go Live –arrived during the summer of 2020, by which point, K-pop had already enjoyed its proper Stateside breakthrough with several Billboard 200 chart-toppers by way of BTS and SuperM. In that way, the group had a leg up over older K-pop groups who had to launch albums in comparatively more difficult climates. In addition to already being strong physical sellers – the group’s first Billboard 200 chart-topper, 2022’s Oddinary, scored that year’s biggest sales week upon its debut – Stray Kids has also learned to maximize sales through offering different configurations of their projects. Oddinary had seven different CD versions and ATE boasts 11 CD variants. Finally, SKZ moves quickly — topping the Billboard 200 twice in both 2022 and 2023, ensuring a near-constant flow on content for their fans.
Jason Lipshutz: Stray Kids has been able to collect Billboard 200 chart-toppers thanks in part to a prolific output — those five No. 1s have occurred in less than two-and-a-half years — and some savvy release timing, but really, the group has established itself as one of the more sonically adventurous collectives in K-pop, leaning into the more propulsive components of electro-pop and hip-hop to craft their studio output and live shows. The formula has not grown stale or become predictable; instead, Stray Kids’ continued innovation has helped the group quickly accrue more listeners, allowing for multiple trips to the top of the Billboard 200.
Andrew Unterberger: Consistency of output, both in terms of quality and release schedule regularity.
3. While Jimin falls behind Stray Kids on the 200, he has the bigger hit on the Hot 100 this week, with his “Who” debuting at No. 14. Does it seem like to you like a hit that will continue to grow, or will its debut most likely be its biggest week?
Rania Aniftos: I’m really hoping it takes No. 1 at some point, just because I love to see big rewards for an artist who took the risk to release music away from the group they’re known for being in. Also, it’s a great song from a great album. It deserves it.
Hannah Dailey: I think the song’s debut will probably be its biggest placement, especially seeing as the top 10 has been pretty locked in place over the past few weeks. But who knows? ARMY is powerful, and in 2024, it’s never out of the realm of possibility that some unpredictable TikTok trend will give it – or any song, for that matter — a random boost down the line.
Kyle Denis: It’s a catchy song that will work well on Top 40 radio, so there’s room for it to grow. Nonetheless, all six of Jimin’s solo Hot 100 entries peaked where they debuted, so if history is anything to go by, “Who” will have to settle for No. 14.
Jason Lipshutz: Although Jimin topped the Hot 100 last year with “Like Crazy,” “Who” sounds like an even more durable hit to me: the wide-ranging hook, squiggly sound effects and guitar strums all coalesce into a product that’s been surging on streaming and sounds ripe for U.S. pop radio, which has been historically reluctant to take on new K-pop singles but could find success with this one. Maybe “Who” doesn’t make it above its No. 14 peak on the Hot 100, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find Jimin’s latest single hanging around the top 40 for a bit.
Andrew Unterberger: It seems to me like it may have legs, at least. While “Like Crazy” debuted at No. 1 and fell out of the top 40 the next week, that song’s performance was mostly driven by sales, which is harder to sustain week-to-week. But the strong debut of “Who” is largely streaming-abetted — the song racked up over 14 million official on-demand U.S. streams last week, according to Luminate, and is on pace for another eight-digit week there so far this frame, while it holds at No. 3 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart. Those kinds of totals usually don’t disappear so quickly, so while “Who” might need some help to match the peak of “Like Crazy,” it might end up with the edge in terms of chart longevity.
4. Are there any songs on either album that you find particularly interesting, either for the artists or for pop music in general?
Rania Aniftos: I know “Chk Chk Boom” was already a fan-favorite from ATE but I loved the unexpected Latin flair! It’s really interesting to see Stray Kids experiment with their sound but still stay true to who they are as artists. It’s just proving that Korean acts don’t have to feel confined in their pop lane, and fans love it when they try things out.
Hannah Dailey: “Smeraldo Garden Marching Band” feat. Loco on MUSE is the album’s stand-out track, in my opinion. It boasts a really interesting blend of sounds and instrumentation while still fitting the tried-and-true shiny K-pop song model. I think it really dips its toes into the vast potential of what the genre can evolve into sonically.
Kyle Denis: Not particularly. Stray Kids’ “Twilight” has some pretty chords, though.
Jason Lipshutz: Jimin’s track “Smeraldo Green Marching Band,” featuring the South Korean rapper Loco, has been out for over a month — but underlines the ambition of MUSE, as a soulful pop-rap track that relies on chipmunk’ed production and funk guitar flourishes. The song doesn’t reinvent Jimin’s sound but gently nudges it forward; I’m excited to hear him continue to explore such textures in the future.
Andrew Unterberger: Add me as another “Smeraldo” fan — and let’s give a shoutout to the preceding “Interlude: Showtime” as well, with its more traditional marching band groove and PA announcement-style outro providing the perfect lead-in to the full song’s pop-friendlier production.
5. What is a Korean pop act — solo or group — that has not yet scored a No. 1 album but which you think might be on its way to landing one soon?
Rania Aniftos: Le Sserafim! Those girls make some seriously catchy music and have gotten in the top 10 twice before. They deserve a No. 1.
Hannah Dailey: BLACKPINK’s LISA has a lot of Pop Girl potential, and she definitely seems to be gearing up for a full-on solo era led by the release of her new single “Rockstar” last month. If she stays the course and continues to build up her relationship with fans independent from the band, I definitely think a No. 1 album is within reach someday.
Kyle Denis: Jennie. She’s previously topped the chart as a part of BLACKPINK, but between her breakout turn on The Idol and upcoming collaborations with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tayla Parx, she could reach No. 1 on her own soon.
Jason Lipshutz: Aespa has earned multiple top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and recent album Armageddon marked a sizable leap forward in the group’s aesthetic (you’re simply not going to find many pop-rock songs more fun than “Live My Life” in 2024). The group will keep getting bigger, and I’m hoping that a chart-topping project isn’t too far away.
Andrew Unterberger: With his top five-charting Indigo and Right Place, Wrong Person solo sets, RM has established himself as one of the most thoughtful, ambitious and creative albums artists in modern pop — it seems like only a matter of time before stateside audiences catch up and grant him his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.
