Stray Kids' 'This & That' Returns to No. 1 on Billboard
Stray Kids' "THIS & THAT" climbed back to No. 1 on Billboard's World Albums chart this week - its third non-consecutive week at the top since the mini album's release, and its fourth week on the chart overall. "THIS & THAT" also held its spot on the Billboard 200 at No. 16 for a fourth straight week.
ENHYPEN's "THE SIN : BLISS" sits right behind at No. 2 in its second week, while NCT 127 made its own mark, debuting new album "BLINGY" straight into No. 3. CORTIS placed two entries in the same top six: "GREENGREEN" at No. 4 in its 18th week, and the group's debut EP "COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES" still at No. 6 in its 52nd week.
The bigger story sits further down the list. BTS placed three albums on the chart at once - "Proof" at No. 5, "Map of the Soul: 7 ~The Journey~" at No. 9, and "Love Yourself: Tear" at No. 19. "Proof" is now in its 221st week on the World Albums chart, a run that started in 2022 and hasn't stopped since. NewJeans' "Get Up" is right there with it, charting for a 156th week at No. 17.
That's the contrast this week's chart draws out: a brand-new NCT 127 release debuting at No. 3 on the same list where a three-year-old BTS compilation is still logging weeks, and where a girl group with no new music since 2024 hasn't dropped off either. ATEEZ ("GOLDEN HOUR : Part.5," No. 7, 10th week), LE SSERAFIM ("PUREFLOW," No. 11, 15th week), ILLIT ("MAMIHLAPINATAPAI," No. 13, 18th week) and aespa ("LEMONADE," No. 15, 14th week) round out a top 20 that's almost entirely K-pop.
The World Albums chart tracks sales across the US market specifically, which is why "Proof" staying power reads differently than a routine comeback bump. A new release can debut high on streaming numbers alone; a catalog title holding a top-five spot for 221 straight weeks needs buyers still choosing to purchase a four-year-old compilation over whatever else released that same week. "THIS & THAT" reclaiming No. 1 for a third separate week works the same way - it's not the width of the initial spike but the fact that the album keeps climbing back.
Stray Kids aren't done with 2026. "THIS & THAT" was released Aug. 7 through JYP Entertainment and the Republic Collective, built around a hip-hop-leaning title track and the pre-release single "RUN IT," which lent its name to the group's ongoing tour. No new single or repackage has been announced yet - for now, the album is doing the work on its own, three separate times over.
