South Korean pop group Stray Kids debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 2) with Oddinary, marking not just the first chart-topper for the act, but its first chart entry. The seven-song set, recorded mostly in the Korean language, launches atop the list with 110,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 24, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data. Of that sum, album sales comprise 103,000 — the biggest sales week for an album in 2022.
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 April 2, 2022-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 29. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Of Oddinary’s 110,000 equivalent album units earned, album sales comprise 103,000; SEA units comprise 6,500 (equaling 10.09 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs); and TEA units comprise 500. The album was released March 18 via JYP/Imperial/Republic Records.
Though Stray Kids never previously appeared on the Billboard 200, the group has notched 10 earlier top 10-charting efforts on the World Albums chart (which ranks the most popular world music albums of the week). The act formed in 2017 on a South Korean reality TV show of the same name. Oddinary is the first release for Stray Kids in the U.S. through JYP’s partnership with Imperial/Republic. In 2021, the pact landed two top 10s on the Billboard 200 from the group TWICE (Taste of Love: The 10th Mini Album, peaking at No. 6, and Formula of Love: O+T=<3, The 3rd Full Album, No. 3).
Oddinary also debuts at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart with the largest sales week of any album in 2022, with 103,000 copies sold. Nearly all of that sum was sold through CDs, while just 2,500 were sold via digital album. The set was not available on any other configuration (such as vinyl LP or cassette).
Like many K-pop releases, the CD configuration of the album was issued in collectible packages (seven total, including a Target-exclusive edition), each with a standard set of internal paper items and randomized elements (such as photocards and mini-posters).
Oddinary is the 13th mostly non-English-language album to hit No. 1. The last two No. 1 albums mostly in a language other than English were Bad Bunny’s all-Spanish El Ultimo Tour del Mundo (the first all-Spanish language No. 1 album; Dec. 12, 2020-dated chart) and BTS’ mostly-Korean language BE (Dec. 5, 2020). Of the 13 leaders that were recorded mostly in a language other than English, five have been by BTS.
Lil Durk’s 7220 slips to No. 2 on the new Billboard 200 with 81,000 equivalent album units earned (down 33%), after debuting atop the list a week ago. The soundtrack to Encanto, which spent nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1, holds at No. 3 with 59,000 units (down 9%).
Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping Dangerous: The Double Album is also a non-mover, steady at No. 4 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1%). Dangerous: The Double Album has now accumulated 62 nonconsecutive weeks in the top 10 on the Billboard 200. It surpasses Celine Dion’s Falling Into You (61 weeks in the top 10, 1996-97) for the third-most weeks in the top 10 among all albums released since 1990. Only Adele’s 21, with 84 weeks in the top 10 (2011-16), and Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill, with 72 weeks in the top 10 (1995-97), have earned more weeks in the top 10.
Juice WRLD’s Fighting Demons jumps 35-5 on the Billboard 200 with 40,000 equivalent album units earned (up 137%) with 12,000 of that sum in album sales (up 26,815%). On March 18, the set was reissued in a deluxe digital and streaming edition (with three additional tracks), and was issued on CD, vinyl LP and cassette configurations for the first time. The album was previously available only via streaming services and as a digital download. It debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Dec. 25, 2021-dated chart.
The Weeknd’s compilation The Highlights is steady at No. 6 with 34,000 equivalent album units earned (down 2%).
Charli XCX collects her highest-charting album ever and first top 10 on the Billboard 200, as her latest release, Crash, debuts at No. 7 with 31,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 19,000, SEA units comprise 12,000 (equaling 15.6 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), and TEA units comprise 500.
Crash debuted atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart and Australia’s ARIA Albums Chart – the singer-songwriter’s first No. 1 in both countries.
Crash is Charli XCX’s fifth studio album and follows her made-in-lockdown effort How I’m Feeling Now, which was recorded in a single month during pandemic-induced isolation and was released in May 2020. It reached No. 111 on the Billboard 200 dated May 30, 2020.
Crash is the star’s fifth charting release on the Billboard 200 and first to reach even the top 25. She had previously topped out at No. 28 with Sucker on the Jan. 3, 2015-dated chart.
Drake’s chart-topping Certified Lover Boy rises 9-8 on the Billboard 200 with just over 31,000 equivalent album units earned (up 1%); Gunna’s former No. 1 DS4Ever falls 8-9 with 31,000 units (down 2%); and Doja Cat’s Planet Her is stationary at No. 10 with 30,000 units (down 1%).
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Luminate, formerly MRC Data, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes an exhaustive and thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data, removing any suspicious or unverifiable activity using established criteria before final chart calculations are made and published. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious and unverifiable is disqualified prior to the final calculation.
