Group is first K-pop act to debut at No. 1 with first two charting albums on Billboard 200
Global superstars Stray Kids have made history as their new mini-album, Maxident, captures the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 this week. It marks the group’s highest sales debut and enshrines them as the first act to debut multiple albums at No. 1 on the chart this year. They also now officially stand out as the first K-pop act to debut their first two charting albums on the Billboard 200 at No. 1.
Achieving further accolades, they also notably arrive as the second K-pop act with multiple No. 1 albums, the first act to score successive No. 1 albums in a calendar year since 2021, and second K-pop act with multiple No. 1 albums in a calendar year.
The project, available via JYP Entertainment/Imperial Records/Republic Records, features the title track, “Case 143,” alongside the cinematic music video.
On Maxident, Stray Kids deliver their most momentous musical statement yet. The project combines two words “Max/Maximum” and “Accident/Incident,” uniting their meanings in the form of a “huge incident” that strikes Stray Kids called love. They project these emotions through their own “Maniac” perspective and deliver a massive body of work unlike anything else in the culture.
As Stray Kids’ first love-themed title track, “Case 143” highlights their unique expression through the metaphorization of confusing, never-felt-before emotions as an “occurrence of an incident,” and using the “code” 143 (I Love You) to decipher love. The harmony of the synth lines that descend the chromatic scale and the lyrics serve as a listening point. Through the various genres and sound changes within the track, listeners are able to feel Stray Kids’ unique, vividly rich transitions, tempo, and energy.
Last week, Stray Kids announced a slew of new tour dates to continue their 2nd World Tour “Maniac,” including rescheduled and additional dates in Atlanta on March 22nd and 23rd and Fort Worth on March 26th and 27th. This summer, the group was traveling the globe performing for fans on their 2nd World Tour, which started off with three dates in Seoul from April 29th – May 1st and headed to nine cities and nineteen shows throughout Japan and the United States.
