Stray Kids' This & That Just Made K-pop Chart History in the UK

Most albums peak in their first week and fade. Stray Kids' This & That did the opposite, climbing from No. 41 to No. 20 on the UK's Official Albums Sales chart in its second week. This unusual upward trajectory tells a different story than the typical debut-week splash, suggesting sustained or even growing purchase interest rather than a one-time initial rush.

Why Climbing a Sales Chart Is So Unusual

Album sales charts almost always reflect a debut-week peak. The pattern is predictable: an album releases, fans buy it immediately, and the numbers taper off in subsequent weeks. A climb from week one to week two is rare because it requires either new audiences discovering the release after the initial marketing push, or existing fans continuing to purchase physical copies beyond the typical first-week window.

This pattern is particularly notable in the UK market, where physical album sales still carry significant weight in chart calculations. The Official Albums Sales chart specifically tracks purchases of physical formats and digital downloads, not streaming numbers. A climb on this chart means actual transactions are increasing, not just playlist adds or repeat streams.

What This Means for Stray Kids' UK Chart History

This & That is now the first Stray Kids release to spend more than one week on the Official Albums Sales chart. Every previous release, including Oddinary, 5-Star, Rock-Star, Ate, and Karma, charted for a single week only. This longevity marks a shift in how the group's music is performing in the UK market.

In terms of peak position, This & That sits as Stray Kids' second-highest charting release on this specific sales chart. Only Karma, which debuted at No. 12 in 2025, reached a higher position. The comparison between these two releases is worth examining, as Karma and This & That now share the distinction of being the group's strongest UK commercial performers.

Karma debuted higher but followed the typical pattern of a single-week chart appearance. This & That started lower but demonstrated staying power. These two different trajectories suggest that while Karma may have generated more immediate buzz, This & That is finding its audience over a longer period.

The Longevity Pattern Across Multiple Formats

The second-week performance was not isolated to the main sales chart. This & That also spent a second week on the UK Official Album Downloads chart, falling from No. 2 to No. 62. This two-week run ties Karma, Ate, and Rock-Star as Stray Kids' longest-charting releases on that specific chart.

The release also reached milestone positions on format-specific charts. This & That debuted at No. 15 on the Official Vinyl Albums chart and No. 20 on the Official Physical Albums chart. These achievements are significant because only one previous Stray Kids release had reached either chart: Karma, which debuted at No. 13 on vinyl and No. 19 on physical albums in September 2025.

The vinyl chart appearance is particularly noteworthy given the continued resurgence of vinyl as a collector's format among dedicated music fans. Reaching No. 15 suggests strong engagement from the group's core UK fanbase, who are willing to invest in physical media beyond digital streaming.

Reading the Numbers: What This Signals About the UK Market

The combination of these chart positions paints a picture of a release that is finding traction through sustained interest rather than initial hype alone. The climb on the sales chart, the multi-week download presence, and the vinyl chart debut all point to a fanbase that is actively purchasing and collecting the physical release.

For K-pop acts in the UK, the physical album market represents a different challenge than streaming dominance. While streaming numbers can be driven by global playlists and algorithmic recommendations, physical sales require deliberate purchases from engaged fans. The fact that This & That is performing well across multiple physical and download metrics suggests the group's UK audience is both growing and deepening in its engagement.

The comparison to Karma is instructive here. Both releases have now hit the vinyl and physical album charts, and both have achieved multi-week runs on the downloads chart. This & That adds the new achievement of multi-week presence on the main sales chart, something no previous Stray Kids release had accomplished.

Looking at the Bigger Picture

Chart positions are snapshots of a specific moment in time, but the patterns behind them tell longer stories. The typical K-pop release in Western markets follows a predictable arc: strong debut driven by pre-orders and fan coordination, followed by a rapid drop-off as the core fanbase has already made their purchases.

This & That is breaking that pattern in the UK. The second-week climb suggests either delayed discovery by new listeners, or a fanbase large enough that not everyone purchases in the first week. Either explanation points to growing market penetration for Stray Kids in the UK.

For fans tracking the group's global expansion, these UK chart numbers add another data point to the broader narrative of K-pop's continued growth in Western markets. The UK has historically been a challenging market for non-English language music, making these chart achievements particularly notable.

Explore the Music

If you are diving into This & That and want to follow along with the lyrics, check out our complete guide to the album's lyrics and romanization. Understanding the words behind the music adds another layer to appreciating why this release is resonating with listeners.

Stray Kids This & That Lyrics and Romanization Guide

Chart data sourced from Forbes, reported by Hugh McIntyre on August 25, 2026.