It’s a battle of real-life idols versus animated K-pop sensations on next week’s Billboard 200, and the showdown couldn’t be more intriguing. Stray Kids have officially dropped “Karma,” their 4th Korean-language studio album, while the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack is enjoying a huge boost thanks to its theatrical debut. And guess what? The chart week dated September 7 could turn into one of the most exciting K-pop showdowns yet.
Stray Kids are chart powerhouses at this point, with every one of their last five releases hitting No. 1. “Karma,” released August 22, comes with a major sales push, with 14 physical variants, including 11 CD versions loaded with collectible extras and three vinyl editions. Their last full album, “5-Star,” debuted atop of the chart with 249,500 copies, and fans expect “Karma” to deliver even bigger numbers. The group hasn’t put out a full Korean-language album since 2023, so anticipation is sky-high, and their 1st week sales are looking good.
On the other side, KPop Demon Hunters is turning into a cultural juggernaut. The Netflix movie surged to the top of the box office in its nationwide release, and the soundtrack has already made history by scoring four Hot 100 top 10 hits at once with “Golden,” “Your Idol,” “Soda Pop,” and “How It’s Done.” And while it has become Netflix’s biggest film, and its streams keep soaring, without physical CDs hitting shelves until September 5, the soundtrack may have to settle for #2 again. For now, the edge belongs to Stray Kids, but anything could happen!