How Many Copies Has THIS & THAT Sold in Its First Week?
Stray Kids released their Korean mini album THIS & THAT on August 7, 2026, and within six days the record had crossed a threshold only one other album reached this year.
THIS & THAT sold more than 3 million copies in its first release week, confirmed by Hanteo Chart on August 12, 2026 . That places it in the same range as the group's previous full-length KARMA, whose first week in August 2025 totaled 3.03 million copies according to Hanteo Chart data reported by the Korea Times — with eight tracks instead of eleven.source
- Second album of 2026 to clear 3 million first-week, after BTS's ARIRANG .source
- Fourth Stray Kids album to reach 3 million inside seven days, following ★★★★★ (5-STAR), ROCK-STAR and KARMA .source
- Day-one sales came in around 1,834,937 copies, according to Hanteo Chart data , and Hanteo's own weekly Album Index — a separate calendar-week tracker covering August 3–9 — credited the album with 2,543,817.20 points on 1,895,617 copies, the top score of that week .
One mechanical detail is worth flagging before comparing this number to anything else: the 3 million figure is a seven-day Hanteo aggregate that folds in internationally routed preorders, not a domestic-retail-only count. Makestar states that sales through its THIS & THAT event are reflected 100% in Hanteo, Circle and Music Bank counts, and defines "Initial Chodong" as the seven days after release . Sony Music Japan's official Stray Kids page says its import-purchase campaign reflects on Hanteo, Circle and Oricon . Overseas fan purchases route into the same tally as Korean store sales.source
For a baseline on the group's own recent trajectory, Hanteo News officially reported the preceding SKZ IT TAPE "DO IT" at 2,207,660 Initial Chodong copies over November 21–27, 2025 . One sourcing caveat: the 3,000,000+ mark for THIS & THAT currently rests on Hanteo-attributed press reporting rather than a directly retrievable Hanteo Chart document or JYP press notice.
Why the 3 Million Threshold Matters
The 3 million first-week threshold matters because it separates routine K-pop comeback performance from the small group of releases that mobilize a global buying base at once. THIS & THAT crossed 3 million copies within its first release week , putting it in the same range as the group's prior full-length KARMA, whose first week in August 2025 totaled 3.03 million copies — reached with eight tracks against KARMA's eleven. It is only the second album in 2026 to clear 3 million first-week, after BTS's ARIRANG .source
Fewer tracks with a higher count is the detail worth watching. Album units in Korea are driven by version variants and photocard sets rather than song volume, and THIS & THAT shipped in THIS VER., THAT VER., a limited TRUCK VER., & VER., LP VER. and FANS ALBUM VER., alongside U.S. retail and vinyl exclusives . That structure, not a longer tracklist, carried the gain.
| Album | Type | Release | First-week sales (Hanteo) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ (5-STAR) | Studio album | 2023 | 3 million+ |
| ROCK-STAR | Mini album | 2023 | 3 million+ |
| KARMA | Studio album | 2025 | ~3.03 million |
| THIS & THAT | Mini album (8 tracks) | Aug 7, 2026 | 3 million+ |
Sources: Soompi and the Korea Times. Exact first-week totals for 5-STAR, ROCK-STAR and THIS & THAT were not stated as precise figures in the retrievable reporting; all three are documented only as 3 million-plus.
The chart placements line up with the sales. Star News reported No. 1 on both the Hanteo and Circle daily album charts, No. 1 on Hanteo's weekly chart for August 3–9 and No. 1 on Circle's weekly retail chart for August 2–8 . Holding both trackers in the same window indicates the volume came through counted retail channels rather than a single distribution spike.
There is a commercial signal underneath the headline number as well. JYP Entertainment's Q2 2026 earnings report showed catalog sales of Stray Kids albums climbing from 120,000 units in Q2 2025 to 420,000 units in Q2 2026, a 3.5x increase, alongside a 36.7% year-over-year rise in physical album revenue . Older titles moving at that rate suggests new listeners are buying backwards through the catalog, which is what turns a single strong release week into a durable base for the next one.
Stray Kids Take Their First M Countdown Trophy for 'This & That'
Stray Kids won first place on the August 13, 2026 episode of Mnet's M Countdown with "This & That," beating Jennie's "Less than a Lover" in a two-way candidate race . It was the first music show trophy for the mini album's title track, arriving six days after release. Korean music show scores blend digital streaming, physical sales, broadcast points and viewer voting, so the win reflects the same first-week sales surge that pushed the album past three million copies — routed through a different measurement system.
One detail changes how the win looked on air. That episode was a special broadcast built from replays of past performances rather than a standard live show, so Stray Kids did not perform an encore stage after the announcement. M Countdown's official channels marked the result with a congratulations post instead . Fans expecting the usual confetti-and-encore clip found only a graphic — a reminder that summer programming schedules can strip a win of its usual broadcast moment.
As of August 14, no wins on Music Bank, Show! Music Core, Inkigayo or Show Champion had been reported for "This & That" . That is normal timing rather than a signal of weakness: the promotion cycle is one week old, and each program runs on its own scoring window and eligibility rules.source
Placing the trophy in the group's history:
- First-ever win: April 4, 2019, on M Countdown with "MIROH," scoring 5,870 points .
- Cumulative count: in the mid-40s across all Korean music programs .
- 2025 grand slam: with "CEREMONY" from KARMA, they became the first fourth-generation group to win on all five Korean music shows in a single cycle .
The creative choice behind the title track may explain why it converted so quickly on a broadcast chart. "We took out some of the more unfamiliar, rougher sounds and tried to make the song easier to approach," Changbin said in a release interview with the Korea Times. A more accessible title track tends to perform better on the digital and viewer-vote components that music show formulas weight heavily.
What's Next: Billboard Stakes and the Ongoing RUN IT Tour
The next checkpoint for THIS & THAT is the Billboard 200, where industry tracker HITS Daily Double projects a No. 1 debut at roughly 335,000 equivalent album units, about 325,000 of them pure sales . That would be the group's largest opening week in the United States, ahead of KARMA's 313,000 equivalent units and 2025's DO IT at 295,000 . This is a forecast, not a chart result — Billboard had not published the official tally at the time of reporting, and projections routinely move once streaming and shipment data settle.
If the number holds, Stray Kids would become the first act in Billboard history to debut each of its first nine charting albums at No. 1, extending a run that covers Oddinary, Maxident, 5-STAR, ROCK-STAR, ATE, HOP, KARMA and DO IT . The streaming side of the ledger is already recorded: more than 12.8 million first-day Spotify streams and over one million pre-saves, a mark no other K-pop act has cleared with more than one album . The title track's music video passed 50 million YouTube views in about three days .source
The release also lands mid-tour rather than ahead of one. The RUN IT world tour opened with five Seoul shows at KSPO Dome from July 25 to August 2, 2026 , and the routing continues into Latin America with STRAYCITY dates in Colombia, Argentina and Mexico City in September 2026, alongside reported slots at Tokyo National Stadium and Rock in Rio Brazil .source
For fans tracking what to watch: the Billboard 200 result is the single number that will confirm or revise the 335,000-unit projection, and the September STRAYCITY leg is the first chance to hear the eight-track set performed outside Korea. Everything else — the 3 million Hanteo count, the M Countdown trophy, the 50 million MV views — is already on the board.
Last updated: 2026-08-14. Billboard 200 figures cited here are pre-chart projections and will be revised when the official chart publishes.
Frequently asked questions
How many copies has Stray Kids' THIS & THAT sold?
Hanteo Chart confirmed on August 12, 2026 that THIS & THAT passed 3 million copies within its first release week, the seven-day window beginning with the August 7 release . That places it in the same range as the group's previous full-length KARMA, whose first week in August 2025 totaled 3.03 million copies according to Hanteo Chart data reported by the Korea Times . That count is a Hanteo aggregate that includes internationally routed preorders, not a domestic-retail-only figure.
Did Stray Kids win at M Countdown for This & That?
Yes. On the August 13, 2026 episode of Mnet's M Countdown, Stray Kids' "This & That" beat Jennie's "Less than a Lover" to take first place — the first music show trophy of the title track's promotion cycle . The episode was a special broadcast built from replays of past performances rather than a standard live show, so there was no encore stage; M Countdown's official channels posted a congratulations notice instead. As of August 14, no Music Bank, Music Core, Inkigayo or Show Champion wins for the track had been reported.
How does this compare to BTS in 2026?
THIS & THAT is only the second album released in 2026 to clear 3 million copies in its first week, following BTS's ARIRANG . For Stray Kids it is the fourth album to reach that mark inside seven days, after ★★★★★ (5-STAR), ROCK-STAR and KARMA. The comparison is a first-week Hanteo measure only and does not speak to streaming, touring or catalog performance.
Will THIS & THAT debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200?
Not confirmed. HITS Daily Double projects a No. 1 debut at roughly 335,000 equivalent album units, about 325,000 of them pure sales, which would top KARMA's 313,000 and 2025's DO IT at 295,000 . That is a forecast, not a result — Billboard had not published the official chart as of August 14, 2026. If it holds, Stray Kids would become the first act to debut each of its first nine charting albums at No. 1.
What tour dates follow the comeback?
The "RUN IT" world tour opened with five Seoul concerts at KSPO Dome from July 25 to August 2, 2026 . STRAYCITY dates in Latin America follow in September 2026, covering Colombia, Argentina and Mexico City, with further reporting pointing to a Tokyo National Stadium headline slot and Rock in Rio Brazil . Check official channels for on-sale timing, as individual city dates and ticketing partners are announced separately.
Enjoyed this article? Subscribe to get new stories by email whenever they're published.
This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
