KATSEYE, a girl group formed through a collaboration between HYBE and Universal Music, has reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart in the United States.
Billboard announced on August 22 that KATSEYE's third mini-album, 'WILD,' debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the week of August 29.
This marks KATSEYE's first time achieving the top spot on the Billboard 200 since their debut in 2024. They are the fourth female group to reach No. 1 on this chart since 2020, following BLACKPINK's 'BORN PINK,' NewJeans' 'GET UP,' and TWICE's 'WITH YOU-th.'
The Billboard 200 ranks albums based on traditional sales of physical albums, streaming figures converted to album sales, and digital downloads converted to album sales.
'WILD' recorded 170,000 album units during the tracking period, with 145,000 of those being traditional album sales, placing it at No. 1 on the Top Album Sales chart as well. The streaming equivalent was 24,500 units, and digital downloads accounted for 500 units.
'WILD' reflects KATSEYE's attitude of embracing their true selves while pursuing instinct and freedom. The title track, 'HOOTIE FRUITY,' features a percussion-driven pop sound, heavy drum beats, and witty lyrics.
The album includes contributions from notable producers such as HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk and pop star Ed Sheeran, along with Omer Fedi and Blake Slatkin. Previously, 'WILD' peaked at No. 2 on the UK Official Albums Chart, marking KATSEYE's highest ranking to date.
KATSEYE was formed through the survival program 'The Debut: Dream Academy,' a collaboration between HYBE and Universal Music's Geffen Records. Since their debut in the U.S. in 2024, they have released tracks like 'GNARLY' and 'GABRIELA,' and were nominated for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards this year.
Other K-pop girl groups that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 include BLACKPINK, NewJeans, and TWICE. Among boy groups, BTS, SuperM, Stray Kids, ATEEZ, and Tomorrow X Together have also topped the chart.
Meanwhile, Stray Kids' 'THIS & THAT' dropped two spots to No. 3 this week with 82,000 album units sold.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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