The No. 1 debut was part of a “renaissance” taking place for K-pop at North American retailers, says Mendlinger, with different configurations of collectibles being manufactured in Korea, shipped overseas to meet growing demand and ultimately appearing on store shelves for release week. An indie retail blitz, direct-to-consumer initiatives and Stray Kids autographing physical editions for the first time in their careers helped Oddinary bow with 103,000 in album sales in its debut week - the biggest sales debut of the year at the time. Collectible packages have become crucial in modern K-pop - with physical sales having as much, or more, influence on an album’s chart performance as its audio streams - and Oddinary arrived with seven total CD configurations that contained keepsakes like posters and photo cards, including exclusive editions at Target and Barnes & Noble. big-box retailers, which had been practically nonexistent prior to the JYP-Republic partnership. The team’s priority was to amplify Stray Kids’ presence at U.S.

For Mendlinger and his team at Imperial, however, they had been targeting a No. 1 debut for the project in the six months leading up to its release. “We were overwhelmed and a little bit shocked,” Felix recalls. 1 on the Billboard 200, still shaking off sleep and needing a few moments for the accomplishment to sink in. Stray Kids were in Seoul on March 28 when they found out early that morning that Oddinary debuted at No. “Our goal ever since we debuted was to reach as many ‘stray kids’ as possible,” Bang Chan continues, “to deliver our music and give strength to people who really need it.” Stray Kids admit to feeling the burden of expectation but welcome it wholeheartedly. “What I can say is, we’re definitely trying to put on a good impression and be as genuine as we can for people who look up to us.” That includes their millions of young fans, who call themselves STAY and who have found a home in the group’s amplification of separate talents and personal quirks. Ssam KimĪre Stray Kids - with their high-flying dance moves, bullet-time rapping, chest-thumping lyrics and visuals that suggest eight superpowers forming an unbreakable bond - positioning themselves as the heroes of a new K- pop wave? “That’s a bit too big for us,” says Bang Chan, leaning forward in his chair during a group sit-down in Seattle two weeks after the Newark show. From left: Bang Chan, Hyunjin, Han, Lee Know, Felix, Changbin, Seungmin and I.N of Stray Kids photographed on Jat The Ruins in Seattle.

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