The soundtrack for Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters has reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, climbing from the No. 2 spot after seven nonconsecutive weeks. This marks the first time the album has topped the chart, propelled by a 7% increase in sales and streaming, with 128,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the tracking week ending September 11.
This soundtrack’s success was anticipated after it made history with four simultaneous top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the first soundtrack to achieve this feat in nearly 30 years. Among these is the No. 1 single “Golden” by HUNTR/X, the trio behind the voices of the film’s main characters.
KPop Demon Hunters is the first soundtrack in over three years to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200, following Encanto’s nine nonconsecutive weeks atop the chart from January to March 2022. The album’s 12-week climb to the top also marks one of the longest waits to reach No. 1 on this chart in recent history. Its steady rise is reminiscent of Toby Keith’s 2008 album 35 Biggest Hits and The Kid LAROI’s Fck Love. Both are notable for their extended climbs fueled by reissues and special circumstances.
In the current Billboard 200 top 10, Justin Bieber’s SWAG also climbed significantly after its deluxe edition added 23 new tracks. Meanwhile, the artist Sombr reached the top 10 for the first time with I Barely Know Her, boosted by a recent MTV Video Music Awards performance.
