In 2020, BTS's album 'MAP OF THE SOUL: 7' made waves, selling an impressive 4.37 million copies. Now, three years later in 2023, Seventeen recorded a staggering initial week sale (known as "chodong" in Korea) of around 4.55 million copies with their album 'FML'. This record, however, seems on the brink of being smashed within just a month.

Stray Kids are set to release their third studio album '5-STAR' on June 2nd. According to their agency, JYP Entertainment, the album has surpassed pre-order sales of 4.93 million as of May 30th. This figure breaks the previous highest pre-order record of 4.64 million set by Seventeen just a month ago, marking the highest pre-order quantity in K-pop album history.

The third album '5-STAR' represents more than double the pre-order sales of Stray Kids' previous and JYP Entertainment's first triple million-seller album, 'MAXIDENT', which had 2.37 million pre-orders. The significant growth of Stray Kids is evident. After surpassing Seventeen, who first breached the initial 4 million sales in K-pop history, Stray Kids are now setting their sights on the 5 million mark.

This represents the culmination of their consistent growth and accumulated success. With mini albums 'ODDINARY' and 'MAXIDENT' released in March and October last year, they secured top spots on the US Billboard 200 chart twice. 'MAXIDENT' exceeded 3 million in sales, marking JYP's first million-seller after the release of their second studio album 'NOEASY', and crowning them as 'Triple Million Selling Artists' within just a year.

After concluding their second world tour in April this year, which spanned 18 regions with 42 performances, they filled iconic venues like the KSPO DOME, Osaka Kyocera Dome in Japan, and stadiums across North America. With every seat sold out, they solidified their global appeal and confirmed their unstoppable rise.

Notably, Stray Kids have self-produced all their albums, using their exceptional musical talent as the foundation for their growth.

Since their debut song 'District 9' in March 2018, the group's in-house production team, 3RACHA (members Bang Chan, Changbin, and Han) have crafted all album title songs themselves. They've also personally penned and composed the title track 'Teuk' and all other songs in the upcoming album, with member Felix also contributing to some tracks. The group's unique ability to continuously set higher goals and grow is evident.

The album '5-STAR' comprises 12 self-produced tracks, solidifying Stray Kids' reputation as 'Five-Star Music Chefs'. From dance to hip-hop, pop, and electronic music, they've poured their zeal and sincerity into the lyrics, boasting an impressive list of writers, including 3RACHA, and a collaboration with hip-hop heavyweight Tiger JK.

The title track 'Teuk' adds a sense of challenge and novelty to Stray Kids' unique character, with various song structures and addictive hooks. The unusual lyrics, like "Shining, shining, shining, our class is Teuk (special)" encapsulate the group's pride, derived from their hard-earned success.

As Stray Kids make history before their first comeback of 2023, they herald a monumental career high that will undoubtedly etch their powerful presence in the K-pop scene.

Since the onset of the digital music era in the 2000s, the physical album market experienced a long slump. The highest-selling idol group albums struggled to exceed 500,000 sales. However, this began to change in 2017 when BTS marked a new era by becoming a single-album million-seller with 'LOVE YOURSELF 承 Her'.

As BTS ascended to global superstardom, the K-pop stage expanded beyond Asia to the world. Consequently, album sales began to surge. In 2020, with 'MAP OF THE SOUL: 7' crossing 4 million sales, there were seven million-selling albums, followed by 12 in 2021, and then 20 last year.

This year, even more albums are expected to exceed 1 million sales. Particularly after Seventeen, Stray Kids' album is the second to reach over 4 million sales. It remains to be seen whether we will witness the dawn of the 5 million album sales era, and all eyes are on this exciting prospect.

Stray Kids, the protagonists of K-pop's new era, will release their third studio album '5-STAR' at 1 PM on June 2nd (12 AM EST).

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