Stray Kids (SKZ) "THIS & THAT" Hits No.1 — 9 Billboard Chart-Toppers, and the "Mala" Song That Started It

​If you've been anywhere near the charts lately, you already know: Stray Kids (스트레이 키즈, aka SKZ) don't just release albums — they detonate them. In August 2026, their mini album THIS & THAT debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 — their ninth consecutive chart-topper. 🤯

Let's put that in perspective, then rewind to the song that started the whole spicy legend. 🌶️

🏆 Nine for Nine: A Record Nobody's Ever Set

Here's the stat that has the music world stunned. Every single Stray Kids album to chart on the Billboard 200 has debuted at No. 1 — all nine of them, starting with ODDINARY in 2022 through THIS & THAT now. That makes them the first act in Billboard 200 history to open their first nine charting releases at the top.

It doesn't stop there:

• THIS & THAT moved 369,000 units in its first week — their biggest week ever.
• Their nine No.1s tie The Rolling Stones for the second-most among groups in chart history — behind only The Beatles (19). 🎸
• The album is powered by 17 physical variants, 40M+ Spotify streams in week one, and a global fanbase (STAY) that shows up every time.

And they're doing it mid-tour: the RUN IT world tour hits Tokyo's National Stadium before sweeping through South America this fall. This is a group at full sprint.

🍳 Rewind: The "God's Menu" That Started the Fire

So how did eight guys become a Billboard machine? A lot of it traces back to one 2020 song: "God's Menu (神메뉴)."

The title is a clever pun. That first character, 神, is hanja read 신 (shin) — "god / divine." But 신메뉴 also sounds exactly like 新메뉴, "new menu." So the title means both a god-tier menu and a brand-new one — "a new dish so good it's divine." 🙏

More importantly, "God's Menu" is the song that branded Stray Kids as K-pop's 마라맛 (ma-ra-mat) pioneers — "mala flavor," after the numbingly spicy Sichuan 마라 sauce that's everywhere in Korea. Koreans use 마라맛 to describe anything bold, intense, and addictive, and that's exactly the lane Stray Kids built their empire in.

🎧 The Secret Ingredient: 3RACHA

Here's what makes Stray Kids different from a lot of groups: they write their own stuff. Their in-house producing unit 3RACHA (쓰리라차) — members Bang Chan (방찬), Changbin (창빈), and HAN (한) — has written and produced their biggest hits, "God's Menu" and "THIS & THAT" included.

They even have a podcast now (3RACHA Session) where they open up the studio and talk through how songs get made. As Bang Chan put it, it's basically letting fans inside their group chat. That self-made, "we cooked this ourselves" identity is a huge part of why STAY are so fiercely loyal. 💛

🎵 The Korean Hiding in "THIS & THAT"

Here's a fun bonus — the title itself is Korean-lyric-coded. Near the end of the song comes the line "이것저것 다" (i-geot-jeo-geot da) — literally "this and that, all of it." That's where the English title comes from! 이것저것 glues 이것 (this) + 저것 (that) to mean "this and that / all kinds of stuff." 🔁

The song's whole attitude is doing-it-my-way, and the Korean shows it:

• 골라서 내가 선택한 대로 (gol-la-seo nae-ga seon-taek-han dae-ro) — "the way I picked and chose it." Two useful pieces here: 고르다 (to choose) and ~대로 ("the way / as," a super-handy ending — 원하는 대로 = "as you wish").
• 원래 가고 싶은 대로 (won-lae ga-go si-peun dae-ro) — "the way I originally wanted to go."

Even the playful bits are gold: 곱빼기 (gop-ppae-gi) means a double/extra-large portion at a restaurant — so when the lyrics ask to hold the "오지랖 곱빼기" (a double serving of nosiness), that's very real, very everyday Korean slang. 😎

🍜 And a Taste of "God's Menu"

Since our next class is on "God's Menu," here's a preview of the Korean baked into it. That song is built like a restaurant order:

• 가게 (ga-ge) — shop / store
• 시키다 (si-ki-da) — to order (food)
• 만족하다 (man-jok-ha-da) — to be satisfied

And its chorus is basically a bibimbap recipe — real cooking verbs you can use tonight: 집어넣어 (jip-eo-neo-eo, toss in*), 부어 (bu-eo, pour), 비벼 (bi-byeo, mix — yes, the 비비 in 비빔밥!)*. "Don't hesitate, just toss it all in and mix" — that's the song and a genuine cooking instruction. 🍚

📲 We broke down more "God's Menu" words — like 손님 (son-nim, customer*)* and 입맛 (im-mat, taste/appetite*)* — in a quick clip on our Instagram. Watch it, then come learn the full song with us live. 👇

📝 Korean From the Lyrics

Five words straight from the two songs. Say each one out loud once — that's honestly how they stick.

🎤 Love Stray Kids? Come Learn Korean With Us — Free!

Here's the fun part: songs like "God's Menu" are packed with real, usable Korean — restaurant phrases, cooking verbs, everyday slang — and we turn them into full lessons you can actually follow along to, no experience needed.

If you're a STAY (or just Stray-Kids-curious), come sing and learn with us in a free live K-pop Korean class at Seoul X On.

📅 Next up: Stray Kids' "God's Menu" — Sat, Sept 5, 10 AM (EDT)

(Check your local time on our site — the schedule shows it in your own zone.)

🎟️ How to Join Securing your spot is quick and easy!

• Step 1: Go to the [Live Group Class] menu on our website.

• https://seoulxon.com/group-class

• Step 2: Click the [Save My Spot] button under your chosen class.

• Step 3: At class time, the button will change to [Join Now]. Simply click it to enter!

Note: You do not need a separate Zoom link.

❓ Free K-pop Korean Class — FAQ

• Is the class really free? Yes. Live group classes are completely free — no payment, no card required. You just sign up and show up.
• Do I need to know any Korean already? No. Classes are beginner-friendly, and the K-pop lessons are built so total beginners can follow along. If you can't read Hangeul yet, that's fine — signing up also unlocks a free 1:1 trial lesson where you can start learning to read.
• What do we do in a class to learn Korean through K-pop? You listen to the song, learn the key words and expressions in the lyrics, practice the tricky pronunciation, and sing along. It's relaxed and fun — mistakes are expected and totally welcome.