KATSEYE Scores First No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 'WILD' EP

Global girl group KATSEYE has landed its first No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The HYBE-Geffen group's third EP, "WILD," debuts atop the chart dated Aug. 29, according to a preview published by Billboard on Saturday.

The debut surpasses the group's previous peak of No. 4, set last year with "Beautiful Chaos."

The Billboard 200 ranks albums by total album units, which combine traditional album sales, streaming equivalent albums (SEA), and track equivalent albums (TEA).

"WILD" opened with 170,000 album units in the U.S. in its first week. Pure album sales made up 145,000 of that total, enough to put the EP at No. 1 on this week's Top Album Sales chart as well. SEA accounted for 24,500 units, with TEA adding about 500.

It is the group's first Billboard 200 No. 1 since debuting in 2024. KATSEYE becomes the fourth girl group to top the chart in the 2020s, following BLACKPINK, NewJeans, and TWICE.

The EP's earlier tracks also gained traction in the U.S. market. "Pinky Up" reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April, while "Animal" peaked at No. 24 on the chart dated Aug. 8.

Released on Aug. 14, "WILD" centers on embracing one's inner self and moving toward instinct and freedom. The title track, "Hootie Frutti," and other songs on the EP were worked on by HYBE chairman Bang Si-hyuk alongside Ed Sheeran, Omer Fedi, and Blake Slatkin.

The No. 1 debut puts KATSEYE alongside BLACKPINK, NewJeans and TWICE as the only girl groups connected to the K-pop system to top the Billboard 200 in the 2020s.