Ateez came incredibly close this week to achieving their first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, the chart that ranks the most-consumed albums and EPs in the United States. Unfortunately, their latest release, The World EP.2: Outlaw, settles instead for the No. 2 spot, narrowly missing out on the top position. While this may have been disappointing for the group and their fans, there is a strong indication that Ateez has a No. 1 album in their future, given the impressive performance of their recent release.
In its first week of availability in the U.S., The World EP.2: Outlaw moved 105,500 equivalent units, according to Luminate. This number alone would have been sufficient to secure the top position on the Billboard 200 if it weren’t for some tough competition. Ateez lost the No. 1 spot on the chart to Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which has now spent 14 weeks atop the Billboard 200. It was a close race though, and Wallen’s album only surpassed Ateez’s EP by a narrow margin.
One Thing at a Time held onto the No. 1 spot with 110,000 equivalent units, with a significant portion of those units coming from streaming. While it managed to maintain its position at the top, a slightly different release timing and a different competitor could have yielded a different outcome for Ateez.
As is common for blockbuster releases, the number of equivalent units moved by One Thing at a Time has gradually declined each week. The album started with over half a million copies in its debut frame, followed by two consecutive weeks with over 200,000 units. Since then, it has consistently topped the Billboard 200 with figures ranging between 100,000 and 200,000 equivalent units, and it has yet to drop below the six-digit mark. If Ateez had released their EP a few weeks later, it might have had enough momentum to surpass the declining numbers generated by Wallen’s album.
To increase their chances of securing a No. 1 album in the future, Ateez may want to consider releasing their music during a less competitive week. Considering the impressive figure of 105,500 units, they could have achieved the top position on the Billboard 200 in four separate weeks in 2023 alone. In February and March, SZA’s SOS held the No. 1 spot for three consecutive weeks, and The World EP.2: Outlaw would have outsold SOS during each of those weeks.
After SZA, Karol G’s album Mañana Será Bonito dominated the Billboard 200 with 94,000 equivalent units. Once again, Ateez could have exceeded that number, placing them ahead of the Latin powerhouse.
Ateez has been steadily gaining popularity in the U.S., with each release bringing them closer to the summit of the Billboard 200. It seems inevitable that they will eventually reach the No. 1 position, especially if they plan their releases strategically. With their growing fan base and consistent chart performance, it is only a matter of time before Ateez claims the coveted top spot on the Billboard 200, potentially in the near future.
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