The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard 200 dated Dec. 6, a couple true chart heavyweights duke it out for the top spot.

Stray Kids, DO IT (JYP/Republic): A new five-track mixtape wouldn’t be a particularly big threat from most artists to take down the record-setting new album by the biggest pop star in the world. But when it comes to the Billboard 200, Stray Kids isn’t most artists. Between albums, EPs and mixtapes, the South Korean pop octet has launched seven sets onto the Billboard 200 since 2022 — and all seven of them have debuted at No. 1. The Kids haven’t missed the top spot yet.

Now, they look to go eight-for-eight with DO IT, the five-track

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