
K-pop is undoubtedly making a mark in the American music scene. A staggering 9 out of the top 10 CDs sold in the U.S. in the first half of this year were from K-pop groups.
According to Luminate, the U.S. entertainment industry’s preeminent data and insights company, 9 of the top 10 album sales from December 30th last year to June 29th this year were from K-pop acts.
Topping the list was The Name Chapter: TEMPTATION, the fifth mini-album by TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT), with 395,000 units sold in the States during the reporting period.
Stray Kids’ third album 5-STAR clinched the second spot with 322,000 units sold, followed by TWICE’s twelfth mini-album READY TO BE, which racked up sales of 258,000 units. SEVENTEEN’s tenth mini-album FML came in fourth with 233,000 copies sold, while the fifth place was taken by D-DAY, the solo album by BTS’ Suga, with 186,000 units sold.
Furthermore, FACE, the debut solo mini-album by BTS’ Jimin, sold 168,000 copies to secure the seventh spot. ATEEZ’s ninth mini-album The World EP.2: Outlaw ranked eighth with 129,000 units, and ENHYPEN’s fourth mini-album DARK BLOOD made the ninth spot with 127,000 units.
Stray Kids also claimed the tenth spot with their seventh mini-album MAXIDENT from last year, marking two of their albums within the top 10. The album sold 114,000 copies.
The only non-K-Pop album in the top 10 was MIDNIGHTS, the tenth studio album by Taylor Swift, which sold 176,000 copies during the same period.
K-pop was a strong contender even in the Total Sales category, which combines physical and digital album sales. While Taylor Swift’s MIDNIGHTS took the top spot with 607,000 points, TXT, Stray Kids, TWICE, and SEVENTEEN each claimed ranks 2 to 6. Suga and Jimin also landed at 8 and 9, respectively, further showcasing K-pop’s immense popularity in the U.S. market.
Source (1)