INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 06: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE.) Jimin of BTS performs … [+]
Despite the changing landscape of how millions consume music, album sales are on the rise in the United States. Luminate’s annual mid-year report reveals that purchases of albums, both in digital and physical formats, have increased by a significant 7.9% compared to mid-year 2022. Leading this charge are Taylor Swift and K-pop stars, who have made a substantial impact on album sales.
Taylor Swift claims the bestselling album of 2023 so far with Midnights, which was actually released in 2022. The pop album has been purchased by a staggering 607,000 fans, surpassing every other title by almost twice the amount. It must be noted that Midnights had already sold hundreds of thousands of copies last year, making its continued success in 2023 even more remarkable.
Among the top 10 bestselling albums in the U.S. at the midway point of 2023, only four titles come from Western artists. Morgan Wallen, Metallica, and Melanie Martinez join Swift on this list. The remaining seven bestselling albums are all from South Korean stars, both bands and soloists, showcasing the immense popularity of K-pop in the American market.
At No. 2 on the list is Tomorrow X Together with The Name Chapter: Temptation. This project has sold nearly 400,000 copies in America this year and will likely already have reached that milestone by the time of this article’s publication. Stray Kids follow closely with 5-Star, their third and most recent No. 1 album on the Billboard 200, which has sold 327,000 copies.
South Korean girl group Twice occupies the fourth spot with Ready to Be, which has sold 286,000 copies. Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time closes out the upper half of the chart with 242,000 copies purchased.
Interestingly, while One Thing at a Time is the most-consumed album in America during the first half of 2023, with over three million equivalent units shifted, album sales represent only a fraction of that success. The title has become a streaming blockbuster, due in part to its extensive track list, which contains dozens of songs. This list specifically focuses on pure purchases.
In recent years, BTS has often dominated the top of the charts or claimed a top position, but the group is currently on a break as some members enlist in the military while others work on solo projects. Partially because of this, two of the band’s members, Jimin and Suga, make their way onto this sales-only ranking. Suga’s album, D-Day, released under his Agust D moniker, has sold 200,000 copies, while Jimin’s Face EP is not far behind with 196,000 pure sales.
Here are the 10 bestselling albums in the U.S. at 2023’s midway point.
No. 1 – Taylor Swift – Midnights – 607,000
No. 2 – Tomorrow X Together – The Name Chapter: Temptation – 399,000
No. 3 – Stray Kids – 5-Star – 327,000
No. 4 – Twice – Ready to Be – 286,000
No. 5 – Morgan Wallen – One Thing at a Time – 242,000
No. 6 – Seventeen – FML – 236,000
No. 7 – Metallica – 72 Seasons – 215,000
No. 8 – Agust D – D-Day – 200,000
No. 9 – Jimin – Face – 196,000
No. 10 – Melanie Martinez – Portals – 194,000
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/07/12/btss-jimin-and-suga-and-taylor-swift-the-10-bestselling-albums-at-2023s-midway-point/