INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 06: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY. NO COMMERCIAL USE.) Jimin of BTS performs … [+]
In an era dominated by digital streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, physical album purchases once seemed like they had lost their appeal. Interestingly, a resurgence in album sales is underway, and K-pop stars and bands are leading the charge, particularly when it comes to CDs.
Despite the decline in CD sales in America over the years, the K-pop phenomenon has brought the format back to life, and Luminate’s mid-year list of the top 10 bestselling CDs in America showcases the genre’s immense popularity.
Leading the pack at the midway point of 2023 is Tomorrow X Together’s (TXT) The Name Chapter: Temptation, which has proven to be a massive hit among CD buyers. Selling an impressive 395,000 copies on the format alone, the title is inching closer to the 400,000 mark, which it may have already reached after the report’s release.
Following closely behind is Stray Kids with their Billboard 200-topping album, 5-Star. The record’s impressive sales of 322,000 copies on CD have solidified the group’s standing as a formidable sellers. The same group appears in last place with Maxident, and they’re the only ones to take up more than one spot.
Twice’s Ready to Be takes the third spot with 258,000 copies sold on CD, while Seventeen’s FML secures the fourth position with 233,000 CD purchases. Agust D, also known as Suga from BTS, claims the fifth slot on the list. His solo album, D-Day, boasts an impressive 186,000 copies sold on CD.
Notably, two members of BTS, one of the world’s most popular K-pop groups, make their mark on the top 10 list. Jimin appears at No. 7 with his debut EP, Face, which has impressively sold 168,000 CDs since its release earlier in the year. He sits just two rungs below his bandmate Suga.
The dominance of K-pop acts in the U.S. market is undeniable, with nine out of the top 10 spaces on the list being occupied by Korean music artists. The only Western act to make the cut is none other than Taylor Swift, who has also demonstrated her impressive ability to sell music. Her album Midnights, released in 2022, continues to perform well, selling 176,000 copies on CD in 2023.
These are the 10 bestselling CDs in America in the first half of 2023.
No. 1 – Tomorrow X Together – The Name Chapter: Temptation – 395,000 copies
No. 2 – Stray Kids – 5-Star – 322,000 copies
No. 3 – Twice – Ready to Be – 258,000 copies
No. 4 – Seventeen – FML – 233,000 copies
No. 5 – Agust D – D-Day – 186,000 copies
No. 6 – Taylor Swift – Midnights – 176,000 copies
No. 7 – Jimin – Face – 168,000 copies
No. 8 – Ateez – The World EP.2: Outlaw – 129,000 copies
No. 9 – Enhypen – Dark Blood – 127,000 copies
No. 10 – Stray Kids – Maxident – 114,000 copies
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/07/18/btss-jimin-and-suga-twice-seventeen-and-txt-the-10-bestselling-cds-at-2023s-midway-point/