Boy band ATEEZ attend a red carpet event at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Seoul on December … [+]
The bestselling album in South Korea in December didn’t just outperform all other titles, it blew them away. It was far and away the most popular effort of the month, and the band behind the project proved once again that there are very few acts in the nation that can sell CDs like they can.
The Gaon Albums chart ranks the bestselling full-lengths, EPs and single albums in South Korea every week, looking at how many copies were shipped to stores. There is also a monthly component that lists the titles that sold the most copies in the previous months.
In December, NCT’s Universe dominated in South Korea, selling a whopping 1,630,715 copies, according to the Gaon Albums chart’s monthly ranking. The third full-length from the sizable boy band was not just the only title to sell at least one million units in the Asian country last month, but the only one to make it to half a million sales.
Coming in a distant second place is Ateez’s Zero: Fever Epilogue, which sold a very respectable 407,165 copies. Sure, that’s far behind the No. 1 title, but the boy band is still one of the most successful names in the industry at the moment, and their latest release, a short EP, was hugely popular.
Brand new girl group IVE lands in third with their debut release Eleven, which was picked up by 268,396 fans in South Korea alone. It’s very impressive that the collection sold more than a quarter of a million copies, as the act is just getting started, and it only features two tunes.
The highest-ranking non-debut on the Gaon Albums monthly chart comes from superstar Kai, whose Peaches EP sold another 135,282 copies throughout December. The title sold almost as many units in November, which is a surprising showing for any release.
ONF’s Goosebumps opens in fifth place with 109,805 copies sold, and the boy band’s latest is the last effort on the Gaon Albums monthly chart to hit 100,000 sales in December alone.
Next up is Twice, who actually command a pair of spaces inside the top 10 on the ranking of the bestselling albums in South Korea in December. The girl group appears at No. 6 with what’s called the Result File Version of their recent blockbuster title Formula of Love_ O+T=<3. That project sold 93,911 copies, while the original edition sits at No. 10 with 82,449 copies sold. Last month, that set stood out as the second-bestselling title of November, moving an incredible 632,506 copies. Combining both versions, Twice’s latest has now sold more than 800,000 copies.
Right behind Twice’s first placement is rapper Mino, whose To Infinity album was able to sell 90,585 copies since its release on December 7. Stray Kids’ holiday collection Christmas EveL slips from No. 1, where it ended November, to No. 8, selling another 88,389 copies in its second month of availability. The title sold an astounding 654,658 copies when it first arrived.
The only other project that sold well enough to break into the top 10 on the Gaon Albums monthly chart is SM Town’s 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express, a compilation album from all the musicians signed to SM Entertainment
These were the 10 bestselling albums in South Korea last month.
No. 1 – NCT – Universe – 1,630,715
No. 2 – Ateez – Zero: Fever Epilogue – 407,165
No. 3 – IVE – Eleven – 268,396
No. 4 – Kai – Peaches – 135,282
No. 5 – ONF – Goosebumps – 109,805
No. 6 – Twice – Formula of Love_ O+T=<3 (Result File Version) – 93,911
No. 7 – Mino – To Infinity – 90,585
No. 8 – Stray Kids – Christmas EveL – 88,389
No. 9 – SM Town – 2021 Winter SM Town: SMCU Express – 85,674
No. 10 – Twice – Formula of Love_ O+T=<3 – 82,449
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/01/09/nct-ateez-ive-kai-twice-and-stray-kids-the-bestselling-albums-in-korea-in-december/