LOS ANGELES: K-pop, the fizzy Korean youth-culture genre that has become an irrepressible international export, is at the top of the charts once again thanks to the group BTS.
For the second time in six months, the seven-member boy band has the No. 1 album in the US, having followed up Love Yourself: Tear from May, the first K-pop album to ever lead the Billboard 200, with Love Yourself: Answer, another chart-topper.
Answer, the third part of a trilogy, is a compilation of sorts, featuring more than a dozen songs culled from the previous two chapters but adding on 10 additional tracks exclusive to this release, including Idol, a crossover collaboration with Nicki Minaj. Answer sold a total of 185,000 units in its first week, according to Nielsen, including 39 million digital streams and 141,000 in traditional sales. Overall, those numbers bested Love Yourself: Tear, which tallied 135,000 units in its debut week.
Billboard reported that among albums this year that are classified as pop, only Justin Timberlake and Ariana Grande had bigger opening weeks than BTS’ Love Yourself: Answer.
Grande’s Sweetener, which topped the Billboard album chart last week, fell to No. 4 in its second week out, with sales declining 67 per cent. Travis Scott’s Astroworld, a repeat No. 1 last month, holds steady at No. 2, while Drake’s Scorpion is No. 3 after nine weeks out. Queen by Nicki Minaj is No. 5 in its third week, adding another 69 million streams and 11,000 in sales.--NYT