BTS, EXO’s Baekhyun named top-selling K-pop artists in 1st half of 2020
South Korea’s Hanteo Chart, “the world’s one-and-only real-time music chart,” has revealed the list of the topselling K-pop artists for the first half of 2020.
Based on album sales from Jan. 1 to June 30 this year, the chart said the best-selling singers in the first half of the year are BTS in the male group category, IZ*ONE in the female group, EXO’s Baekhyun in male solo artist, Mamamoo’s Solar in female solo artist and Cravity in the rookie category.
In male group category, BTS topped the list with their fourth studio album “Map of the Soul: 7.” Hanteo Chart revealed that the album sold 3.79 million copies from its release on Feb. 21 to June 30.
Its first-week sales from Feb. 21 to 29 totaled 3.37 million, earning BTS the distinction of being the only artist in Kpop history to have more than 3 million copies sold in the period, Hanteo said. In comparison, BTS’ “Map of the Soul: Persona” album, released in April 2019, recorded sales of 2.13 million in the first week.
Other K-pop idols in the top-selling artists in the male group category are Seventeen, NCT Dream, NCT 127, GOT7, TXT and NU’EST.
IZ*ONE grabbed in the top spot in the female group category with their third mini-album “Oneiric Diary” selling 418,701 copies from June 15 to 30. The album’s first-week sales from June 15 to 21 totaled 389,334 copies.
IZ*ONE’s first studio album “BLOOM*IZ,” released last February, sold 356,313 copies in the first week to bring the total to 411,352 copies sold in the first half of the year. Combining the two albums, the girl group sold 830,053 copies of their albums from January to June.
Hanteo Chart said other top-selling female groups in the first half of 2020 are TWICE, (G)I-DLE, ITZY, WJSN, GFRIEND, DREAMCATCHER and Apink.
On the other hand, EXO’s Baekhyun emerged as the male solo artist with the highest album sales in the first half of the year.
Baekhyun released his second mini-album “Delight” on May 25 and according to Hanteo Chart, it sold 897,871 copies up until June 30, or in 37 days. The album’s first-week sales from May 25 to 31 tallied 704,527 copies, surpassing his previous album “City Light,” which garnered 380,769 copies in sales in the first week. Hanteo noted that “Delight” sold more than half a million copies on the first day of release alone, tallying 626,776.
The other top-selling male solo artists in the first half of 2020 are Kang Daniel, EXO’s Suho, Kim Woo Seok, Kim Jae Joong, TVXQ’s Changmin, Park Jihoon, and WOODZ.
Mamamoo’s Solar garnered the highest album sales among female solo artists in the first half of the year. Her album “Spit It Out” sold 78,795 copies from April 23 to June 30 to top the list. Hanteo said Solar is the only female solo artist who surpassed 70,000 copies in sales in the first week.
Also in the top-selling female solo artists list are Moonbyul, Girls’ Generation’s Taeyeon and Lovelyz’s Ryu Sujeong.
Among rookie groups which debuted this year, Cravity ranked first in terms of album sales in the first half of the year.
Hanteo Chart said Cravity’s debut album “Season 1: Hideout: Remember Who We Are” sold 101,779 copies from April 14 to June 30 including first-week sales of 53,160 copies from April 14 to 20.