8 ITZY Checkmate

ITZY’s Checkmate marks the seventh

K-pop album to debut in the top 10 on the Billboard 200 this year. At the same point in 2021, just two K-pop titles had accomplished the feat. More K-pop albums have debuted in the top 10 in 2022 than releases in country (six), hard rock (three) and Latin (three).

All seven of the top 10-debuting K-pop albums this year have largely been powered by CD sales. Checkmate, for example, starts with 33,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending July 21, according to Luminate, and 92% of that total is thanks to CD album sales. Like many K-pop releases, the CD version of Checkmate was issued in collectible deluxe packages

(17 total, including exclusive editions for Target and Barnes & Noble), each with a standard set of items and randomized elements, such as photocards and posters.