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Big Hit Entertainment has announced that the upcoming album by K-Pop sensations BTS has sold more than 3.4 million copies in just seven days, based on data from the album’s distributor, Dreamus Company.
Map of the Soul: 7, which will not be released until February 21, has been available for pre-order since January 9. The 3.4 million total includes sales through January 15.
These numbers indicate that the album may do even better than the group’s wildly successful predecessor,Map of the Soul: Persona. That album, which was released last year, was the best-selling Korean album in history, according to Billboard. But the new BTS album has dwarfed Persona in terms of pre-orders.
Making the numbers even more impressive is the fact that digital download and physical music sales have slumped considerably in recent years, in correspondence with the rise of streaming. Last year in the United States, download and physical sales together accounted for only 9% of recorded music sales, with streaming accounting for a whopping 80% of sales.
For those who cannot wait until February 21, the group will release the first single off Map of the Soul: 7 on January 17.
The yet-unnamed track will be accompanied by an art film performed by the Slovenian dance troupe MN Dance Company.
Also, BTS member Suga last week released a solo effort entitled “Interlude: Shadow.”
BTS made news last month when it was announced that Jin may face severe travel restrictions this year because of his looming military service.
The group was formed in 2013. Its name is an acronym for the Korean expression “Bangtan Sonyeondan,” which means “Bulletproof Boy Scouts.” They are reportedly worth over $4.65 billion to the South Korean economy yearly, which represents 0.3% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). They have also already received ten Guinness World Records, including for most Twitter engagements.