Photo Credit: 10/TV
The new BTS single, “Dynamite,” sales have outsold the top 50 best-selling songs in the US, combined this week.
Thanks to obsessed BTS stans, the song arrives in the US as a best-selling single by an enormous margin. “Dynamite” is the first song the septet has performed entirely in English, and it shows – 265,000 copies were sold in the first week.
Data provided by Nielsen Music reveals that “Dynamite” outsold the rest of the top 50 best-selling songs in the US this week. Nielsen says combining all 49 other track’s sales comes to just under 250,000 units. That’s a relatively low sum for new music, but it highlights just how far physical and singles sales have fallen – except for K-pop fans.
Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” is the second-most popular single this week. It sold about 25,000 copies in the same period, meaning “Dynamite” easily finished ahead.
“WAP” held the record for the largest one-week sales in 2020. It launched with 125,000 copies sold in the first week – a figure BTS just doubled.
The K-pop phenomenon is much more fan-driven than most musicians in America. BTS was the first K-pop group to crack the Top 40 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Many analysts believe fandom is the key to K-pop’s success.
“When a group holds a meet-and-greet or a concert, a large number of fans can actually attend in person on a regular basis,” Jenna Gibson of the Korean Economic Institute recently noted. “Compare that to the United States, where fans of major stars who don’t live in New York or LA may have to wait years for their favorite singer to stop by on a concert tour.”
There’s also the difference of accessibility for K-pop fans to meet their idols. “Almost all K-pop events are open to the public,” Gibson continued. “If you want to see your favorite group tape any of those weekly music shows, you can try to get in line early enough in the morning to do so.”
Meeting other fans is key to keeping the K-pop fandom alive. K-pop fans are some of the most loyal and devoted fans in the music industry, as BTS “Dynamite” sales numbers prove.
Outsell? You mean those fake streaming numbers? Sure.
When you say “sales” are you referring to iTunes downloads, CD Singles or is it a formula that combines streams/downloads/CD Single?
Are CD singles still produced?
This shows two things, the popularity of BTS and K Pop, and the total failure of the Big 3 Labels , Warner, Universal, Sony, that control the music industry and music media, have ruined it, and block out any new music. The fact that it took music from outside the industry, K Pop, to even dent their monopoly of bad business and bad music, is notable. Time for the music revolution to make the second dent.
Back to my question … what are sales?
Are they purchase and download tracks from iTunes ?
Are they CD Singles sold in store and online?
Are they vinyl records…
Is it sad one magical formula on streaming numbers?
Tom, re your post.. music got ruined when songwriters / artists started writing pop by numbers trying to game playlists .. music made by committee..
Everything sounds the same and melody has been left behind ..
At least Stock Aitken Waterman songs you could sing along to.