8 K-Pop Artists That Broke Their First Week Sales Records In 2021 (With Over 500,000 Album Sales)

Here is a list of the artists who broke their first-week album sales records and entered the top 40 ranking for the highest album sales ever.

Kay Sesoko, Kpopmap Editor
3 min to read · Published : Dec 8, 2021

8 K-Pop Artists That Broke Their First Week Sales Records In 2021 (With Over 500,000 Album Sales)

SM Entertainment

K-Pop artists strive to outdo themselves with each comeback. Some artists even end up beating their own records.

Today, Kpopmap will be sharing with you the 8 K-Pop artists who had impressed many by beating their own 1st-week album record sales and managed to enter the top 40 highest sales ever for the first time in 2021.

Note: This data was retrieved on Dec. 7, 2021. If another artist breaks a record throughout the remainder of the year, this article will be updated.

1. NCT DREAM - "Hot Sauce" 1,010,7** albums

SM Entertainment

NCT DREAM's previous album with the most first-week sales (before "Hot Sauce" was released) was "Reload" with 412,4** albums sold. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 598,300+ albums more!

2. NCT 127 - "Sticker" 929,5** albums

SM Entertainment

Their highest first-week album sales (before "Sticker" was released) was with "NCT #127 Neo Zone" selling 276,6** albums. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 652,900+ albums more!

3. ENHYPEN - "DIMENSION : DILEMMA" 818,7** albums

BE:LIFT LAB

Their previous album with the most first-week sales was "BORDER : CARNIVAL" with 384,6** albums sold. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 434,100+ albums more!

4. ATEEZ - "ZERO: FEVER Part. 3" 665,3** albums

KQ Entertainment

ATEEZ's previous album with the most first-week sales was "ZERO: FEVER Part. 2" with 304,5** albums sold. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 360,800+ albums more!

5. Stray Kids - "NOEASY" 641,5** albums

JYP Entertainment

Stray Kids' previous album with the most first-week sales (before "NOEASY" was released) was with "IN生" 233,38* albums sold. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 408,120+ albums more!

6. TXT - "THE CHAOS CHAPTER: FREEZE" 630,5** albums

BIGHIT

TXT's previous album with the most first-week sales (before "THE CHAOS CHAPTER: FREEZE" was released) was "Minisode1 : Blue Hour" with 303,1** albums sold. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 327,400+ albums more!

7. THE BOYZ - "THRILL-ING" 523,6** albums

IST Entertainment

THE BOYZ's previous album with the most first-week sales (before "THRILL-ING" was released) was with "CHASE" which sold 212,6** albums. They beat their first-week album sales by selling about 311,000+ albums more!

Bonus

8. BLACKPINK's Lisa - "LALISA" 736,2** albums

BLACKPINK Lisa's Instagram

Although she made her solo debut and it wasn't necessarily a comeback, she managed to beat BLACKPINK's first-week record sales. BLACKPINK's record is at 689,0** albums but Lisa managed to sell 736,2** albums.

Did you enjoy these artists' music this year? Which album was your favorite?

Fans React To NCT 127's Record-breaking "Sticker" Pre-Order SalesKPOP STORIES Aug 25, 2021

Why Is ENHYPEN Popular? 5 Things To Know If You Are New To ENHYPENKPOP STORIES May 17, 2021

ATEEZ

HEART TOP 100

1M+

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BLACKPINK

HEART TOP 100

72K+

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Lisa

HEART TOP 100

594.4K+

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ENHYPEN

HEART TOP 100

854.6K+

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NCT 127

HEART TOP 100

27.4K+

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NCT DREAM

HEART TOP 100

14.6K+

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Stray Kids

HEART TOP 100

1.3M+

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THE BOYZ

HEART TOP 100

22.3K+

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TXT

HEART TOP 100

417.5K+

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ATEEZ At Coachella Week 2 Was A Ritual Of Love & A Warcry At The Same Time

ATEEZ gave us one of the most unforgettable performances for week 2 of Coachella 2024 and I have some thoughts about it.

Ishani Sarkar, Kpopmap Editor
3 min to read · Published : Apr 22, 2024

ATEEZ At Coachella Week 2 Was A Ritual Of Love & A Warcry At The Same Time

Coachella on X

The cozy comfort of a much-awaited Saturday morning was settling in when I tuned in to the Coachella Week 2 "Sahara" stage live broadcast. Having witnessed the absolute grandeur of ATEEZ's Week 1 performance at Coachella, I was mostly expecting a reiteration of the same iconic level for Week 2. However, what we got was something out of this world.

One phrase kept going round and round in my mind as I watched this ATEEZ set at Coachella week 2. This is a ritual of love. Love for music, love for performance, and very distinctly, love for each other. ATEEZ's Coachella week 2 performance was not just one of the best performances at Coachella this year, but it was a glorious invocation of the muses. Having studied literature and art for all my life, I cannot possibly think of a better way to describe the breathless brilliance of this performance.

Coachella on X

Getting the obvious out of the way, of course, ATEEZ's confidence, panache, showmanship, vocals, rap, dance, and all other technicalities were much more polished than in week 1. The boys were now more aware of the stage, and having had one go at it, they were definitely more relaxed. In Korean, this state of mind where one recognizes scope or room to expand is called "yeoyu" (여유).

Yeoyu is something you see in a seasoned warrior, and when our Captain walked onto the stage that night with his members, ATEEZ looked nothing short of warrior princes coming for the throne. Every single member stood out in their own unique way, with their versatile talents on full display. The visuals were top-tier, as always, the styling - en pointe, and the vibes - immaculate. The rap came across power-packed and smooth, the vocals were resounding yet delicate when need be, and energy was at an all-time high. These men knew what they were doing, even with the slightest gaze they held out to the audience, and the effortlessness of it all elevated the performance to a whole new level.

Coachella on X

This time, it was as if ATEEZ was putting their lives on the line and thankfully, the camera work delivered in picking up the detailed nuances of this performance. Even as I write this, I'm taken back to SeongHwa, sword in hand, screaming into the sky to call forth the last ounce of strength he needed to pour his all into his art. When SeongHwa roared, like lightning sent back to the heavens, the lump in my throat threatened to escape, only to be held back by the realization that I was looking at a spitting image of Sung JinWoo from "Solo Leveling". Now, I need that live-action to happen, and I need SeongHwa to play humanity's greatest hunter.

Embed from Getty Images

The very next thing I remember is a singular black tear running down his cheek as he stared right down at the camera. This moment has gone viral and for good reason, too, as artists flock to SeongHwa, having found their new muse.

However, it wasn't just the aesthetics of it all that left an impression. To me, as an ATINY and a Hallyu Journalist, this tear represented how far ATEEZ had come. The unstilted passion, diligence, hard work, and endless struggle they endured culminated in this one defining moment when they were on top of the world. ATEEZ, who started from nothing, created something, and won everything, were declaring to the world that they were just getting started.

The respect ATEEZ had for the Coachella stage, for the audience, and for everyone who supported them, especially ATINY, is what that tear symbolized to my eye, but like all art, this, too, is up to your interpretation.

ATEEZ

HEART TOP 100

1M+

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