aespa and NewJeans Top the K-Pop Rankings on Nigerian Album Charts

In 2022, Spotify declared Nigeria the third biggest market for K-Pop in Sub-Saharan Africa and number one in West Africa. The country’s growing interest in K-Pop dates back to 2017 when EXO made history as the first K-Pop group to chart in Nigeria with “Universe – Winter Special Album.” What started with iTunes charts and small group hangouts has since evolved into festivals, Billboard projects, Spotify charts, radio shows, and dance competitions.

K-Pop continued to thrive in Nigeria in 2024, with even more impressive milestones and achievements. Notably, it maintained a strong presence among the top artists on YouTube Nigeria, with acts like Rosé, aespa, and G-dragon consistently holding prominent spots. K-Pop also made its mark on the TurnTable Chart, one of Nigeria’s most prestigious chart systems, occupying positions across various lists, including the Official Top 100 and Official Album Charts. Here are the artists who made it to the Official Album Charts:

 

1. aespa

aespa had two albums on the chart, “Armageddon – The 1st Album” and “Whiplash – The 5th Mini Album.” While the latter spent three weeks on the charts, the former remained for 20 weeks, emerging as the highest-charting K-Pop album in Nigeria. It was also the highest-peaking album after debuting at #34.   “Armageddon – The 1st Album” featured ‘Supernova‘ and the title track of the same name. “Whiplash – The 5th Mini Album,” on the other hand, contained the title track ‘Whiplash.‘

 

2. NewJeans

Like aespa, NewJeans had two projects on the TurnTable Charts. Its 2024 EP, “How Sweet,” was the second highest-charting project on the Nigerian charts after 16 weeks. Beyond their release of the year, Nigerians developed a liking for their debut mini album “NewJeans 1st EP ‘NewJeans,” which also spent three weeks on the chart. The EP is known for hits such as ‘Hype Boy‘ and ‘Attention.’

 

3. ILLIT

ILLIT comes in third place with their debut mini album “SUPER REAL ME,” which features the song ‘Magnetic.‘ It appeared on the charts for 10 weeks and peaked at #63, the fourth highest for K-Pop in 2024.

 

4. LE SSERAFIM

LE SSERAFIM’s “Easy” EP, which included “Easy” and the Afropiano-inspired track “Smart, enjoyed a 10-week run on the chart. It was one of two EPs featuring an African sound-inspired track that charted.

 

5. DAY6

DAY6 achieved significant international success, including in Nigeria, where their album “Fourever” spent seven weeks on the chart. Remarkably, they were the only male act on the Albums Chart and one of just three male acts to secure a spot on the Nigerian charts in 2024.

 

6. IVE

“IVE SWITCH” was the second K-Pop album with an Afro-inspired track, ‘Reset,‘ to chart. IVE‘s six-track EP logged an impressive seven weeks on the chart.

 

7. Lee YoungJi

Lee YoungJi‘s “16 Fantasy” emerged as the highest-charting album by a Korean soloist in Nigeria. The six-track EP features collaborations with Jambino and EXO’s D.O and spent three weeks on the chart.

 

8. BABYMONSTER

BABYMONSTER had a double run on the TurnTable Charts with their albums “BABYMONSTER” and ”DRIP.” The former remained on the chart for three weeks, while the latter stayed for two weeks.

 

9. QWER

Girl band QWER achieved a dual chart appearance with their first and second mini albums, “Algorithm’s Blossom” and “MANITO.” Notably, the music video for ‘My Name is Malguem‘ ranked among the top songs on YouTube Nigeria in September and October.

 

1O. (G)I-DLE

(G)I-DLE‘s second full album, “2“ made a one-week appearance on the chart. The eight-track album included the hit song ‘Wife’ and occupied the 95th spot.

 

11. IU

IU‘s “The Winning,” also spent one week on the chart. The five-track EP featured the song ‘Love Wins All‘ and claimed the 57th spot, the third highest for any K-Pop album in Nigeria.

Which of these artists is your favorite?