SEOUL – K-pop boy group Seventeen continue to set records with their new release, Seventeenth Heaven.
Their 11th EP is now the most pre-ordered mini album in K-pop history, with sales of 5.2 million units, dethroning fellow K-pop boy band Stray Kids’ record of 5.13 million for their offering 5-Star.
Seventeen’s label Pledis Entertainment said on Tuesday that Seventeen have been dominating global music charts following Seventeenth Heaven’s drop on Monday, including a No. 1 spot on South Korea’s Melon Top 100 chart for the track God Of Music. They are the first boy band in 2023 to do so on this chart, which is usually ruled by girl groups.
God Of Music debuted atop the iTunes top songs chart in 29 countries on its first day. In Japan, Seventeenth Heaven quickly soared to the top of the iTunes top albums chart and K-pop albums chart, and topped the nation’s biggest music platform Line Music’s albums chart.
The 13-member group debuted in 2015 with the EP 17 Carat.
Meanwhile, Stray Kids received the Prime Minister’s commendation at the 2023 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Awards.
The awards honour figures in various fields – singers, actors, comedians, directors and more – who have contributed to the development of the local pop culture and arts scene.
Stray Kids were unable to attend the ceremony last Saturday as they were holding a concert in Seoul.
“We are really grateful for having been honoured with the Prime Minister’s commendation. We would also like to thank our local and foreign fans who cherish our music. We want people to enjoy our music and performance, and get energy from it,” the band said in a press statement on Tuesday.
It has been a good year for Stray Kids. They sold out their world tour Maniac show at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. And in July, they became the first K-pop act to headline Lollapalooza Paris.
The group’s third LP, 5-Star, which was released in June, made K-pop history by selling more than 4.6 million copies within a week of its release. They also topped the Billboard 200 chart for the third time with this album. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
