K-pop boyband BTS’ album ”Map of the Soul: Persona” has become the bestselling physical album in the U.S. in the first half of this year.
According to Nielsen Music’s mid-year 2019 report, BTS’ “Map of the Soul: Persona” released in April this year was the most sold physical album in the U.S. in the first half of the year. A total of 312,000 copies of it were sold during the period. The Nielsen Music compiled data on album and music sales for the report from January 4 to June 20 of this year.
BTS ranked 3rd on the “Top 5 Genre Artists” chart, which is based on physical album sales, digital downloads, and on-demand audio streams. The Korean boy band also came in fourth on the “Top 10 Albums-Total Sales” chart calculated based on the sales of physical and LP Vinyl album as well as digital downloads. American business magazine Forbes reported that “Map of the Soul: Persona” became the boyband’s third album that topped the Billboard 200 and it is “a true feat, especially considering the fact that it’s a non-English release.”
chan2@donga.com