The selling power of K-Pop’s physical albums seems to be on a downward trajectory, based on the recent first-week sales records of major artists in the last 3 months.

Many K-netizens believe that a period of “album sales inflation”, which persisted for the past several years in the industry, has finally entered a period of “deflation” in 2024. While some also suggested possible reasons for this recent trend of “deflation”, many ultimately seemed to agree that the decline was “necessary” for various reasons. 

Below, you can compare physical album sales records by major K-Pop artists from the last 3 months.

1. TOMORROW x TOGETHER

First-week album sales for ‘Minisode 3: Tomorrow’ (most recent) : 1,546,4xx.

First-week album sales for ‘The Name Chapter : Freefall’ (previous release) : 2,251,9xx.

2. Seventeen

First-week album sales for ’17 Is Right Here’ (most recent) : 2,967,9xx.

First-week album sales for ‘Seventeenth Heaven’ (previous release) : 5,091,8xx.

3. NewJeans

First-week album sales for ‘How Sweet’ (most recent) : 884,7xx.

First-week album sales for ‘Get Up’ (previous release) : 1,650,1xx.

4. aespa

First-week album sales for ‘Armageddon’ (most recent) : 1,154,7xx.

First-week album sales for ‘My World’ (aespa’s best-selling album in first-week sales) : 1,698,7xx.

5. (G)I-DLE

First-week album sales for ‘I SWAY’ (most recent) : 1,026,9xx.

First-week album sales for ‘2’ (previous release) : 1,537,0xx.

6. NCT 127

First-week album sales for ‘Walk’ (most recent) : 1,095,3xx.

First-week album sales for ‘Fact Check’ (previous release) : 1,647,8xx.

7. Stray Kids

First-week album sales for ‘ATE’ (most recent) : 2,366,4xx.

First-week album sales for ‘5-STAR’ (Stray Kids’s best-selling album in first week sales) : 4,617,4xx.

8. Jimin

First-week album sales for ‘MUSE’ (most recent) : 814,4xx.

First-week album sales for ‘FACE’ (previous release) : 1,454,2xx.

Some netizens commented in response,

“This obsession with albums sales has gotten out of hand… Who even listens to CDs anymore? I know people who have 100 copies of the same album… Isn’t it too much?”

“It’s a waste on so many levels.”

“They need to change the fan sign selection process. This is just too much.”

“It’s really about time the industry stopped obsessing over first-week sales.”

“The bubble finally burst.”

“They need to stop selling so many different versions. It’s such a waste and it’s terrible for the environment.”

“They need to implement some laws about selling merchandise along with CDs.”

“No one even listens to the CDs. They buy hundreds and thousands and then throw them all out.”

“Just because these artists are selling more albums, it doesn’t mean they’re getting more popular kekekeke.”

“The peak started with COVID and ended around last year, now it’s returning to normalcy.”

“Now that people are aware of companies using the advance purchase tactic to inflate their album sales, companies can’t get away with it as easily.”

“They need to figure out some way to sell photocards separately.”