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With an average of hundred groups debuting each year in South Korea, the top-selling artist of entertainment agencies keeps on changing. This also indicates that the K-pop music industry is immensely competitive. The alarming low success rate further aggravates the situation. Therefore, every group strives to achieve the highest sales through their work and music.
While some artists saved their agencies from going bankrupt, others boosted their overall image of producing world-renowned crooners on various charts. The Circle Chart is one such highly reliable one. Formerly known as Goan Chart, it records the sales of K-pop works and ranks them accordingly.
In light of this, let's look at the five entertainment companies and their top-selling artists in the first half of 2022.
HYBE's BTS, JYP's Stray Kids, and more: Five K-pop agencies and their top-selling artists
1) HYBE - BTS
Unsurprisingly, the globally acclaimed K-pop group BTS took away the tag of the top-selling artist once again. Their album Proof recorded 2,957,410 sales and placed #1 on the Circle charts. The album was released on June 10, 2022, with Yet To Come as the lead single.
Considering BTS is considered the savior and lucky charm for HYBE, nothing has changed in 2022. They continue to reign atop all charts, even after their brief hiatus announcement. Although each member is pursuing their solo projects, the power they hold as a group remains uncontested.
Furthermore, various boy-band albums such as SEVENTEEN's Face the Sun, TXT's minisode 2: Thursday's Child, and ENHYPEN's DIMENSION: ANSWER contributed heavily to the sales of the agency. Girl groups Le Sserafim and formis_9 also showed their potential as stunning K-pop artists through Fearless and Midnight Guest sales, respectively.
2) SM Entertainment - NCT DREAM
NCT DREAM, the third sub-unit of the boy band NCT, was the flag bearer of SM Entertainment by being the top-selling artist in the first half of 2022. Their 2nd album, Glitch Mode, ranked #3 on the Circle Chart and recorded 2,104,123 sales. The album was released on March 28, 2022, with eleven tracks.
The seven-member unit displayed its prowess with the banging album. Not only are the songs groovy, but the lyrics are also sensational. Apart from Glitch Mode, the seven-member unit's 2nd Repackaged album Beatbox also made the headlines and placed #6 on the Circle Chart.
Additionally, SM Entertainment's fierce girl group Red Velvet's album The ReVe Festival 2022 - Feel My Rhythm was also a major hit among fans.
3) JYP Entertainment - Stray Kids
The eight-member boy band Stray Kids became the top-selling artist with their album ODDINARY. Released on March 18, 2022, the album sales went as high as 1,676,172. It also sustained its spot in the Billboard 200 for eleven consecutive weeks.
Stray Kids has undoubtedly emerged as the most prominent fourth-generation group and the top-selling artist. From their phenomenal music video concepts to highly-synchronized choreographies, they have carved a powerful image in the K-pop music industry.
4) YG Entertainment - TREASURE
The South-Korean boy band TREASURE emerged as the top-selling artist for YG Entertainment in the first half of 2022. Considering the group debuted in 2019 and is now reserving spots in the Circle Chart, they have done commendable work.
Their first Extended Play (EP) THE SECOND STEP: CHAPTER ONE, released on February 15, 2022, recorded 789,315 sales in total. Ranked #8 on the Circle Chart, it certainly surprised fans with its position. The tracks are dynamic and energetic, which makes them everyone's go-to playlist.
5) CUBE Entertainment - (G)I-DLE
The five-member girl group (G)I-DLE became the top-selling artist and placed #23 on the Circle Chart in the first half of 2022. Their first full album I NEVER DIE, released on March 18, 2022, swooped 234,048 sales.
With TOMBOY as their lead single, the group offered a spectacular tracklist. The members' fierce persona, unique vocals, powerful lyrics, and remarkable beats, radiated their intention of serving a massive hit. (G)I-DLE proved its stature and gave a fresh start to its career.
Furthermore, BTOB's Be Together and PENTAGON's N:VITE U also contributed to the agency's sales success and showcased their potential for becoming top-selling artists in years to come.
While every K-pop group works dedicatedly to rank atop of charts, only some manage to achieve it because of the competition in the industry. However, this does not account for groups' potential or capabilities as stunning artists.
The sales are just a means of tracking audience reception and shouldn't be perceived as the gospel of truth. Top-selling artists or not, fans have and continue to show support to different K-pop acts.
