K-Pop, SEVENTEEN Dominate IFPI Global Album Award 2023

K-pop reigns over the IFPI’s year-end albums chart, as the genre scoops five of the top 10 spots, led by SEVENTEEN with FML.

Announced today (Feb. 27), FML is the boy band’s first IFPI Global Album Award, tallied by the trade association using worldwide sales across streaming, download and physical music formats during the calendar year 2023.

Released in April 2023, FML was the most pre-ordered LP in K-pop history, landing at No. 1 in South Korea and Japan, and debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Following its hot start in the U.S. (the album also led the World Albums list), SEVENTEEN reentered the Billboard Artist 100 chart (dated May 13, 2023) at No. 1 – becoming the seventh K-pop group to rule the ranking.

SEVENTEEN’s followup, the October release SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN, finishes at No. 8 on the IFPI Global Album Chart 2023.

Meanwhile, Stray Kids make it a K-pop one-two as 5-STAR appears at No. 2 on the IFPI list, and ROCK–STAR rocks in at No. 9. NCT DREAM land their first appearance in an IFPI Global Charts with ISTJ at No. 6, while, further down the chart, K-pop acts ZEROBASEONE (YOUTH IN THE SHADE at No. 18) and IVE (I’ve IVE at No. 20) make their presences felt.

Also, BTS star Jung Kook earns his first solo appearance on the IFPI Global Album Chart with GOLDEN, appearing at No. 14.

The global appeal of K-pop “continues to extend and S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Migyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino continue to push the boundaries with their concepts, performances and talent,” comments Lewis Morrison, director of global charts & certifications at IFPI. “FML and SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN were both huge hits across continents and our congratulations go to the group, their team and of course CARATs all over the world.”

The rankings provide an insight into the “dynamic nature” of recorded music today, Morrison continues, “with artists – and their record labels – finding success across genres and geographies, and by leveraging both streaming and physical formats to delight their fans.”

Taylor Swift was crowned last week as IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year, scooping the top honor for a record fourth time. Though she doesn’t own the global albums chart, the U.S. pop superstar does score two of the top 10 best-sellers, with Midnights (No. 4) logging a second consecutive year in the top five and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) appearing at No. 5 following its release in October 2023.

Earlier this week, IFPI separately named Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” as the biggest single of 2023.

The IFPI’s charts capture streaming, downloads and physical formats in every country directly from the participating record labels. That data is then converted using the association’s “unique” methodology to a single, global chart figure.

Top 20 IFPI Global Album Chart 2023:

Related Images: