2023 was indeed a huge year for K-pop and groups SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids were among those that dominated it.
On Thursday, February 22, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) released its annual rankings for the best-selling artists worldwide and several K-pop acts made it to the 2023 list!
According to Soompi, IFPI’s Global Recording Artist Chart “ranks aritsts based on physical sales, downloads, and streaming over the course of the past year.”
Leading the K-pop acts is the “God of Music” hitmakers SEVENTEEN. Notably, the 13-member boy group ranked second overall in the worldwide rankings, just right after award-winning singer songwriter Taylor Swift. Moreover, this served group’s the third consecutive year in the top 10 of the chart.
#2 – SEVENTEEN@pledis_17 return to the Global Artist Chart Top 10 for their third consecutive year and highest entry to date at No.2, following the release of the South Korean group’s multiple record-breaking 10th EP “FML”, a global success.#GlobalArtistChart pic.twitter.com/rztqB7f2yd
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 21, 2024
In 2023, SEVENTEEN bagged numerous awards for their recent albums FML and Seventeenth Heaven. Aside from that, the “Super” hitmakers made an unprecedented record of more than 10 million physical album sales, from January to September of 2023 alone.
Following SEVENTEEN is the 4th generation group Stray Kids, who achieved a number of milestones in 2023. To specify, the “LALALALA” singers scored a back-to-back No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Album Sales Chart for their full-length album 5-Star and their mini-album Rock Star.
#3 – Stray Kids
Following their debut Global Artist Chart entry last year K-Pop sensations @Stray_Kids return this year at No. 3 after enjoying global success with their 3rd chart-topping studio album “5-Star” & high-profile performances from the US to Japan.#GlobalArtistChart pic.twitter.com/fud69OJNZw
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 21, 2024
Moreover, the five-member boy group TOMORROW X TOGETHER also made it to the list. Placing seventh in the overall list, TOMORROW X TOGETHER managed to be one of IFPI’s best-selling artists with the release of their album The Name Chapter: FREEFALL.
#7 – TOMORROW X TOGETHER
In a year that saw the release of their fifth EP, second Japanese, and third Korean studio album, @TXT_bighit enjoyed their biggest global recognition to date with a world tour, major global artist collabs, TV & festival appearances.#GlobalArtistChart pic.twitter.com/LSRMopWYUT
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 21, 2024
After the three boy groups, rookie monsters NewJeans made history as they became the first and only K-op girl group to make it to the Top 10 list. The quintet, who are best known for hits “Hype Boy”, “Attention”, “Super Shy”, ranked eight overall.
#8 – NewJeans
K-Pop breakthrough group @NewJeans_ADOR enjoyed their most successful year to date, with a series of EP releases, global brand collaborations & high-profile festival performances cementing their place at No.8 in this year’s Global Artist Chart.#GlobalArtistChart pic.twitter.com/x0hrA51QPB
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 21, 2024
Fans rejoice as K-pop continues to dominate
With the K-pop acts securing their respective spots in the IFPI best-selling artists list for 2023, they now join international stars Drake, The Weeknd, Lana del Rey, and others in the Top 10.
After seeing the inclusion of the K-Pop names among the list of Western artists, the fans of SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, TOMORROW X TOGETHER and NewJeans expressed their happiness over their idols’ achievements.
On social media, CARATs, STAYs, MOAs, and Bunnies (the groups’ fan bases, respectively), showed how proud they are of the artists.
One Carat referred to SEVENTEEN as “global superstars who are insanely famous. Meanwhile, a STAY congratulated Stray Kids and said that their music is so loved.
2ND BEST SELLING ARTIST WORLDWIDE. WORLDWIDE. my global superstars ur so insanely famous https://t.co/bwC0tlesl6
— ina ༯ (@vernonical_) February 21, 2024
TOP 3!!!! congrats stray kids your music is so loved 🫂
— Syery (@skzminchann) February 21, 2024
MOAs also applauded TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s jump to the seventeen spot after not being on the list for the 2022 Top 20 chart. Having high hopes that the “Chasing That Feeling” singers continue to soar, a fan stated that 2024 will even be better for the group.
https://twitter.com/meemznn/status/1760667732633100331
Lastly, Bunnies also shared their congratulatory messages for NewJeans and called them “queens” and “smash hitmakers.”
Newjeans queens, truly smash hit makers
— trix (@trixtid) February 21, 2024
In addition to these Top 10 placers, K-pop groups IVE and NCT Dream also secured the No. 12 and No. 15 spots, respectively. Congratulations!
Featured image: SEVENTEEN releases special video for ‘April Shower.’ Credit: Twitter/SEVENTEEN