[K-enter] K-pop Groups Dominate U.S. CD Sales in 2024

Time for some K-entertainment news with Bella Kim.

Today, we start off with a big milestone by K-pop artists in the U.S.

K-pop groups, including Stray Kids, Enhypen and Ateez, dominated CD sales in the United States last year. According to the Year-End Music Report released by music data tracking company Luminate, seven K-pop albums ranked in the top 10 CD sales in the U.S for the year of 2024.

Stray Kids led the K-pop charge, securing the second-highest spot on the ranking, with their album “Ate” selling 442,000 copies. The group’s latest release, “Hop,” also performed well, ranking fifth. Another group who made the ranking is Enhypen with their album “Romance: Untold” making third, selling about 360,000 copies. In addition, Ateez made a strong showing with two entries in the top 10. The group’s “Golden Hour: Part. 1” and “Golden Hour: Part. 2” placed fourth and seventh, respectively. Tomorrow by Together’s “minisode 3: Tomorrow” ranked sixth and TWICE’s “With YOU-th” secured ninth place. Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s “Tortured Poets Department” claimed the top spot with over 1.5 million copies sold. In the “overall sales” category, which combines physical CD album and digital album sales, Stray Kids and Enhypen made it into the top 10.

Next, we will continue with another K-pop story. Which group are we talking about next Bella?

The Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation, or Komsco, has minted medals themed on the group Seventeen to celebrate the group’s 10th year anniversary. The medals have been created in collaboration with Seventeen’s agency Pledis Entertainment and its parent company HYBE. Komsco announced that the medals "encapsulate Seventeen’s identity and achievements." The design of the Seventeen 10th Anniversary Commemorative Medal features Seventeen’s official logo with a vinyl record pattern.

A total of 1,000 one-ounce gold medals, 3,000 half-ounce gold medals and 13,000 silver medals will be available to buy.

Lastly, you have an update on "Dark Nuns" which is a movie coming out soon.

Prior to its release, “Dark Nuns” has been distributed to movie theaters in 160 countries. Its distributor, NEW, confirmed that the film will be screened to audiences from all over the world, starting with Indonesia, Taiwan, and Mongolia on January 24th. It will then open in the Philippines on January 29th, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand on February 6, and Vietnam on February 21st. The sequel, “Dark Nuns,” which comes 10 years after “The Priests,” tells the story of Sister Yunia and Sister Michaela, who go to a forbidden ceremony to save a boy possessed by a powerful evil spirit. The film will star Song Hye-kyo and Jeon Yeo-bin and it will be released in Korea on January 24th.

Thank you Bella for today’s stories.