Last week, South Korean girl group Aespa scored their first placement on the Gaon Albums chart in their home country, and they managed to conquer the list on their first try. Now, one frame later, the band’s debut EP Savage falls all the way from No. 1 to No. 64, but its departure helps make room for a new leader and several debuts inside the top 10.
The Gaon Albums chart ranks the bestselling full-lengths, EPs and single albums in South Korea every week, looking at how many copies were shipped to stores.
New at No. 1 this week is Dimension: Dilemma, the latest release from Enhypen. The South Korean boy band’s debut full-length brings them back to the summit, as they previously ruled with their sophomore EP Border: Carnival earlier this year. They appeared on the Gaon Albums chart for the first time in late 2020 with Border: Day One, which peaked in the runner-up rung. Lead single “Tamed-Dashed” starts off as the third-bestselling tune in the nation this time around.
Chan-won Lee, one of the breakout stars of the TV program Mr. Trot, debuts on this week’s Gaon Albums chart at No. 2 with his EP ..Gift. Interestingly, a group labeled the Mr. Trot Top 6 also launches a compilation album of sorts called Thanks in last place inside the top 10, meaning two of the loftiest spaces on the competitive ranking belong to titles connected to the show.
The next four spaces all contain titles that have already appeared inside the top 10 on the Gaon Albums chart. Stray Kids’s Noeasy bounces 13 spots to return to the highest tier at No. 3 while Itzy’s Crazy In Love falls one rung to No. 4. Former Iz*One member Jo Yu-Ri’s debut solo project Glassy improves two spots from where it opened last frame, landing at No. 5. Got7 vocalist Youngjae’s solo release Colors from Ars is a non-mover at No. 6.
Still-brand-new South Korean girl group Lightsum reaches the top 10 on the Gaon Albums chart for the first time with their second release, an EP titled Light a Wish. The set arrives at No. 7, coming in right ahead of BTS’s Butter single album. The very short effort finds its way back into the highest region, settling at No. 8.
The last new entrant inside the top 10 on the chart this week is a compilation from a number of potential stars, all of whom contributed to an album called Boys Be Loud. The title features songs performed by the contestants of the TV show Loud, which was created by the company JYP and K-pop powerhouse Psy in an effort to form new boy groups.
Here are the 10 bestselling albums in South Korea this week.
No. 1 - Enhypen - Dimension: Dilemma
No. 2 - Chan-won Lee - ..Gift
No. 3 - Stray Kids - Noeasy
No. 4 - Itzy - Crazy In Love
No. 5 - Jo Yu-Ri - Glassy
No. 6 - Youngjae - Colors from Ars
No. 7 - Lightsum - Light a Wish
No. 8 - BTS - Butter
No. 9 - Various Artists - Boys Be Loud
No. 10 - Mr. Trot Top 6 - Thanks
