BTS sells most records for male, foreign act in first week of release: Oricon

BTS [BIG HIT ENTERTAINMENT]

Boy band BTS broke the record for the highest number of albums sold within the first week of release for a male foreign act with its fourth and latest full-length album, Japan's biggest music chart Oricon said on Tuesday.

According to Oricon, BTS's album "Map of the Soul: 7 – The Journey" sold 564,000 copies in the week since it was released on July 15, the highest number ever reached by an album dropped by a foreign artist in Japan.

The last record was held by Korea's veteran boy band TVXQ, with its "Best Selection 2010" album released in 2010, which sold 413,000 copies in a week.

BTS's "The Journey" debuted at No. 1 of Oricon's weekly albums chart immediately after its release, and continues its reign for the sixth consecutive day as of Tuesday.

Of the 564,000 copies, BTS sold 450,000 copies on the first day of release — also the highest for a foreign male act.

"The Journey" landed at No. 56 on the British Official Charts, the highest reached by BTS with a Japanese album. The album will also sit at No. 115 of Billboard's 200 albums chart after this week's update, according to the chart.

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]