
BTS' live album hits Billboard 200 at No. 10
'Permission to Dance on Stage — Live' is the group's eighth album to make the top ten on the main albums chart. Of the seven previous top ten entries, six were chart-toppers.
The new album features 22 tracks from performances in Seoul, Los Angeles and Las Vegas during the 2021-2022 tour.
It will be a recap ahead of the band's full-group activities, which will resume next year with an album and a tour.
On Wednesday, BTS' documentary film 'Army: Forever We Are Young' will open in cinemas, offering insight into the band's official fandom community, 'Army.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Seventeen to tour US in October
Pledis Entertainment announced on Tuesday plans for Seventeen's US tour. Nine of the group's 13 members will travel to five cities in the country — Tacoma, Los Angeles, Austin, Sunrise and Washington D.C. — for 10 live shows from Oct. 11 to 30. The five-city trip will be part of its 'New_' international tour that will kick off in Incheon on Sept. 13. Following the American stages, the group will begin the Japan leg of the tour, with 10 performances across 4 major domes. In May, Seventeen celebrated its decade-long career with its fifth full album 'Happy Burstday,' which entered Billboard 200 at No. 2, its seventh back-to-back entry among the top ten on the main albums chart. The LP sold over 2.5 million copies and swept all major music charts at home as well as Oricon's Daily, Weekly and Weekly Combined Album Rankings.


Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
BTS' live album hits Billboard 200 at No. 10
BTS' first-ever live album entered the Billboard 200 at No. 10, according to the chart preview published on Sunday in the US. 'Permission to Dance on Stage — Live' is the group's eighth album to make the top ten on the main albums chart. Of the seven previous top ten entries, six were chart-toppers. The new album features 22 tracks from performances in Seoul, Los Angeles and Las Vegas during the 2021-2022 tour. It will be a recap ahead of the band's full-group activities, which will resume next year with an album and a tour. On Wednesday, BTS' documentary film 'Army: Forever We Are Young' will open in cinemas, offering insight into the band's official fandom community, 'Army.'


Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Korea Herald
When K-pop stays abroad: The rise of export-oriented idol groups
Idol groups turn to overseas markets as saturation in Korea makes domestic success harder to achieve, say critics In the age of global K-pop, not all idol groups shine equally at home and abroad. Fans and insiders are describing a growing number of acts as 'export-oriented idols' — groups who debut in Korea but quickly shift focus to international activities due to lackluster local reception. While some idols still enjoy popularity across the board — such as BTS and Blackpink, who command massive fan bases both in Korea and worldwide — others are far more prominent overseas than they are domestically. Groups like Dreamcatcher, ARTMS, Kep1er and Enhypen have built their careers largely through global tours and overseas fandoms, with limited exposure or fanfare within Korea. Even Stray Kids and Ateez — among the most visible K-pop groups in the US and Europe — perform primarily in overseas stadiums while maintaining a relatively smaller presence locally. The disconnect has sparked questions about why some idol groups appear to "skip" Korea entirely, despite being products of its music system. According to music critic Lim Hee-yun, the divide is rooted in how the industry has evolved. 'The overseas K-pop market has grown dramatically, while the domestic one is shrinking,' Lim said, Friday. 'In Korea, competition is too fierce. New idol groups debut constantly and general interest in idols has declined.' Lim points to shifts in listening habits as part of the problem. 'Unless you're in the top five, it's hard to chart or create buzz. Fans are more likely to stick with artists they already follow or stream songs recommended by algorithms. The days when a new idol group could instantly become a public sensation are gone.' This saturation has made the Korean market harder to penetrate, particularly for mid-tier or rookie groups. 'Some major agencies have idols whose overseas revenue accounts for 70 percent of their total,' Lim said. 'Naturally, those groups prioritize international tours and promotions.' An executive at an indie K-pop agency who spoke on condition of anonymity echoed this view, adding that the marketing strategy varies by company size. 'For major K-pop agencies (like SM, JYP and YG Entertainment), the model is to build a strong local fan base, then expand to Asia and beyond,' he said. 'But for smaller agencies, it's often more effective to aim directly at overseas audiences.' The executive cited Ateez of KQ Entertainment as a clear example. 'They're not from a major company, but by targeting global fans from the start, they built a sustainable fandom abroad. Now they're doing world tours with far more impact than their domestic engagements.' Girl group Fifty Fifty's breakout hit 'Cupid' wasn't initially designed for the Korean market, the insider said. 'We saw that overseas fans responded well to a track from its first EP ... So we used that as a reference and deliberately created a song targeting American teens. That's how 'Cupid' came about — with support from Warner Music to push it globally.' Still, the divide between domestic and overseas success raises questions about the long-term sustainability of this model. 'The K-pop industry is in an oversupply crisis,' Lim said. 'Too many acts, too few consumers. If the bubble bursts, and it might, only groups with solid backing or loyal fan bases will endure.'