As SEVENTEEN concludes an eventful 2023, marking their 9th year since debut, they continue to hit career highs. Not only have they broken their own records, but they've also set new ones for K-pop both domestically and internationally.
Record-Breaking Album Sales of 16 Million: The Might of a 'Ten Million Artist'
This year, SEVENTEEN's mini 10th album 'FML' (released April 24) and mini 11th album 'SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN' (released October 23rd) rewrote the history of K-pop.
'FML' sold over 3.99 million copies on its first day and reached a cumulative sales of 6.28 million, making it the best-selling single album in K-pop history. With 'FML,' SEVENTEEN became the only artist globally to surpass 3 million sales on the first day of an album release, setting a new milestone.
Furthermore, 'SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN' recorded initial sales of 5.09 million copies within a week of its release, securing the top spot in the history of K-pop artists' initial sales. It became the first K-pop album to surpass 5 million initial sales. With the support of their dedicated fanbase, SEVENTEEN's cumulative domestic album sales have exceeded 16 million, showcasing their stature as a 'Ten Million Artist.'
Unprecedented Records in Japan's Music Charts
SEVENTEEN's achievements in Japan were also remarkable. In the 'Oricon Annual Ranking 2023,' their albums 'FML,' 'ALWAYS YOURS,' and 'SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN' secured the 3rd, 5th, and 7th positions respectively in both the 'Album Ranking' and 'Combined Album Ranking' charts. They became the only artists, domestic and international, to place three works in the top 10 of both charts.
Additionally, with 'FML' (552,000 copies) and the first Japanese best album 'ALWAYS YOURS' (512,000 copies), SEVENTEEN achieved the first and second-highest first-week sales for an overseas artist in 2023. They are the first international artist to have two consecutive works surpass 500,000 first-week sales.
This momentum leads SEVENTEEN to perform at Japan's largest public broadcast music festival, the 74th NHK 'Kōhaku Uta Gassen,' on December 31st. This marks their debut appearance on the show, adding significance as it gathers the most loved artists of the year in Japan.
Over 1 Million Attendees in 23 Performances: The Quintessential 'Performance Craftsmen'
In 2023, SEVENTEEN solidified their reputation as 'performance craftsmen' by selling out all 23 shows, including domestic fan meetings 'SEVENTEEN in CARAT LAND' (March), Japan fan meeting 'SEVENTEEN 2023 JAPAN FANMEETING LOVE' (May), and the tour 'SEVENTEEN TOUR FOLLOW' (July~December).
Through these 23 performances, SEVENTEEN attracted 800,000 offline audiences and 270,000 online (live streaming, live viewing) audiences, totaling over 1 million attendees. Despite fewer shows compared to last year (34 shows), both online and offline audiences increased, demonstrating their growing popularity.
Especially, the urban concert playpark 'SEVENTEEN FOLLOW THE CITY' was held in five cities concurrently with their Japan dome tour, 'THE CITY,' becoming the largest in history. Over 30 partner companies participated, with more than 70 programs conducted. The participants, nearly tripled from last year's 28,000 to about 78,000, enjoyed 'THE CITY,' immersing all of Japan in SEVENTEEN's charm.
SEVENTEEN plans to continue 'SEVENTEEN's Festival' with 'SEVENTEEN TOUR FOLLOW TO ASIA' in Bulacan, Philippines (Philippine Sports Stadium), on January 13-14, 2024, and in Macau (Macao Olympic Sports Centre Stadium) on January 20-21.
MAMA's First Grand Prize and a Heartfelt UNESCO Speech
In November, SEVENTEEN became the first K-pop artist to stand at the podium of UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, France, during the 13th 'UNESCO Youth Forum.' They held a special session, delivering speeches and performances for about an hour, moving youth and fans worldwide.
At the '2023 MAMA Awards' in December, SEVENTEEN won the grand prize, 'Album of the Year,' among five awards. Upon receiving the award, they tearfully thanked their fans, Carats, for enabling them to renew their contract and receive such honor.
As SEVENTEEN continues to achieve new records with every album, anticipation grows for their global activities as they approach their 10th debut anniversary in 2024.
