Armageddon or Armageddon't? Korean Netizens Left Speechless as aespa's Album Sales Crash

Aespa recently unleashed their highly awaited first-ever studio album, "Armageddon," into the K-Pop realm. While the mesmerizing song and its visually captivating music video left Korean netizens in awe, a stark contrast emerged when it came to album sales.

The powerhouse girl group under SM Entertainment has long been synonymous with impressive album sales, thanks to their fervent fanbase. However, this time, the numbers reported by the Hanteo Chart for "Armageddon" left many scratching their heads.

A viral graphic posted on Instiz heightened the shock. Comparing the sales of aespa's previous highest-selling album, "My World," to "Armageddon," the discrepancy was glaring

On its debut day, "My World" soared with over 1.37 million copies sold. In contrast, "Armageddon" struggled, barely crossing 515,500 copies in comparison.

Netizens were quick to express their astonishment, questioning the sudden decline and the album's numerous versions.

• "People are losing interest much faster than before."
• "Wow, only four members but 20 versions... They could have just released a few photobooks and one version of the CD per member. I wish all the idols would cut back a bit now that the inflation is starting to fade away..."
• "Is China really that big of a market? I mean, that number is still high, but inflation was really severe."
• "Wow, 20 versions."
• "Why are there so many versions?? I get SMini, but what are My Power and Super Bing? What versions are those?"
• "Isn't the first-week sales count not finished yet?"
• "This makes sense... As Min Hee Jin said, first-week sales can go up or down, so we shouldn't always assume they'll just keep going up by default."
• "When will the pre-orders be reflected?"

Despite the staggering gap with "My World," the album "Drama" previously experienced similar first-day sales to "Armageddon," further highlighting the fluctuating trend.

While netizens grapple with the statistics, fans offer plausible explanations. Many point fingers at SM and Kakao Entertainment, citing inadequate stocking and distribution strategies that spread sales over the week rather than concentrating them on release day.

Moreover, fans theorize that the heightened anticipation surrounding "My World" after a lengthy hiatus contributed to its meteoric success. In contrast, the rapid succession of releases between "Drama" and "Armageddon" may have diluted the excitement, limiting fans' purchasing power. The discussion also delves into the evolving landscape of Chinese fanbases' album consumption habits. With Chinese fans' purchasing behavior undergoing shifts, particularly evident with Ningning and Karina's vast fanbases, the decrease in album sales from this demographic is considered a significant factor.

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Written by Cassidy Jones.