Red Velvet Irene Breaks Record for Highest 1st-Week Sales Among SM Female Soloists  

Despite initial criticism of her debut song, Red Velvet Irene proved her power as a soloist after shattering expectations for record sales.

On November 26, Irene, Red Velvet's leader and eldest member, followed in the footsteps of her bandmates in pursuit of a solo career. She unveiled her 1st mini-album Like a Flower, her first solo album ten years after her group debut.

When she dropped her title track, it earned lackluster reception due to its "dull" theme.

While Irene is recognized for her beauty, her album failed to create a buzz in the K-pop community on the day of its release.

However, she proved haters and critics wrong as the album eventually showed its power in both physical and digital charts, as well as on SNS.

Like A Flower achieved impressive feats abroad, topping the iTunes Top Album Chart in 23 regions around the world, as well as the QQ Music Digital Album Sales Chart in China, where it was certified platinum.

This week, the single also charted sixth on Spotify's Weekly Top Album USA Chart. She also snagged the spot for the highest votes in Allchart's history among female artists.

READ ALSO: K-Media Outlet Criticizes Red Velvet Irene's Solo Debut Skills: 'Her Vocal Ability Is Limited...'

Meanwhile, on Korea's Hanteo chart, which tracks all physical album sales in real-time, Like A Flower set record-breaking sales of 336,805 copies, making her the highest-selling female soloist in her label SM Town's history.

With the release, Irene sits at #7, trailing behind BLACKPINK, (G)-IDLE, and TWICE members.

Irene is also making her name on social media platforms such as X and TikTok. Here, a lot of K-pop fans are joining Like A Flower's dance challenge, earning love for its fun and vibrant choreography.

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