It’s Ateez’s ‘Golden Hour’ on Billboard’s World Albums chart; Twice’s Nayeon, Seventeen, and more Kpop hits rule at top

ATEEZ shone brightly on Billboard’s World Albums chart for the week ending on July 6. KQ Entertainment’s 8-member boy group was the only non-Big 4 (HYBE, SM, JYPE and YG) K-pop music act among the high-ranking global albums of the week. “Golden Hour: Part 1,” the octet’s 10th mini-album, dominated the list at #1, marking its well-deserved return to the leading rank for its fourth week.

Enjoying its third non-consecutive week at the top of the chart, ATEEZ’s EP also celebrated its fourth consecutive week among the Top 100 albums on Billboard 200 at #93.

Following close behind, TWICE Nayeon’s brand-new solo mini-album “NA” slipped to #2 after debuting at the top last week. Like “Golden Hour,” “NA” also charted on Billboard 200. As her latest record continued its consecutive two-week spell on the chart, Nayeon also clinched a historic milestone as the first female K-pop soloist to rule over the charts with two different albums for several weeks.

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Groups from HYBE Labels that made it to the Top 15 World Albums chart on Billboard

HYBE Labels’ Tomorrow X Together came in next. The quintet’s sixth Korean mini-album, “Minisode 3: Tomorrow”, firmly held on to its fifth rank for the 13th charting week in a row.

Thereafter, their colleagues under the agency’s multi-label system, SEVENTEEN, prolonged their hold over the chart at #7 with their 2024 compilation album, “17 Is Right Here,” marking the 13-member boy group’s ninth week on the World Albums chart.

Several other music pieces from the same organisation made it to the chart again. HYBE’s girl groups, ILLIT and NewJeans, and boy group ENHYPEN closed the Top 15.

Beloved veterans from the company, BTS and Jimin’s solo releases also added golden stars to the roster.

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While rookie girl group ILLIT’s debut mini-album, “Super Real Me,” stood at #8 for its 14th week, BTS Jimin’s solo debut album, “FACE,” took the 9th rank for its long-running record of 60 weeks on the roster. Similarly, BTS extended their unbelievable record of 107 weeks on the chart with their two-year-old anthology album, “PROOF,” which ranked at #10.

NewJeans’ “Get Up” came up to the 12th rank in its 49th week. ENHYPEN also climbed to #14 with “Orange Blood,” as their fifth EP maintained its 32-week-long streak.

Status of other Big 4 K-pop labels’ groups

As for groups from other South Korean labels, SM Entertainment’s aespa and JYP Entertainment’s Stray Kids completed the list.

While the former girl group’s first studio album, “Armageddon,” sat at #13 for its fifth week, the latter boy group’s eighth Korean EP, “Rock-Star,” finished at #15 in its 33rd week.