kiko_san • Thursday, June 22, 2017

BIGBANG has broken their own record on YouTube! On June 22, their music video for “Fantastic Baby” surpassed 300 million views. Last January, BIGBANG became the first male idol group to make it past 200 million views, but they are now the first K-pop group ever to surpass 300 million views. Congratulations, BIGBANG! [[ SOOMPI ARTICLES ]]

kiko_san • Thursday, June 22, 2017

G-DRAGON, the leader of leading K-pop idol group BIGBANG, has taken No.1 on American Billboard’s world albums chart with his new album, for two weeks in a row. According to Billboard, America’s most prestigious and time-honored music chart, on June 21, G-DRAGON’s self title album “KWON JI YONG” released on June 8 topped the latest world albums chart (as of July 1). G-DRAGON proved his formidable influence in the world’s music scene by taking No.1 on American Billboard’s world albums chart for two weeks in a row. In the previous week, G-DRAGON took the 192nd place on Billboard 200 which is American Billboard’s main albums chart, with “KWON JI YONG” album. G-DRAGON’s No.1 on American Billboard’s world albums chart is drawing all the more attention, as such record was set after Korean official music chart Gaon’s decision and announcement that “KWON JI YONG” album cannot be recognized as an official form of music album, saying, “Gaon Chart’s definition of an album is different from the definition of record and we only recognize a material object on which sound is fixed as an album”. The off-line album of G-DRAGON’s “KWON JI YONG” was released in the form of USB memory stick, not CD and the USB stick does not have music fixed in it. Instead, users are led to a website produced by G-DRAGON’s label YG Entertainment after starting the USB memory stick, to directly download the music and related contents. Regarding such new trial, Gaon Chart concluded that they cannot recognize G-DRAGON’s “KWON JI YONG” as an official form of album. YG Entertainment announced “We respect Gaon Chart’s decision” but added, “We still feel regrettable for Gaon’s way of ranking only the conventional forms of records on their chart, when thinking about G-DRAGON’s opinion that the most important thing is the music itself”. In the meantime, NCT 127’s new mini-album “NCT #127 CHERRY BOMB” is placed in the second place and DAY6’s “Sunrise” is ranked in 9th in the latest world albums chart of American Billboard, to enter top 10 along with G-DRAGON. American Billboard’s world albums chart ranks all music albums released outside the United States, based on their sales volume for the week. [ YG ARTICLES ]

kiko_san • Thursday, June 22, 2017

G-Dragon’s success with his latest album is breaking new boundaries, proving that K-Pop really is spreading worldwide. Only less than 2 weeks have gone by since G-Dragon’s self-titled album Kwon Ji Yong was released and the Gaon Chart mishap is definitely not slowing it down. Kwon Ji Yong debuted at #5 on Billboard’s Rap Album Chart, which is the highest rank for a K-Pop act so far. With the new ranking, G-Dragon beat his own previous record that was held by his album, Coup D’Etat, at #19. Breaking even more records, Kwon Ji Yong takes place at number #52 on Billboard’s Canadian Albums Chart making G-Dragon the first K-Pop soloist to enter the chart. Debuting at #47 G-Dragon alongside his album also becomes the first Korean soloist to chart on Billboard Top Album Sales. There truly is no stopping G-Dragon once he sets his mind to something! [ Koreaboo articles... ]