Seventeen’s album ‘FML’ tops IFPI global chart as K-pop dominates

Seventeen members (from left) Jeonghan, Jun, Dino, Wonwoo, Hoshi, Vernon, DK, Mingyu, Joshua, S.coups, Seungkwan, Woozi, and The8 in a concept photo for their 10th mini-album “FML.” Image: Courtesy of Pledis Entertainment

Seventeen‘s “FML” was on Tuesday, Feb. 27 named 2023’s biggest-selling album globally, with the K-pop band topping the chart run by industry body, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) for the first time.

Five of the chart’s top 10 albums were by South Korean acts, representing the best-ever Global Charts performance for K-pop, the IFPI said.

“FML,” released last April 2023, was the most pre-ordered in K-pop history and topped charts in South Korea and Japan, the body that represents the global recorded music industry said. It also made the top five in the United States and France.

The 13-member group scooped the IFPI Global Album Award for 2023, a prize calculated according to an album’s sales across streaming, download, and physical formats around the world.

The boy band’s “Seventeenth Heaven” record, which came out in October, ranked number 8. The IFPI rankings did not provide a figure or equivalent for the total albums sold.

“The global appeal of K-Pop continues to extend and S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, DK, Mingyu, The8, Seungkwan, Vernon and Dino continue to push the boundaries with their concepts, performances, and talent,” Lewis Morrison, director of global charts & certifications at IFPI, said, naming Seventeen’s members.

#1: @pledis_17 – FML

#1 for the 1st time in IFPI’s Global Album Chart it’s K-Pop phenomenon SEVENTEEN. The band’s 10th EP “FML” was a global hit, breaking K-Pop album sales records on release, & was a hit in the US & globally.

Congrats SEVENTEEN, you’re #1!👏#GlobalAlbumChart pic.twitter.com/QLbwyI6bcI

— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 27, 2024

Fellow South Korean boy band Stray Kids’ “5-Star” and U.S. country singer Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing At A Time” ranked 2 and 3 respectively, with Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” albums making up the rest of the top 5.

Swift was last week named global recording artist of the year for the fourth time by the IFPI. On Tuesday, the body announced Miley Cyrus’ hit “Flowers” as the world’s best-selling single in 2023.