Lim Young-woong's first studio album sells over 1.1 mil. copies in 1st week, record high for solo artist
Singer Lim Young-woong poses for photographers during an online press conference, May 2, to promote his first full-length album titled "Im Hero," in this photo provided by Mulgogi Music. Yonhap
The first full-length album by Korean trot sensation Lim Young-woong has recorded the highest first-week sales of albums by any solo artist in history here, music industry sources said Monday.
According to the sources, "Im Hero" has sold about 1.1 million copies in the week following its release last Monday. The number is about 240,000 more than the previous record set by EXO member Baekhyun with the EP "Bambi" as the most-sold album in the first week following its release.
The achievement is remarkable considering the trot music genre has a limited market, popular mostly among middle-aged and older Koreans, unlike mainstream K-pop idols with large followings overseas.
Lim rose to stardom following his appearance on cable channel TV Chosun's hit audition show "Mr. Trot" (2020) for male singers of trot music. Since his debut in 2016, the 30-year-old artist has charted high on major domestic music charts whenever he dropped new songs.
"Im Hero" marks the singer's first album ever. It consists of 12 songs of diverse genres, in which many famous K-pop musicians participated. The lead track "If We Ever Meet Again" is a ballad written and composed by singer Lee Juck. The album also includes "Our Blues, Our Life," a pre-released soundtrack song for the popular tvN TV series "Our Blues." (Yonhap)