Are US K-pop fans turning away as album sales tumble?
Stray Kids perform at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on May 24 as part of their world tour. The stadium drew a crowd of over 40,000. Despite a decline in album sales, Korean entertainment agencies have seen rising revenues thanks to growing concert earnings abroad. Courtesy of JYP Entertainment
K-pop album sales have entered a downward trajectory, with recent data showing a notable decline in the U.S. market, sparking debate over whether K-pop's Western expansion is faltering, or whether fan behavior is simply evolving.
According to data released Tuesday by the Korea Music Content Association’s Circle Chart, domestic album sales from January to April this year, including exports, stood at 23.4 million units, a 26 percent drop compared to the same period last year.
The market peaked in 2023 with 32.7 million units, but has now declined for a second consecutive year.
However, export data from Korea Customs Service paints a more nuanced picture. Overseas album exports reached $71.68 million during the same four-month span, a slight increase from $70.85 million the previous year.
This bump reflects a surge in sales to China, which rose from $4.31 million to $17.63 million. Meanwhile, exports to Japan dropped by 22 percent to $23.94 million, and exports to the U.S. plummeted by nearly 47 percent.
This trend is also visible on Billboard charts. In the first five months of 2023, twelve K-pop albums appeared on the Billboard 200, including TWICE’s “With YOU-th,” which topped the chart.
In contrast, only seven K-pop albums had charted as of May this year, with BTS member Jin’s “The Astronaut” reaching a high of No. 3.
BTS fans wait for BTS members Jungkook and Jimin, set to be discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service, in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Wednesday. Reuters-Yonhap
Crisis or shift in consumer habits?
Despite the bleak sales numbers, there is hope for a rebound in the second half of the year as major acts like BLACKPINK, ATEEZ, aespa, TXT, and Stray Kids are scheduled to release new music, alongside potential post-military service comebacks from BTS.
A key factor fueling concern is the slowdown in new fan acquisition. Sales of back catalog albums — those released over six months ago — have dropped by more than 2.3 million units this year to just 3.3 million, after soaring during the pandemic.
K-pop’s momentum in Western markets has been questioned more frequently in recent months.
In March, The Guardian cited experts warning that the genre’s increasingly global focus has weakened its domestic foundation, asking whether K-pop can weather the storm. The article also voiced skepticism about new breakout acts emerging and warned against over-reliance on monetizing existing fan bases.
Some observers, however, interpret the U.S. sales decline not as a crisis but a shift in consumer habits.
K-pop girl group BLACKPINK / Newsis
Music critic Kim Do-heon noted that “various factors, including changes in consumption patterns among U.S. K-pop fans, need to be considered.”
In fact, despite falling album sales, major Korean entertainment companies have reported increased revenues thanks to a rise in overseas concert tours.
Professor Lee Kyoo-taek of George Mason University Korea echoed that view, saying, “Rather than a crisis, this should be seen as a transitional moment for the industry’s business model.”
He added, “A reduction in album purchases paired with growing demand for live performances is a natural evolution. But the current approach of releasing multiple albums and touring globally each year is unsustainable in the long run. The industry should now focus on creating fresh content that offers new sights and sounds for fans.”
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.