Is the K-Pop Craze Cooling in the US, With Album Sales Taking a Hit?

lewishooper1
Jun 19
3 min read

Are US K-pop fans disengaging, reflected in the recent drop in K-pop album sales? We discuss this ongoing issue and how we think K-pop might bounce back during the second half of 2025!

Image: Kpop fans in the US - Photo: scmp.com

Is the US K-pop Boom Losing Its Spark?

In a recent survey, data have shown that US album sales for K-pop music are perhaps losing their spark among young fans. This has triggered a hot debate within the K-pop industry, and it has left many asking if the K-pop push into the Western market is perhaps hitting a snag, or whether or not fans are changing how they decide to engage with their favorite K-pop idols.

From January to April this year, K-pop album sales have seen a downward spiral for the first time, as only 23.4 million albums were sold, a massive 26% drop compared to the same time last year. This now marks a two-year milestone in sales dropping, since the peak in 2023, where 32.7 million units were sold.

Image: Kpop fans in the US - Photo: sea.mashable.com

Social Factors Related To These Changes

One reason why K-pop album sales are seeing a decline in sales point to social factors of households in the US, along with inflation. Due to the recent cost of living crisis. K-pop fans are changing their spending habits.

Even with album sales dipping, big Korean entertainment companies are making more money, thanks to a boom in overseas concerts. The industry should now focus on creating fresh content that offers new sights and sounds for fans, in a new bid to retain K-pop fans and steady their income and profits.

Where Are the New K-Pop Global Hits?

New K-pop global mega-hits were missing from the charts over the past year, which could also be a reason for the reduction in K-pop sales in the US. Out of Spotify's top 2,500 most-streamed songs worldwide last year, only 25 were K-pop tracks. Even then, BTS dominated the list with 16 songs, and BLACKPINK followed with nine, counting both group and solo releases. This means fresh K-pop tracks struggled to break into the top ranks, due to being less known and represented outside of their native Korea, and also having to compete with US household names.

Did Internal Drama Hurt Sales?

The ongoing drama between former ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin and HYBE executives concerning NewJeans is also being eyed as a factor impacting album sales. This is because public opinion on this matter among K-pop fans globally was very intense. Money talks, and people have too much going on in their own lives to get involved with the pettiness of NewJeans and Min Hee Jin. The very public dispute shined a light on issues like intense competition for first-week sales, fans buying huge amounts of albums just for signing events, and over-the-top album release strategies. This has led to a more cautious approach to marketing across the industry.

Can K-pop Bounce Back And Save Its US Following?

Good news for K-pop fans worldwide! Despite the recent dip in album sales, mainly in the US, the second half of the year could see a major comeback. Get ready for new music from huge groups like BLACKPINK, ATEEZ, aespa, TXT, and Stray Kids! And the biggest buzz of all? We might even see the full return of BTS after their military service, potentially sparking a massive rebound for the entire industry. Will the return of BTS be seen as a chance to save the decline in K-pop sales? Or have BTS had their time?