NU’EST Earn First Top 10 on World Albums, Biggest U.S. Sales Week With ‘Happily Ever After’
NU'EST, K-pop's Cinderella story, continues on with a slew of new charts peaks on Billboard's World Albums, Social 50 and Emerging Artists charts.
More than three years after their Billboard chart debut and a remarkable seven years after first debuting on the K-pop scene, NU’EST is truly making good on their promise as a group and commanding listeners’ attention.
The boy band’s new EP Happily Ever After debuts at No. 8 on World Albums on the chart dated May 11, 2019. The new release mark NU’EST’s first entry in the Top 10 as well as their biggest U.S. sales week for an album to date. Previous to Happily Ever After, NU’EST had landed two entries in 2016 with Q Is (which peaked at No. 11) and Canvas (No. 12), marking close to three years since their last appearance on the chart.
While NU’EST has been away from World Albums for a minute, a four-member splinter group NU’EST W was able to make waves throughout 2017 and 2018 while member Minhyun spent time on hiatus as a member of temporary boy band Wanna One. NU’EST W earned two Top 10 entries on World Albums with W, Here (which hit No. 5 in late 2017) and Who, You (which peaked at No. 9 in 2018). Yet among all NU’EST releases, their 2014 full-length album Re:Birth has been the biggest seller in America with 1,000 copies sold to date, according to Nielsen Music, despite not bowing on the chart upon release.
After finally hitting their stride as a full group in year seven — considered for many K-pop acts an expiration date — NU’EST truly embraces the idea of a fairy-tale ending. The group had a highly anticipated debut in 2012 with “Face,” that still stands as one of K-pop’s most-watched debut videos, but struggled to make traction. With dwindling sales and interest in Korea, four of the five members competed on Season 2 of Produce 101 which let the band’s story finally reach a larger audience. Member Minhyun made the final, 11-member lineup of the sensational-but-temporary boy band Wanna One while the remaining four group members promoted as NU’EST W, leading all five men to newfound heights of success.
Now, finally together as a full five, NU’EST shows no signs of slowing down with Happily After Ever delivering their signature slick, experimental electro-pop (like lead single “Bet Bet” and the euphoric standout “Fine”) as well as some career curveballs (like the house-inspired jam “Different” and minimalistic R&B/hip-hop joint “Bass”).
Elsewhere on the charts, NU’EST also hit new peaks on other charts including the Social 50 chart (rising to a new peak of No. 13 to be one of the Top 10 most socially active K-pop artists this week) as well as the Emerging Artists chart (at No. 29, rising past their previous peak of No. 42). Watch the music video to “Bet Bet” below that includes a snippet of “Fine” at the end:
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