South Korean group (G)I-DLE re-enters Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart (dated June 3) at No. 1, becoming the top emerging act in the United States for the first time, thanks to its new release, I Feel.
The set, released May 15 via Cube Entertainment, debuts at No. 1 on World Albums, No. 7 on Top Album Sales and No. 41 on the Billboard 200 with 18,000 equivalent album units, including 16,000 in album sales, in the May 19-25 tracking week, according to Luminate. It becomes the group’s first No. 1 on the World Albums chart, following five top 10s.
The album is also the group’s highest charting entry on the Billboard 200, after one previous title, I Love, its fifth mini album, reached No. 71 last November.
In the Emerging Artists chart’s six-year history, (G)I-DLE is the eighth K-pop group to hit No. 1, following NCT, BLACKPINK, NCT 127 (all in 2018); TOMORROW X TOGETHER, NCT DREAM (both 2019); ATEEZ (2021); and xikers (April).
(G)I-DLE comprises members Minnie, Miyeon, Shuhua, Soyeon and Yuqi.
Meanwhile, Hawaii-born Polynesian singer-songwriter – and new American Idol champion – Iam Tongi debuts at No. 3 on Emerging Artists, thanks to two songs: “I’ll Be Seeing You” and an apt cover of ABBA’s “The Winner Takes It All.” The former, released May 19 via 19/BMG, debuts at No. 1 on Rock Digital Song Sales, and No. 3 on Digital Song Sales, with 11,000 downloads sold. It also starts at No. 19 on Hot Rock Songs and No. 23 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, bolstered by 996,000 U.S. streams. “Winner” debuts at No. 19 on Rock Digital Song Sales (2,000 sold).
Tongi was crowned the winner of ABC’s American Idol May 21. Also on the season finale, Tongi teamed with James Blunt to perform a duet of the latter’s 2019 track “Monsters.” The performance sparked the original’s 925% vault to 10,000 sold and a No. 4 re-entry on Digital Song Sales.
The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.
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