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aespa’s LEMONADE Debuts at No. 9 Driven by Strong Physical Sales

Heavy physical sales from collectible CD variants with a Complex LA pop-up boosted aespa's chart placement.

Overview

  • LEMONADE opened at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 with 41,000 equivalent album units, led by 34,500 in pure album sales and 6,500 streaming-equivalent units from about 6.73 million on-demand streams.
  • The album also reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, which tracks only pure album sales and favors releases with strong physical campaigns.
  • More than 20 CD variants, signed or randomized collectible editions, and exclusive merch offerings at a Complex LA pop-up materially increased first-week physical purchases.
  • Guest features from Ty Dolla Sign, Becky G, and G-Dragon expand the group’s cross-market reach and may help streaming growth even as sales remain the main driver.
  • Drake’s Iceman holds No. 1 with a streaming-heavy 171,000 units, highlighting how streaming-dominant releases still lead the chart and how K-pop merchandising strategies can alter sales-driven rankings.