"HYBE global group" &TEAM (앤팀) successfully established itself in the K-pop main scene by achieving major results in album releases and music shows upon its Korean debut. First-week sales of 1.22 million copies, two music show wins, and No. 1 on major Japanese charts left a clear presence.
&TEAM released the Korean mini album 1st "Back to Life" on Oct. 28 and immediately became a million-seller with first-day sales of 1,139,988. First-week sales were 1,222,022, marking the highest sales for a Korean-language album released in October (based on Hanteo Chart). Following the previous Japanese third single "Go in Blind," they achieved back-to-back million-seller status, making &TEAM the first Japanese artist to record million-seller status in both Korea and Japan.
Forbes reported on the 5th (Korea time), "&TEAM made a striking entry into the global market by selling more than 1.1 million copies within a day of releasing their first Korean-language album," and assessed that "&TEAM has established itself as one of the most watched groups and added new meaning to the expanding definition of K-pop." It added that "the strategy of starting in Japan and advancing to Korea is rare, but &TEAM's success is a case that proved that possibility," analyzing that this move shows a new trend within the K-pop industry.
Their stage presence was also clear. &TEAM took first place consecutively on SBS M's "The Show" and MBC M's "Show! Champion" on the 4th and 5th, respectively, securing two music show wins within a week of debut. The title track "Back to Life" completed the narrative of a "revived instinct" visually with a grand rock-hip-hop sound and precise choreography, earning responses from fans worldwide.
Reactions to the music videos were explosive. The "Back to Life" music video surpassed 10 million views in one day and 30 million views in five days. The music video for the album track "Lunatic" also reached 10 million views in 62 hours after release, showing an unusually rapid rise for an album track.
They continued to receive positive responses offstage with diverse charms. They showed the personalities of the nine members and a friendly image in various content such as "Idol Human Theater," "The Return of SUPERMAN," and "ON YOUR ARTIST." The first pop-up store operated in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, was also a success, with more than 1,000 visitors per day on average over eight days.
Behind these achievements was a meticulous preparation process. That journey was revealed through a Nippon TV documentary, and &TEAM's sincere challenge drew deeper empathy from fans around the world. The documentary "&TEAM 100-day close coverage: Howling out to the World" closely depicted the nine members' training, rehearsals, and Korean learning process ahead of their Korean debut, vividly conveying their passion and teamwork. Viewer support continued with comments such as "It was moving to see how much effort they put in behind the scenes" and "Their sincerity came through so much that the current achievements felt deserved."
&TEAM will continue the momentum of their domestic activities today (7th) by performing the title track on KBS2's MUSIC BANK.
[Photo] Provided by HYBE.
[OSEN]