Red Velvet Irene Breaks Record for Highest 1st-Week Sales Among SM Female Soloists  

Despite initial criticism of her debut song, Red Velvet Irene proved her power as a soloist after achieving numerous feats with her album.

On November 26, Irene, Red Velvet’s leader and eldest member, became the fourth one to transition as a solo artist. She unveiled her 1st mini-album “Like A Flower,” her first solo album 10 years after her debut.

However, when she dropped her same-name title track, it earned a lackluster reception due to its “dull” theme.

While Irene is recognized for her beauty, her album failed to create a buzz in the K-pop community on the day of its release.

However, she proved haters and critics wrong as the album eventually showed its power in both physical and digital charts, as well as on SNS.

“Like A Flower” made notable records abroad, such as topping the iTunes Top Album Chart in 23 regions around the world, as well as the QQ Music Digital Album Sales Chart in China, where she got certified platinum.

This week, the song also made it into the top 6 of Spotify’s Weekly Top Album USA Chart. She also snagged the spot for the highest votes in Allchart’s history among female artists.

Meanwhile, on the Hanteo chart, Irene recorded a physical sales of 336,805 copies, making her the highest-selling female soloist in SM’s history.

In the K-pop scene, she’s now sitting at No. 7, trailing behind BLACKPINK, (G)-IDLE, and TWICE’s members.

Irene is also making her name on social media platforms such as X and TikTok. Here, a lot of K-pop fans are joining her “Like A Flower” dance challenge, earning love for its fun and vibrant choreography.

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