Image credit: VLAST
A Historic Milestone in First-Week Sales
PLAVE has hit a new career peak with the release of their second single album, PLBBUU, rewriting K-pop history in the process. According to South Korea’s Hanteo Chart on November 16th, the album—released just a week earlier on November 10th—sold more than 1.09 million copies in its first week. This achievement marks a new personal best for the group and secures PLBBUU the second-highest first-week sales for a single album by a K-pop boy group, trailing only BTS’s Butter.
This milestone also solidifies PLAVE’s legacy as pioneers in the industry. Earlier this year, they became the first boy group and the first virtual idol group to surpass one million first-week sales with their third mini-album, Caligo Pt. 1. Now, less than three years post-debut, they’ve broken their own record once again—this time with a Sanrio collaboration that helped fuel global excitement.
Chart-Topping Global Impact
Beyond physical sales, PLBBUU is making waves digitally. Its title track, “BBUU!”, topped iTunes charts in seven countries and regions, including Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, and Peru. The group’s international reach continues to expand at a rapid pace, proving their influence extends far beyond the virtual world.
Japan Breakthrough: Another Record Year
PLAVE’s momentum in 2025 didn’t begin with PLBBUU. Their Japanese debut single, “Kakurenbo (Hide and Seek)”, released in June, dominated Japan’s four major music charts—Oricon Daily Single Chart, Oricon Weekly Single Ranking, Oricon Weekly Accumulative Single Ranking, and Billboard Japan’s Top Singles Sales and Hot 100.
Between July 7th and July 13th alone, the single sold 388,200 copies, setting the highest first-week sales for a Japanese release by international artists in 2025.
Breaking Barriers as Virtual Idols
PLAVE continues to outpace expectations for virtual performers. They are the first virtual idol group to enter both Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excluding U.S. charts. Their success extends to live stages as well, having sold out two of South Korea’s top five stadiums—KSPO Dome and Gocheok Sky Dome—for their first Asia tour, 2025 PLAVE Asia Tour [DASH: Quantum Leap].
A Future of Infinite Potential
From record-breaking sales to international chart dominance and sold-out stadiums, PLAVE’s trajectory is nothing short of extraordinary. With each release, the group continues to push boundaries for virtual idols, capturing global attention and heightening anticipation for what they will accomplish next.
