BTS’s RM & EXO’s Lay Debut Their Solo Album In Billboard 200 Chart

by Jessica Rapir / Oct 30, 2018 05:44 AM EDT

Both BTS’s RM and EXO’s Lay debut their solo album in Billboard 200 Chart. Photo by BTS/Facebook and EXO/Facebook

The competition of K-pop idols at the Billboard 200 chart is on. BTS member RM and EXO's Lay made their debut at the Billboard 200 chart with their respective albums, and both of them made history.

RM's recently-released playlist, titled Mono, debut on Billboard 200 Albums chart at No. 26, marking it the highest ranking ever achieved by a Korean solo artist. The title was previously held by RM's bandmate J-Hope with his mixtape Hope World. J-Hope debut at No. 38 on the chart with his solo mixtape that was released in March.

RM's Mono was dropped on October 23, a few days after BTS ended the Europe leg of their Love Yourself world concert tour in Paris. The mixtape was released for free download as well as through digital-download and streaming services. RM sold 21,000 equivalent album units for the week ending October 25. About 16,000 of which were traditional album sales, according to Nielsen Music.

EXO member Lay also made his debut at the Billboard 200 chart for the week ending October 25 with his solo album NAMANANA. The LP reached No. 21, the highest ever for a Chinese artist. According to Billboard, although Lay is part of a K-pop group EXO, his solo album is hard to put under the K-pop genre since it was recorded in Chinese and English language.

NAMANANA is Lay's third solo album, which was released on October 19. It consists of 22 tracks: 11 are Chinese songs while the other 11 are in English including his pre-release track "Give Me a Chance." Nielsen Music (via Billboard) reported that Lay's album sold 24,000 equivalent units. About 23,000 of which are traditional album sales.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in America. It is based on multi-metric consumption that is measured in equivalent album units such as traditional album sales as well as the track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums.

Meanwhile, BTS rapper and leader RM along with his bandmates will resume their world tour in Japan starting on November 13. But before that, the "IDOL" singers will attend first the 2018 MBC Plus X Genie Music Awards which will be held on November 6 at the Namdong Gymnasium in Incheon. BTS and Charlie Puth are set to perform a special collaboration at the awards show.

Lay, on the other hand, will be making a comeback with EXO. The band will release their fifth studio Don't Mess Up My Tempo on November 2. Lay is also set to hold a fan event in New York on November 6.