Virtual Idols Surpass Real-Life Singers, Sweep Top 3 Spots on Album Chart

[Financial News] Plave, ISEGYE IDOL, and Ayatsuno Yuni claimed the top three spots in YES24’s first week of November album sales chart, clearly demonstrating the soaring popularity of virtual idols.
According to the online album sales platform YES24, all top three positions in the album sales ranking from November 3 to 9 were occupied by virtual artists.
The number one spot went to the virtual boy group Plave with their second single album, 'PLBBUU' (PLBBUU Ver.). Since their debut, Plave has built a unique universe and a solid fan base, and this new release once again proves the strength of their fandom.
ISEGYE IDOL, a virtual girl group, secured second place with their first mini album 'Be My Light' (BINDER Ver.), while virtual singer Ayatsuno Yuni’s first EP 'How to Make Me Super Sulky' (Arnyang Ver.) followed in third. All three groups outperformed real-life singers, dominating the top of the chart and highlighting the expanding influence of the virtual idol market.
Among real-life artists, NCT Wish demonstrated their strength by taking fourth place with their third mini album 'Color' (Jewel Case Ver.). Choi LB’s fourth full-length album 'her.' ranked fifth, and Stray Kids’ special album 'SKZ-REPLAY' (IT Ver.) came in sixth.
Other notable entries in the top ten include Jaurim’s twelfth full-length album 'Life!' at seventh, Jannabi’s fourth full-length album 'Sound of Music Part Two: Life' at eighth, NCT Wish’s first single 'Wish' (WICHU Ver.) at ninth, and Riize’s second single 'Fame' (Photobook Ver.) at tenth.
This chart demonstrates that virtual artists are no longer a novelty but have become formidable competitors in the mainstream market. As music consumption increasingly spans both the real and virtual worlds, new changes are emerging in the structure of fandoms and the music industry.

jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter