BEAST breaks Oricon record with debut single

BEAST [Cube Entertainment]

Boy band BEAST has placed second on Japan's Oricon weekly chart with their single "SHOCK," the highest rank for a non-Japanese Asian artist to reach on the chart with their debut single.

The website for Oricon Style showed Tuesday that over 29,000 copies of "SHOCK" were sold since going on sale in the country on March 16 to place them at No. 2 on the chart for the week of March 22 to 28.

This surpasses the record which was originally held by boy band Big Bang who had landed at third place on the chart with their Japan debut single "MY HEAVEN" in early July of 2009.

Apart from their first performance for "SHOCK" last week being cancelled in Japan due to the massive earthquake that has devastated the northeastern part of the country, BEAST has seen a smooth start to their debut there.

The record itself had placed at No. 2 on Oricon's singles chart in just a day of its release and the ringtone version of “SHOCK,” unveiled a week before the album's release, topped the daily singles chart of Japan's biggest mobile website RecoChoku.

BEAST composed of members Du-jun, Hyun-seung, Dong-woon, Gi-kwang, Yo-seop and Jun-hyung made their debut in October 2009 with their first mini-album “"BEAST IS THE B2ST" and has since produced hit songs such as “Bad Girl,” “Shock,” “Easy.” And “Soom.”

They revved up for their singing career in Japan through a showcase in the country late last year which attracted over 10,000 fans.

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