Girls' Generation becomes top-selling foreign artist in Japan in H1 of 2011

Girls' Generation [SM Entertainment]

Female idol group Girls' Generation sold the most albums in Japan for a foreign artist during the first half of the year.

The official website of the prestigious Oricon chart showed on Wednesday that Girls’ Generation ranked No. 5 on the comprehensive sales chart but followed after Japanese artists AKB48, Arashi, EXILE and Amuro Namie in first to fourth place, respectively, making them the top-selling foreign artists in Japan.

In order, AKB48 grossed 6.66 billion yen from album sales during the six-month period, Arashi 6.59 billion, EXILE 4.68 billion, Amuro Namie 2.7 billion and Girls' Generation 2.6 billion.

Korean idol group KARA came next, at sixth, after selling 2.15 billion yen worth of albums in Japan during the six months but making them the second highest-selling foreign artist in the country.

Oricon's top 50 albums chart, also released today, showed that Girls' Generation claimed tenth place with their first full-length Japanese album “GIRLS GENERATION” which sold 325,658 copies since being unveiled on June 1 and the group’s third Japanese single “MR.TAXI/ Run Devil Run” which was released in late April, attracted 153,327 buyers to be placed at the No. 21 spot.

Separately, KARA was placed at No. 3 on the music DVD chart with their “KARA BEST CLIPS” which sold 227,500 copies after hitting stores in late-February of this year while their third Japanese single “ROLLER COASTER LOVE” and ranked twelfth on the top 50 albums chart after selling 197,538 copies.

Male duo band TVXQ placed their name at No. 4 on the top 50 singles chart with their Japanese single “Why (Keep Your Head Down)” that sold 284,410 copies since released in late January.

Also, singer-actor Jang Keun-suk saw his Japanese debut single “Let me cry” released in the country in late April, sell nearly 185,698 copies which helped him rank fifteenth on the top 50 singles chart.

Girl group KARA (left) and TVXQ [BEARPAW/SM Entertainment]

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