Fantagio, ASTRO Tops Japan Oricon Chart... 'Ranks No.1 in Overseas Album Ranking'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyungsoo] Fantagio's global group ‘ASTRO’ has topped the Japanese Oricon chart.

Fantagio announced on the 18th that their group ASTRO ranked number one on the Japanese Oricon overseas album ranking (August 9?15) with their 8th mini album ‘SWITCH ON,’ released on the 2nd. They also secured first place on the comprehensive album chart at all Tower Records stores in Japan (August 9?15), confirming their hot popularity in Japan.

ASTRO previously set a new record by ranking first on the Japanese Oricon weekly album chart with their second full-length album ‘All Yours’ in April. Returning after four months with ‘SWITCH ON,’ ASTRO has once again topped the Japanese music charts.

Immediately after releasing ‘SWITCH ON,’ ASTRO’s title track ‘After Midnight’ ranked number one on the US iTunes Top Songs chart. They set a new record by ranking first on the top album charts in 37 countries and regions, gaining explosive popularity worldwide.

Domestically, they won four music show awards including first place on KBS 2TV’s ‘Music Bank’ and MBC’s ‘Show! Music Core.’ They also ranked first on the ‘Bugs Music’ chart, achieved a triple crown on the ‘Gaon Chart,’ and recorded initial sales of 275,000 copies in Korea.

A Fantagio official said, "With the 8th mini album ‘SWITCH ON,’ ASTRO has confirmed their status as a popular global group not only in Korea but also in the US, Japan, and worldwide," adding, "Fantagio will support ASTRO to become the number one global group."

He continued, "Fantagio will nurture second and third global groups like ASTRO through bold investments in its core entertainment business," and added, "We will also promote our new video content business to leap forward as a comprehensive content company."