TREASURE Shines Bright ‘LOVE PULSE’ Results Prove YG’s Strategic Vision
[일간스포츠=김지혜기자] REASURE has lived up to its name, the group’s third mini-album LOVE PULSE has sold over 1.13 million copies in just one week, setting the group’s highest initial chodong sales to date. More than just a numerical milestone, this achievement is being seen as the long-awaited realization of the potential TREASURE has carried since their debut as YG Entertainment’s “next-generation gem.”
Released on September 1, LOVE PULSE sold a total of 1,131,346 copies in its first week. This figure marks a 1.6x increase over their previous special mini-album REBOOT, which recorded 716,697 copies in initial chodong. YG Entertainment had already forecasted this outcome, announcing that pre-orders had surpassed one million just two days after the announcement, and the final first-week sales exceeded even those expectations. With this performance, TREASURE has clearly reached a new level.
The title track Paradise has also shown strong performance. With its funky rhythm, retro brass sound, and a refreshing blend of vocals and rap, the song quickly gained traction on global charts. It reached No.1 on both AWA and Rakuten Music real-time charts, while the music video immediately landed on YouTube’s trending list. Within just 8 days, it had surpassed 30 million views, drawing intense attention from global fans.
Multiple factors have contributed to this career high, but most notably, TREASURE’s global momentum and strategic marketing have been cited as key drivers. Earlier this year, the group successfully completed their first North American tour with stops in New York, Washington D.C., Oakland, and Los Angeles. Starting in October, they will launch their new world tour PULSE ON, beginning at KSPO DOME in Seoul and continuing through Japan, Taipei, Jakarta, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangkok. This major concert announcement has already generated immense anticipation among fans, which appears to have directly translated into album sales.
A pop-up store held in Seoul’s Mapo-gu Star Square from September 2–7 also played a key role. By offering fans an immersive experience, physically engaging with albums and purchasing official merchandise, YG created a feedback loop of content consumption → offline experience → additional purchase, effectively strengthening fan loyalty. On opening day alone, over 1,000 fans had pre-registered for access, showing the precision of this fan engagement strategy. The investment world has also taken note. Park Soo-young, a researcher at Hanwha Investment & Securities, stated, “TREASURE’s first-week sales are impressive given the relative size of their fandom. YG
Entertainment remains our top pick in the sector.” She added that the upcoming world tour is expected to make a significant contribution to company revenues starting this October.
This milestone carries deep symbolic weight for TREASURE. While YG had positioned them as the company’s next-generation act when they debuted in 2020, public perception often lagged behind, noting that while the group had “potential,” they lacked concrete achievements. Some even questioned whether their narrative could ever match the legacy of BIGBANG, 2NE1, or BLACKPINK. But with over 1.13 million in initial sales, TREASURE has silenced doubts. This is not just a sales figure, it’s a declaration that TREASURE has finally claimed its place.
The bigger question now is sustainability. Holding onto the title of million-seller group is far more difficult than achieving it. Their upcoming world tour will be the true litmus test. If the global fandom’s enthusiasm successfully translates into strong ticket sales, TREASURE may soon rise another tier, as a truly global boy group. One K-pop industry insider commented: “The overall market hasn’t been great recently, so it’s remarkable that TREASURE has reached a new career high right now. The key driver is undoubtedly the overseas tour strategy they’ve been consistently building. While other groups tend to peak and plateau, TREASURE’s growth curve is still rising, and that’s what makes them stand out.”
2025. 9. 11.
