Seventeen and Enhypen Dominate Japan’s 2025 Oricon Mid-Year Charts with Record-Breaking Sales

By C.M. Ong | June 27, 2025

In a powerful testament to K-pop’s global influence, HYBE boy bands Seventeen and Enhypen emerged as two of the highest-selling artists in Japan during the first half of 2025. This achievement was confirmed by Oricon’s midyear album rankings, which track sales data from December 9, 2024 to June 8, 2025.

Seventeen’s “Happy Burstday” Sets a New Benchmark

Photo by Seventeen - license under CC BY 3.0 via wikimedia commons

Seventeen’s fifth full-length album, Happy Burstday, took second place on the Combined Albums Chart and third on the regular Albums Chart, making it the highest-ranking release by a non-Japanese artist in the period.

Released on May 26, the album—led by the electrifying title track “Thunder”—immediately topped Oricon’s daily album chart. Within a week, it secured the No. 1 position on both the weekly album rankings and weekly combined chart.

The success didn’t stop there. Happy Burstday was officially certified Double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) after shipping over 500,000 copies within just five days of release, a remarkable feat for any international act.

Adding to the group's momentum, Seventeen is preparing to release a new Japanese OST, “Where Love Passed,” for the TBS drama Hatsukoi Dogs, premiering on July 1. The song marks the group’s continued expansion in the Japanese entertainment market.

Enhypen’s “Desire: Unleash” Climbs the Charts in Record Time

Photo by Nurikimura - Own work license under CC BY-SA 4.0 via wikimedia commons 

Despite being released just five days before the cutoff for Oricon’s midyear tracking, Enhypen’s ninth EP, Desire: Unleash, still soared to No. 9 on both the Combined and regular Albums Charts.

The EP dropped on June 3, featuring eight powerful tracks including the singles “Loose” and “Bad Desire (With or Without You).” In less than a week, the album sold over 300,000 copies, setting a new personal record for Enhypen’s Japanese releases.

Summer 2025: Packed Schedules in Japan

Both groups are gearing up for an action-packed summer in Japan.

Enhypen will release their fourth Japanese single, “Yoi,” on July 29, followed by a showcase event on July 31. The group is also set to headline major stadium concerts in Tokyo’s Ajinomoto Stadium and Osaka’s Yanmar Stadium Nagai in July and August, as part of their Walk the Line tour.

Meanwhile, Seventeen’s OST release for Hatsukoi Dogs is expected to drive even more momentum in their Japanese promotions, further solidifying their position as one of the region’s top foreign artists.

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K-Pop’s Reign in Japan Is Stronger Than Ever

The midyear success of Seventeen and Enhypen on Oricon’s charts underscores a clear message: K-pop is not just popular in Japan—it’s a dominant cultural force. With massive album sales, chart-topping releases, and sold-out summer events ahead, both groups are setting new industry standards. As the second half of 2025 unfolds, all eyes will be on HYBE’s leading acts to see just how far they’ll go in rewriting global music history.