On February 27, 2022, BTS made history as the first foreign artist to receive the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) Diamond Certification for streaming in Japan. This certification is awarded to albums that have achieved more than 100 million streams in Japan.
The album that earned BTS this incredible achievement is their fourth Japanese studio album, “Map of the Soul: 7 ~ The Journey ~”, which was released on July 15, 2020. This album was released in both physical and digital formats, and the digital version has now achieved more than 100 million streams in Japan.
The RIAJ Diamond Certification is a prestigious award that is only given to albums that have achieved a certain level of success in Japan. This certification is a testament to the immense popularity of BTS in Japan, and it is a huge honor for the group to be the first foreign artist to receive this certification.
In addition to BTS, two other K-pop girl groups, TWICE and ITZY, have also achieved success in Japan. Both groups have received the RIAJ Gold Certification for streaming in Japan, which is awarded to albums that have achieved more than 50 million streams in Japan.
TWICE’s fourth Japanese studio album, “&TWICE”, was released on June 17, 2020, and has achieved more than 50 million streams in Japan. ITZY’s first Japanese studio album, “IT’z ICY”, was released on July 22, 2020, and has also achieved more than 50 million streams in Japan.
The success of BTS, TWICE, and ITZY in Japan is a testament to the growing popularity of K-pop in the country. It is clear that K-pop is becoming increasingly popular in Japan, and it is likely that more K-pop groups will achieve success in the country in the future.
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