Girls’ Generation’s new album, Lion Heart , is off to a roaring good start, with big wins on Billboard’s World Albums Chart and MBC’s August 29 episode of Show! Music Core.
Only five K-pop artists have managed to snag multiple number one spots on the World Albums Chart, and with Lion Heart occupying that coveted position, Girls’ Generation has officially joined that exclusive club. Their previous chart-topper, I Got A Boy , was released in 2013.
This victory came despite an unconventional release schedule that left Lion Heart with just three days to rack up enough sales. Girl’s Generation’s fifth Korean studio album was released in two stages, with half of the tracks and a music video showing up at noon on the release day and the other six hitting 12 hours later at midnight. Since Billboard has used the new global release day to calculate charts since July, Lion Heart was hamstrung compared to many other world albums.
When Jessica Jung, one of the founding members of Girls’ Generation, left in September 2014, there were some concerns about the future of the group. Although members come and go in many K-pop groups, the girls were together for seven years before the split. Those concerns seem unfounded now, as Girls’ Generation’s first album without Jung, and the three singles released to date, have all charted. In addition to the 12-track album hitting number one on Billboard ‘s World Music Chart, the singles “You Think,” “Lion Heart,” and “Party” each occupy spots on the World Digital Songs chart.
As previously reported by Inquisitr , Girls’ Generation embarked on an album promotional tour shortly after the release of Lion Heart . It began with an appearance on Music Bank on August 21, 2015, and it nearly came to an end when the girls were involved in a car accident one week later on their way to a filming of M! Countdown , according to Koreaboo via Korean news outlet Star News .
Girls’ Generation’s label, S.M. Entertainment, issued a short statement to assure fans that the girls were uninjured in the accident.
“Because of construction nearby, the girls were involved in a small collision. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the members finished their performance successfully.”
Two days later, Girls’ Generation won big again in an appearance on MBC’s Show! Music Core . Alongside performances by groups including Ami, 2EYES, Simon.D, and SG Wannabe, the girls broke out their new album’s eponymous single.
Although Simon.D, SG Wannabe, and Girls’ Generation were all nominated, the girls took home the win.
[Photo via Getty Images Entertainment]