(LEAD) BTS breaks its own record for highest first-week album sales with 'Map of the Soul: Persona'

(ATTN: UPDATES with Guinness world records in last 5 paras)

SEOUL, April 19 (Yonhap) -- K-pop sensations BTS sold more than 2.13 million copies of its new album in the first week of the album's release, setting a new record of highest first-week record sales, the band's management agency said Friday.

The new album "Map of the Soul: Persona" sold 2,130,480 copies in the seven days since its release last Friday, Big Hit Entertainment said, quoting figures from local chart compiler Hanteo.

This makes "Map of the Soul: Persona" the highest-selling K-pop album in the first week of its release, a record formerly held by another BTS album, "Love Yourself: Tear," released in May last year.

"Tear" sold slightly more than 1 million copies in the first week.

The latest feat adds to a slew of records the new BTS album has set in the week after the album hit the world music scene last week.

Billboard and Official Charts of the United Kingdom said the opener of the "Map of the Soul" album series is on course to take No. 1 on their album charts.

The music video of the album's main track, "Boy With Luv," featuring American diva Halsey, became the fastest YouTube video ever to garner 100 million views, having surpassed the milestone in less than 38 hours.

The video also set three Guinness world records for garnering the highest number of views in the first 24 hours of its release, the official website of Guinness World Records said.

"The video debuted with 74.6 million views in the first 24 hours, achieving Guinness World Records titles" in three categories -- the most-viewed YouTube video in 24 hours, the most-viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours and the most-viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a K-pop group, Guinness said in a posting dated Monday, quoting YouTube figures.

Previous Guinness record holders that garnered the highest number of viewers in the first 24 hours of release include Ariana Grande's "thank u, next" (55.4 million views), BTS's "IDOL" (45 million), Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" (43.2 million) and PSY's "Gentleman" (38 million)."

Most recently, another K-pop band, BLACKPINK, maintained all three record titles for just over a week after their latest song, "Kill This Love," collected 56.7 million views in the first 24 hours following the single's release on April 4, according to Guinness.

"(BTS) continue to wow international audiences with two sell-out performances at London's O2 arena, a sold out show at Citi Field stadium in New York City last October and an appearance on NBC's Saturday Night Live," it added.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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