BTS Jin’s much-anticipated solo album, Running Wild, debuted with impressive digital success, landing in the Top 5 of the Billboard Global 200 and Top 4 Excl US Charts. However, the album’s physical sales have sparked significant controversy, as it appears that the majority of CD sales for the debut week have either been misplaced or delayed, raising questions about Geffen’s handling of the release.
According to Talk of the Charts page , there have been no or negligible CD sales reported for Running Wild during its debut week. Initially, expectations were high, with preorders and projections suggesting that at least 10,000 copies would be sold in the first week. However, despite the early success of two versions of the CD, which sold out quickly in preorder, the physical sales numbers appear almost nonexistent.
To put this into perspective, two versions of Running Wild were released on November 15th, both of which sold out in advance. The expectation was that these CDs would contribute at least 5,000 copies each to the debut week tally, adding up to around 10,000 units — a reasonable target for the album’s first week on the charts. Previous solo albums from major artists this year had at least 10,000 CDs in stock, with some releases even surpassing 11,000. Given these benchmarks, Running Wild was expected to perform similarly with at least 20,000-22,000 units initially shipped.
However, the data suggests that no significant physical sales were recorded by midweek. While digital sales have bolstered the album’s performance on global charts, the absence of reported CD sales points to a larger issue within Geffen’s distribution and reporting systems. Talk of the Charts speculates that either the physical copies were never shipped in time for the tracking week, or they were incorrectly reported, leading to an artificially low debut position.
This situation is particularly troubling considering that Jin’s release was one of the most highly anticipated solo projects in recent months. The mishandling of physical sales by Geffen not only puts Jin’s chart performance in jeopardy but also raises concerns about the label’s internal operations. Fans and industry experts are left to speculate whether the sales data will be reported correctly in the second week, or if the damage is done.
In the world of music charts, physical sales play a critical role in determining an album’s success, especially in the first week. Geffen’s apparent failure to ensure the timely shipment and reporting of Running Wild’s CDs could have serious repercussions on the album’s overall performance, not just on the Billboard charts but in terms of fan sentiment and trust. While the digital success is undeniable, the missing physical sales will likely be felt as the album’s chart trajectory unfolds.
Jin’s album Running Wild has proven to be a major digital hit, but the mishandling of physical CD sales by Geffen has cast a shadow over its debut. If the label fails to resolve this issue and report the sales accurately, this could be a case of a label’s mismanagement undermining what should have been a triumphant release.
