And bump BLACKPINK down to third biggest.
As strong as their debut was, I couldn't ignore the historic accomplishment of DEBUTING in the Billboard Hot 100, Hybe payola and hype be damned.
ILLIT would comfortably slide into the #2 spot for biggest debut ever, and NewJeans would still be sitting comfortably ahead. It's one thing to chart well and break records, but it's another to become the center of the K-Pop universe seemingly overnight and become a cultural reset and phenomenon so powerful that rival companies pay consulting firms millions to understand how you do it.
ILLIT isn't at THAT level, but their international streams are incredibly impressive, and I repeat, nobody saw this coming and you're lying if you claim otherwise.
That is all