Taeyang Earns Career-Best Sales Week With ‘QUINTESSENCE’

BusinessHollywood & EntertainmentTaeyang Earns Career-Best Sales Week With ‘QUINTESSENCE’ByJeff Benjamin,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Jeff Benjamin is a New York-based writer covering global pop music.Follow AuthorMay 25, 2026, 07:00pm EDTTaeyang of BIGBANG attends the listening session celebrating the release of his 4th full album ‘QUINTESSENCE’ at Cube Convention Center on May 18, 2026 in Seoul, South Korea. (Photo by iMBC/Imazins via Getty Images)ImaZins via Getty ImagesNearly 20 years into his career, Taeyang is still finding new peaks. The BIGBANG vocalist and solo star has earned the biggest sales week of his career with his latest album QUINTESSENCE, which moved 56,985 physical copies worldwide in its first week, according to South Korea’s real-time sales chart Hanteo — more than doubling any previous first-week total in his solo discography.The strong week was set up by a big opening day as QUINTESSENCE moved 26,657 copies on its first day of release, also a career best for Taeyang, surpassing the nearly 11,300 copies sold on the first day of his last EP from 2023, Down to Earth. To date, Taeyang has now sold over 220,000 copies across all of his solo albums, according to Hanteo.Take a look at how QUINTESSENCE stacks up to Taeyang’s past first-week sales figures.QUINTESSENCE (2026) — 56,985 copiesRISE (2014) — 19,743HOT (2008) — 16,605Down to Earth (2023) — 16,427SOLAR (2010) — 14,344WHITE NIGHT (2017) — 13,463Taeyang’s Massive 2026 Continues With BIGBANGThe new record arrives at a high-visibility moment for Taeyang. Earlier this year, he joined BIGBANG bandmates G-Dragon and Daesung for a widely celebrated set at Coachella, where the group performed a run of signature hits alongside solo material — including Taeyang’s 2013 fan-favorite single “Ringa Linga” from RISE and even “Good Boy,” his 2014 collaboration with G-Dragon. Taeyang also used the Coachella stage to tease QUINTESSENCE directly to...