The numbers are surprising.
Koreaboo
1 hour ago
BLACKPINK‘s Jennie is facing intense criticism online for allegedly “faking” her achievements with her first solo album, Ruby.
BLACKPINK’s Jennie
The controversy was triggered after IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) released its list of 2025’s best-selling albums worldwide based on pure sales. Thirteen of the top twenty on this list were occupied by K-Pop acts, including Stray Kids, SEVENTEEN, ENHYPEN, TOMORROW X TOGETHER, ZEROBASEONE, IVE, G-Dragon, NCT WISH, aespa, and BOYNEXTDOOR.
Best selling albums of 2025 worldwide by pure sales, via IFPI:
#1. Taylor Swift – The Life of a Showgirl (6.05M)
#2. Stray Kids – KARMA (3.49M)
#3. SEVENTEEN – HAPPY BURSTDAY (2.63M)
#4. ENHYPEN – DESIRE : UNLEASH (2.13M)
#5. Snow Man – THE BEST 2020 – 2025 (1.67M)
#6. TOMORROW…
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 20, 2026
However, it struck netizens as odd that Jennie’s name wasn’t on the list when her album sold one million copies in its first week alone. The 20th entry on the list, IVE’s IVE SECRET, had 1.07 million sales, which Jennie should have crossed easily with a March release.
Her absence from this IFPI list has sparked a slew of criticism, with many claiming that her PR team lied about the album’s achievements.
[🚨] Jennie and her PR team lied and faking achievements claiming that she had sold 1 million copies/sales. https://t.co/DQMevVu0zc pic.twitter.com/ii4uNPHx20
— KFlop Net (@KFloopNet) February 21, 2026
Fake sales, paid radio spins and playlisting, lip-synced vocals, lazy dances, can’t write or produce anything, can’t even sell out 20k tickets, no creative direction, a whole career built on scandals, clout, media play, and a PR team busy fabricating achievements! https://t.co/za2L2qpnxH pic.twitter.com/TRW9kaAADi
— 𝖁𝖎𝖗𝖆🪐 (@vitaaabluest) February 21, 2026
She is the fraudest idol wdym she mediaplayed herself to be a million seller without even crossing 800k on circles chart https://t.co/8HT05URK7S pic.twitter.com/MJXUbEO0BH
— Kpop updates (@Xoxo_iconic__) February 21, 2026
Her team lied about her sales 😭 https://t.co/zvThVrTxnx
— JAEKAY (@jeonisdarling) February 20, 2026
She really stood on her PR lie so shameless 😭😭 https://t.co/LAfksAfM6h
— kuinastairwell (@kuinadstairs) February 21, 2026
However, some fans defended the idol, pointing out that her absence could be caused by many different variables involved in IFPI’s year-end lists.
The way some people suddenly become “industry experts”…
Let’s set the record straight with facts, not hostility:
📌 JENNIE’s Ruby sold over 1 million copies globally in its first week, a milestone backed by multiple reputable industry reports — including her top-10 debuts… pic.twitter.com/yU3iL4daSt
— BLΛCKPIИK GLOBAL FANBASE (@BLACKPINKGLOBAL) February 21, 2026
Some also pointed out that the outlet that first reported Jennie’s album selling a million copies in its first week of release had used the word “shifted” instead of “sold,” possibly implying that the albums were shipped to stores and not to end customers.
JENNIE’s Ruby shifted more than 1m worldwide copies in its first week of release, a glittering debut for the ODDATELIER/Columbia project.
The @BLACKPINK member enjoyed #2 debuts in Australia, Belgium, Korea and New Zealand, a #3 entry in the U.K. and Top 10 starts in France… pic.twitter.com/4W3OLOsT0r
— HITS (@HITSDD) March 17, 2025
Neither Jennie nor her label has provided any clarification on the situation as of yet.
BLACKPINK