NCT DREAM's Best Friend Ever debuts as the highest first-day sales for a Japanese project by a K-pop artist

On February 8, 2023, NCT DREAM made their Japanese debut with their first Japanese single, Best Friend Ever, which also features the Japanese version of their previously released title track, Glitch Mode. Following its release, the single secured many impressive spots on the music charts and was greatly received by fans who are loving the new music by their faves.

Within twenty-four hours of its release, the single album saw a sale of 139,674 copies, marking the highest first-day sale of any Japanese project by K-pop artists, surpassing LE SSERAFIM's latest Japanese single, FEARLESS. The album also topped the Japanese Oricon's daily singles chart the day it was released.

NCT DREAM's Japan debut, Best Friend Ever, makes impressive records on the music charts

Soon after its release, the single garnered a lot of attention for its eye-catching concept and addictive melody and effortlessly created many records in several music charts. It secured a place on the global music charts by debuting at #21 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart, #14 on Recochoku K-pop Music Daily Chart, and more.

Its first-day sales are also the highest for any NCT unit, surpassing the earlier record holder, NCT 127's LOVEHOLIC, which received 97k first-day sales.

Additionally, it has also surpassed the record for first-week sales by an SM Entertainment group, which was previously held EXO's Love Me Right ~romantic universe~ with 146k sales.

By also topping the MelOn J-Pop daily chart, the single is seeing remarkable commercial success with many chart achievements. With a great start to NCT DREAM's new era, the group has inspired a lot of love and support among fans for their meaningful track, Best Friend Ever.

Fans react to NCT DREAM's Japan debut, Best Friend Ever

Following the release of Best Friend Ever, fans couldn't help but dwell on the details and layers of the song as well as the significance of its music video. With NCT DREAM adopting a cute concept after the longest time, fans are already intrigued about the aesthetics of the music video.

However, their obsession with the song doesn't stop there. As fans dive into the lyrics and understand the meaning of the track, they are appreciating the emotional edge to it as well.

Given that NCT DREAM members have spent the longest time with each other among other NCT units, the song has naturally become a touchstone track celebrating their friendship. Despite being a cute and fun concept, Best Friend Ever talks about the seven boys sticking together.

Apart from its meaningful lyrics, fans also made sure to appreciate the making of the song in general. The warm vocals from Jisung, Renjun, Chenle, and Haechan, along with the show-stopping rap parts from Jeno, Mark, and Jaemin, were much appreciated by fans who couldn't quite stop talking about how good the track sounds with all its elements.

Within hours after the release, both the track and the music video became a sensation and were seen trending on Twitter. Given that NCTzens witnessed two NCT comebacks back-to-back, Ay-Yo and Best Friend Ever, they have been rejoicing for the same and also appreciating their efforts in music creation.

However, despite their delight, fans remain worried about the possible over-work of Mark and Haechan, who are present in both NCT 127 and DREAM.

As a given for comebacks, fans are most excited about the promotional schedules that both groups will be rolling out. From guest appearances on variety shows to special performances on music shows, fans are on the eager lookout for what the group has planned following the release of Ay-Yo and Best Friend Ever.

After witnessing impressive commercial success for Best Friend Ever, despite its minimal marketing and small buffer gap from its announcement to its release, fans are both happy and proud of their idols and the interesting tracks they put forth.

About the author

Aishwarya is a pop culture writer who covers K-drama and K-pop at Sportskeeda. After completing her Bachelor's in English and Communication Skills, she sought a job that allowed her to explore her passion, and being a K-pop and K-drama reporter felt like the ideal fit. Aishwarya has 3 years of experience under her belt and previously took on several internships in the industry that further motivated her in choosing writing as a career.

Aishwarya believes in conducting extensive research and verifying facts with the help of reputable sources to produce accurate articles. She also spends a significant amount of time on Twitter to understand how netizens are reacting to the latest trends in the industry before crafting her content.

She admires SUGA from BTS for his dedication to his work and aspires to immerse herself into the things she loves, just like him. If she could go back in time, she would jump at the opportunity to be part of ""Reply 1988,"" a K-drama set in a time when neighborhood relationships were cherished and interpersonal connections were of utmost importance. Although she loves how technology has advanced, she would also love to experience living in an era before it was invented.

When Aishwarya's not writing and reading about the latest developments in the industry, she spends her time crocheting, sketching, cycling, reading Mangas, and cooking.

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Edited by Susrita Das