"Is any part of this article accurate?" – Netizens slam SEVENTEEN’s THR feature over K-pop’s ‘most successful’ tag & Taylor Swift comparison

On May 28, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter published a new profile on SEVENTEEN during promotions for their 10th anniversary album Happy Burstday. The article looked back at the group’s 10-year journey in K-pop, but a line in the subtitle has faced criticism.

"They [SEVENTEEN] fill more stadiums than Springsteen and sell as many albums as Taylor Swift. But the world’s most successful K-pop band still faces one last hurdle: growing up," it read.

The comparisons quickly went viral and sparked debate. Fans and music watchers questioned the accuracy of the numbers used in the article.

"But seriously, is any part of this article accurate? They aren't filling stadiums and they most definitely are not selling as many albums as Taylor Swift," an X user commented.

Reactions have been split. Some welcomed the spotlight on the K-pop act's growth, while others pointed out the need for more precise reporting, especially in global music coverage.

"What part of this article is accurate? Hybe is really ruining the image of K-pop when they are pushing and paying for false narratives like that," a fan remarked.

“Worlds most successful K-pop band’’ even their own fans would tell that the statement isn’t true at all," a user mentioned.

"Using a big fan to write a biased article, you'd think it would be a "good" move. It isn't when it harbours a lot of inaccuracies, sure it's complimentary but it'll make the site (THR in this case) highly questionable at best with all of their articles," a person shared.

Check out more similar fan reactions.

"Lies on lies on lies on delusions! they DONT sell more seats then BS they DONT sell more albums then TS they ARE NOT the no 1 K-pop band they are just BACKING LIES with stolen money from HYBE," a netizen said.

"What type of delusional writing is this? Sell many albums as Taylor swift . Do you guys even do your research ?," a viewer noted.

"Would’ve angled it differently considering seventeen has zero tour dates scheduled. Also what are the metrics for “the world’s most successful k-pop band” Sales? Streams? Touring? Kind of crazy considering another K-pop group is selling out SoFi and touring here all summer 🤔," another fan added.

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Fact-checking The Hollywood Reporter’s SEVENTEEN feature

SEVENTEEN has reached a global milestone, moving nearly 60 million records across their career. In comparison, according to Billboard, Taylor Swift's total album sales are estimated to have crossed 116.77 million worldwide.

Despite the overall figures, as reported by IFPI, SEVENTEEN outpaced Swift in album sales during 2023. The K-pop group’s release of FML reportedly shifted approximately 6.4 million units that year.

Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) sold about 2.8 million units in 2023, but the original report lacked a clear timeframe, causing confusion. The part comparing the boy band concert reach to Bruce Springsteen also raised concerns.

Springsteen’s 2023–2025 tour, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band 2023–2025 Tour, is one of the highest-grossing ever. It includes more stadium shows than SEVENTEEN has done in total. While the K-pop group has performed in large venues, data doesn’t support the claim that they’ve played more stadiums than Springsteen overall.

Another debated phrase was calling the group the “world’s most successful K-pop band." Many noted that groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK have also reached massive milestones globally. The article didn’t break down the criteria behind the label.

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SEVENTEEN marked 10 years since their debut with a fresh album titled Happy Burstday, released on May 23. The project includes 16 tracks and, for the first time, features solo songs from each of the 13 members. The release comes as the group begins a new chapter, with members gradually entering military service and shifting toward solo and unit activities.