Enhypen eyes Billboard No. 1 — but late Dolly Parton stands in the way

From No. 18 to No. 2: Enhypen's Billboard 200 climb

Enhypen, now operating as a six-member group, may be on the verge of topping the Billboard 200 — but a formidable rival stands in the way: the late Dolly Parton, the beloved country music legend.

According to the latest projections from US data firm Hits Daily Double, Enhypen's eighth mini-album "THE SIN : BLISS" is expected to sell approximately 95,000 copies in its first week in the United States, with total first-week units projected at around 101,000.

Earlier projections had been even higher. On Tuesday, Hits Daily Double forecast the album would move 100,000 copies and 108,000 total units, enough for a No. 1 debut. Subsequent tracking adjustments brought those figures down to 95,000 copies and 101,000 units, though the No. 1 projection held. Official Billboard figures could still differ before the chart is announced. If the forecast holds, it would mark Enhypen's first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The group has consistently made inroads on the Billboard charts since its debut.

Enhypen first entered the Billboard 200 in 2021 with "BORDER : CARNIVAL," debuting at No. 18. Subsequent releases followed an upward trajectory — "DIMENSION : DILEMMA" reached No. 11, and "DIMENSION : ANSWER" came in at No. 14.

In 2022, "MANIFESTO : DAY 1" broke into the top 10 for the first time, peaking at No. 6. "DARK BLOOD" and "ORANGE BLOOD" each reached No. 4, and in 2024, "ROMANCE : UNTOLD" climbed to No. 2, setting a new personal best on the chart. The group had consistently improved its ranking with each release.

Since then, Enhypen has remained in the top three. "DESIRE : UNLEASH" in 2025 peaked at No. 3, and "THE SIN : VANISH," released in January, returned to No. 2 — giving the group six consecutive Billboard 200 top-10 albums.

Notably, both "THE SIN : VANISH" and "ROMANCE : UNTOLD" each surpassed 120,000 units — more than the current projection for the new album — yet still finished at No. 2. "THE SIN : VANISH" was held off the top spot by A$AP Rocky's "DON'T BE DUMB."

Enhypen's biggest rival on this week's Billboard 200 is Dolly Parton. Since the country music legend died Tuesday, her music has seen a surge in streaming both in the United States and around the world.

According to Reuters, global audio and video streaming of Parton's music reached 35 million plays on the day of her death — a roughly 1,200 percent increase from Saturday. Her signature songs "Jolene" and "9 to 5" shot back to the top of streaming charts. The Associated Press, citing Luminate data, reported that US audio and video streams of Parton's music soared from 1.2 million on Saturday to 30.5 million on the day she died and 46.3 million the following day.

Her 2003 compilation album "Ultimate Dolly Parton" has also entered the upper reaches of the Billboard 200 race. Hits Daily Double projects it will land at No. 2 with 73,000 units.

The firm noted, however, that Ella Langley's "Dandelion" is projected at 70,000 units and Olivia Rodrigo's "you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love" at 67,000 units, meaning Parton's final chart position could still shift before the official rankings are released.

The chart holds special significance for Parton as well. According to Billboard, "Ultimate Dolly Parton" debuted at No. 130 when it was first released in 2003 and is now surging back toward the top on a wave of posthumous streaming. Parton never reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 during her lifetime. The upcoming chart has become a race to see which of the two artists claims their first-ever Billboard 200 No. 1.

The decisive factor may come down to timing. The Billboard tracking week runs from Friday through Thursday. News of Parton's passing broke Tuesday afternoon, meaning her tribute streaming will be reflected in the current chart cycle for only about 2.5 days. The prevailing view is that Enhypen, with roughly 100,000 physical album sales locked in for its first week, will hold off the competition and claim the top spot on the initial chart.

The second week, however, could tell a very different story. With a full seven days of streaming data factored in, the outlook may reverse entirely. K-pop albums typically see a sharp drop in sales after the first week, while public mourning for Parton in the United States shows no sign of fading — leading many to forecast that "Ultimate Dolly Parton" will take the No. 1 position the following week.

shee@heraldcorp.com