BLACKPINK's third EP "DEADLINE" has shattered records for K-pop girl groups by selling roughly 1.77 million copies in its first week, achieving massive commercial success despite sharply divided reviews from music critics. The album, released Feb. 27, sold 1,774,577 copies by Thursday, according to Hanteo Chart, an increase of about 230,000 copies from the quartet's previous 2022 studio album "BORN PINK," setting a new high-water mark for female K-pop acts. The release surpassed aespa's "My World," which held the previous record with 1.69 million copies sold in its first week in May 2023. NewJeans' "Get Up" sits in third place with 1.65 million copies, followed by IVE's "I've Mine" and BLACKPINK's "BORN PINK." "DEADLINE" dominated immediately, selling over 1.46 million copies on its first day and topping iTunes "Top Albums" charts in 38 regions globally. YG Entertainment said, "As global demand greatly exceeds expectations and additional production is underway, the final sales volume will increase even more." The commercial triumph, however, contrasts with sharply divided reviews from the