Kris Wu‘s Antares album sales from the U.S. iTunes store were acquired “fraudulently” and will not count towards the Billboard charts.
The decision was made as of Wednesday (November 7), according to Variety.
The 28-year-old EXO alum’s solo debut stormed the iTunes U.S. charts upon its release, with the only non-Kris song in the Top 10 as of Monday (November 5) being Ariana Grande‘s “Thank U, Next.”
The determination that the purchases were fraudulent came down to a number of factors, including the fact that the album hadn’t yet been released in China. Some have speculated that Chinese fans were able to manipulate their VPN to access the U.S. iTunes store to purchase the album. Others suggested it was a mobilized fan initiative to “game the U.S. system to gain traction in the U.S. and mobilize a new audience.”
The album also dropped down to No. 90 on the charts once the album was made available in China. Apple has declined to comment.
For more on the situation, which is still being investigated, head to Variety.com.
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