BTS Members Shine Solo: Chart Dominance Continues with Recent Releases

BTS (방탄소년단) continues to demonstrate remarkable longevity in the music industry. With the recent solo albums from its members achieving sustained success on Western charts, the return of Jin (진) and J-Hope (제이홉) has further amplified their chart impact.

According to the latest charts released by Billboard on November 19 (local time), Jin's solo album 'Happy' has seen its pre-release track 'I’ll Be There' chart for three consecutive weeks, landing at 72nd on the 'Global (Excl. U.S.)' chart and 123rd on the 'Global 200'. Additionally, the latest Oricon chart released on November 20 shows that Jin's solo album 'Happy' debuted at number one on the 'Weekly Digital Album Ranking' for the period of November 11-17, achieving this feat with just three days of sales.

Upon its release on November 15, 'Happy' quickly climbed to the top of the Oricon 'Daily Album Ranking' (as of November 16), with sales nearing 220,000 copies on its first day alone. Notably, 'Happy' has become the best-selling K-pop solo album on its release day in Oricon's history. The title track 'Running Wild' also topped the 'Daily Digital Single Ranking' on November 15. Furthermore, all tracks from the album, including 'Until I Reach You' (9th), 'I’ll Be There' (11th), 'Heart on the Window (with Wendy)' (14th), 'Longing' (15th), and 'Another Level' (17th), secured spots within the top 20 of the 'Daily Digital Single Ranking'.

Meanwhile, Jimin's (지민) second solo album 'MUSE' has made its mark on the U.S. Billboard main album chart, 'Billboard 200', debuting at 152nd, while its title track 'Who' reached 45th on the main song chart, 'Hot 100', marking 17 consecutive weeks on the charts. 'Who' also secured 11th on the 'Global (Excl. U.S.)' chart and 13th on the 'Global 200', while remaining 32nd on the 'Streaming Songs' chart. 'MUSE' continues to hold strong at 5th on the 'World Albums' chart.

Jungkook (정국) has also proven his chart presence this week. His first solo single 'Seven (feat. Latto)', released last year, and the title track 'Standing Next to You' from his solo album 'GOLDEN' are currently ranked 64th and 140th on the 'Global (Excl. U.S.)' chart, respectively. 'Seven (feat. Latto)' maintains its position at 110th on the 'Global 200'.

The solo tracks released by BTS members around the time of their military enlistment continue to resonate with fans this year. Jimin's 'MUSE' and its title track 'Who' have achieved 17 weeks of consecutive entries on both Billboard's main charts (Billboard 200 and Hot 100), surpassing the records set by his first solo album 'FACE' and its title track 'Like Crazy'.

Jungkook is also continuing his trajectory as a global pop star. His solo single 'Seven (feat. Latto)' and the title track 'Standing Next to You' from 'GOLDEN' are still performing well on the Billboard global charts, with 'Standing Next to You' making a notable 19-week run on the 'Hot 100', placing it second only to Psy's (싸이) 'Gangnam Style', which holds the record for 31 weeks.

The performance on Spotify is also noteworthy, with Jungkook's 'Seven (feat. Latto) (Explicit ver.)' and 'Standing Next to You' surpassing 2 billion and 1 billion streams, respectively. Jimin's 'Who' has also crossed the 1 billion mark on Spotify as of November 13, making it the only K-pop song released in 2024 to achieve this milestone.

Additionally, RM (알엠) and Megan Thee Stallion's collaboration 'Neva Play (feat. RM)' reached 36th on the Billboard 'Hot 100' chart as of September 21, marking a personal best for RM and becoming his second solo track to enter the 'Hot 100' following 'Wild Flower (with Jo Yu-jin)'.

With the return of Jin and J-Hope, BTS's influence on Western charts is on the rise. Jin's immediate success with 'Happy' on global charts has generated anticipation for his future international performance. Recently, he completed a showcase stage with fans, further heightening expectations for his upcoming activities.

J-Hope also made a splash upon his return, with the track 'on the street (solo version)' from his special album 'HOPE ON THE STREET VOL.1' charting on Billboard's 'World Digital Song Sales'. Furthermore, BTS's anthology album 'Proof' has now charted for 126 weeks on the 'World Albums' chart, recently securing the 7th position, maintaining its place in the top 10 for another week.

The global chart success is translating into accolades as well. On November 10, the '2024 MTV Europe Music Awards' recognized Jimin as the 'Best K-Pop' artist, marking the second consecutive year a BTS member has won this award, following Jungkook's win last year.

Music critics are weighing in on the significance of these solo activities. Kim Do-hun noted, "BTS has emphasized solid teamwork, but the members are now expressing their individual musical colors based on their global influence. This is not just temporary music to fill the group's hiatus, which is a positive aspect." Lim Jin-mo added, "The recent successes of the solo projects highlight BTS's star power, reminiscent of British and American pop. This bodes well for BTS's future activities and dispels concerns about a 'crisis in global K-pop'."

As BTS members continue to make waves globally, Jin is set to appear on the popular U.S. NBC program 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' on November 21 at 1:35 PM, where he will perform his title track 'Running Wild'.