On February 7, 2024, BTS Jungkook joined South Korean singer-songwriter BoA as the only Korean and K-pop solo artists to have their songs chart for over 30 weeks on Billboard Japan Hot 100. The BTS star’s debut solo single Seven (feat. Latto) has spent over 210 days while BoA’s track Meri Kuri has spent over 280 days (40 weeks) on the chart.
Fans congratulated the 26-year-old musician for becoming one of just two musicians in the chart’s history to accomplish this milestone.
For the uninitiated, legendary South Korean artist Kwon Bo-ah aka BoA debuted in 2000 and is hailed as the “Queen of K-pop”. She is a well-known singer, composer, and actress who was the first Korean musician to be successful in the Japanese music industry.
Notably, Seven is still charting on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 Chart as of February 8, 2024. In the last decade, Jungkook has been the only one to achieve this mark since Meri Kuri by BoA was first released in 2004. The song entered the chart in January 2010 and spent a total of 40 weeks and peaked at #23.
MOST STREAMED KPOP ALBUMS ON SPOTIFY OF ALL-TIME:
— About Music (@AboutMusicYT) February 10, 2024
#10 Jungkook – Golden (2.614B)pic.twitter.com/YYX1PAA5Z9
Who Is Jungkook?
Jung Kook (정국) is a South Korean singer-songwriter, rapper, and producer under BigHit Music. He is the main vocalist and maknae of the boy group BTS.
He made his solo debut with the digital single “Seven” on July 14, 2023.
Pre-debut
Jung Kook auditioned for numerous shows such as Superstar K2 when he was in seventh grade. He was signed by Big Hit Entertainment and became a part of BTS in eighth grade. He also went to the United States to learn Urban style, female dancing style, powerful dances, and other choreographies.
2013: Debut with BTS
He made his debut as a member of BTS on June 13, 2013 with the group’s first single album “2 Cool 4 Skool”.
2023: Solo debut with “Seven”, “3D”, Golden
On June 4, 2023, Sports Chosun reported that Jung Kook will be making his solo debut on July 14. Hours later, Big Hit responded to the reports and stated that an announcement will be made soon. On June 30, it was announced that Jung Kook will be making his solo debut on July 14 with his first single album “Seven”.
On July 29, on an episode of Suga’s Suchwita, Jung Kook revealed that he is planning to release a new single and an additionnal mini album aimed for November.
On August 24, BigHit announced that Jung Kook will be releasing “Seven (Alesso Remix)” the following day.
On September 24, BigHit announced that Jung Kook will release his new single album “3D” on September 29.
On October 4, BigHit announced that Jung Kook will release his first English full-length album Golden on November 3.
On October 10, Australian singer-songwriter and rapper The Kid Laroi announced that he will be collaborating with Jung Kook and British rapper Central Cee for the single “Too Much”, which was released on October 20, ahead of his upcoming album.
On October 28, BigHit announced that Jung Kook will be releasing “Seven (David Guetta Remix)” and “3D (MK Remix)” on October 30.
On November 6, BigHit announced that Jung Kook will be releasing “Standing Next to You : The Remixes” later that day.
Personal life
Military service
On November 22, 2023, Jung Kook personally announced through BTS’s Weverse account that he will be enlisting in December. He eventually enlisted on December 12. He will be discharged on June 11, 2025.
![Jung Kook is turning Times Square Golden. On Thursday, the BTS member surprised fans in New York City with an impromptu performance on the TSX Stage in Times Square. After a New Year’s Eve-esque countdown on a large building, Jung Kook took the stage surrounded by dancers on the TSX Stage. “Let’s have fun,” he declared before opening his performance with track “Standing Next to You” as fans could be heard yelling from the crowd. Combining BTS’ YouTube and an Xbox livestream at one point during the performance, more than 280,000 viewers watched from home. “This place is amazing. It’s an honor to perform in New York’s Times Square,” Jung Kook told the massive crowd, before playing “Yes Or No.” Fans in New York City were given a 30-minute heads up and ended up packing a large area next to the stage. “The view is incredible,” Jung Kook said at one point, playing songs like “3D,” “Please Don’t Change,” and “Seven,” his track with Latto. Post Malone previously performed on the stage. The performance comes a day after the singer performed on the Today Show. After dropping a couple of loose singles in 2022 — including the World Cup anthem “Dreamers” — Jung Kook began rolling out songs for Golden over the summer. The album itself arrived last Nov. 3, and featured collaborations with Major Lazer and DJ Snake. (On top of all his solo music, Jung Kook also linked up with the Kid Laroi and Central Tee for a new song, “Too Much.”) On Thursday, he also joined Zane Lowe and spoke about BTS and how he misses his groupmates. “Preparing as a solo artist and also working as a solo musician… there were times where I really missed [being in the group],” he said. “When I was in the waiting room or standing by myself on stage or eating with the staff. We were always together for so many years that I felt the void of them not being next to me.” “You know, I miss them. And I was thinking about them. So I suppose that year could seem far away, but I don’t want to think that way,” he added. “I think the synergy of BTS in 2025 will be incredible. I am so looking forward to it.”](https://kpoppie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/timesquare-1-480x264.jpg)
