In June 2023, the youngest member of BTS, Jungkook, officially debuted as a solo artist with the single “Seven”. As such, at a young age, Jungkook has achieved career milestones that many K-pop idols aspire to. After making history as the first Korean artist to sing the World Cup anthem in 2022, the male idol now showcases strong potential for groundbreaking success as a solo artist, as proven with “Seven”
Jungkook’s solo is so successful, he “surpasses” BTS with hard-to-match achievements
It’s been over a month since Jungkook’s “Seven” was officially released. With the participation of female rapper Latto in the song and famous actress Han So Hee in the MV, “Seven” reflects Jungkook’s meticulous attention to detail in both music and visuals.
In fact, even the teaser for “Seven” managed to break records by reaching 1 million views within 10 minutes of being released. On the release day of “Seven,” the media buzzed with excitement, making Jungkook the talk of the town throughout the summer of 2023 with humorous images, dance challenges, and globally viral melodies.
Regarding YouTube achievements, Jungkook set the record for the fastest K-pop solo artist to reach 1 million views on an MV, achieving this feat in just 7 minutes. As of now, “Seven” has garnered over 166 million views in just one month and maintains a top position on music charts of various countries.
“Seven” also records astounding streaming numbers through various platforms, having debuted at No.1 on the global and Europe’s iTunes chart. The song also topped the iTunes Top Song charts in a total of 108 countries, making it the fastest to reach No.1 in 100 nations, within just 2.5 hours.
Additionally, after 1 month of release, “Seven” (Explicit Ver) has exceeded 420 million streams on Spotify. With the song, Jungkook managed to overcome Miley Cyrus, becoming the fastest artist to surpass 100 million Spotify streams with one song.
At the same time, the most prideful achievement of “Seven” is that it debuted on top of the Billboard Hot 100, making Jungkook the third K-pop artist to achieve this feat, following BTS and fellow group member Jimin.
Latest updates even reveal that Jungkook has surpassed… BTS in terms of monthly listeners on Spotify (35.5 million and 34.9 million, respectively). It seems that BTS is the only force that can reckon with BTS
The allure behind Jungkook
By releasing a song entirely in English, Jungkook clearly demonstrated his ambitions for the global market, right from his debut as a solo artist. Breaking free from the confines of Kpop, Jungkook has become a highly regarded global star, partly thanks to the foundation of BTS’s fame.
Of course, there’s also the factor of Jungkook’s individual charms, as the male idol is known as BTS’ “golden maknae” with one of the largest fanbases among the group .
Furthermore, Jungkook’s visibility has further spread since the 2022 World Cup. His song, “Dreamers”, was deemed a rare opportunity for a K-pop idol to captivate the attention of sports enthusiasts, especially those who don’t typically follow pop music stars. Participating in the official tracklist of the World Cup help direct the global public and media to Jungkook’s way, who is now making history for South Korea.
In addition, a focused release strategy for a single song has also boosted Jungkook’s debut accomplishments. The move of promoting “Seven” in the United States before returning to South Korea allowed the song to establish its initial foothold. This approach facilitated the spread of the music on American television programs and an eventual entry onto the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Jungkook also frequently engaged with fans through live streams during his debut preparation period. He passionately sang into the night, covering hits by fellow artists and singing songs associated with his name. On numerous occasions, Jungkook shared his thoughts on the challenges of personal promotions, creating a close connection with fans and building excitement for his upcoming releases.
In the end, the most essential element is undoubtedly Jungkook’s talent and music. As BTS’s main vocal, Jungkook boasts an impressive voice. Over his 10 years of debut, fans have also recognized the male idol’s distinct musical personality, where he pursues an audacious and free-spirited style, and is unafraid to break boundaries. Evolving from the image of the golden maknae, he has matured, with personality emanating through his every feature – from heavily tattooed arms, daily life fashion, to hairstyles, all of which are unshackled by the rigid mold of public perception.
Finally, through his debut song, Jungkook brings a captivating arrangement that infuses UK Garage vibes into Kpop. The lyrics brim with messages of love, the melody is catchy, and the song seems to lay stuck in people’s heads. Audiences seemed to have expected nothing less than a high-quality and meticulously crafted product like “Seven.”
At the same time, the 3-minute MV, which features the charming Han So Hee, went viral online due to her “bad girl” vibes, as well as comedic yet natural chemistry with Jungkook, creating a powerful combination of top stars.
And as such, with all the aforementioned elements, “Seven” indeed shook the music scene upon release.
Source: K14