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Jimin, a member of the K-pop supergroup BTS, has become the first South Korean solo artist to reach the top of the US songs chart, according to Billboard.
Like Crazy debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 this week, dethroning Miley Cyrus’ Flowers, which had held the top spot for eight weeks.
“Jimin is the first South Korean soloist to score a No. 1 hit on the #Hot100, thanks to Like Crazy,” Billboard tweeted.
Jimin became the first solo South Korean artist to top the #Hot100 thanks to “Like Crazy.” https://t.co/Z28Dl7dHad
— billboard (@billboard) April 3, 2023
The song is the 66th to debut at the top of the Hot 100 chart, which dates back to 1958 and combines all-genre US streaming, radio play, and sales data, according to the industry tracker.
Face debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s main albums chart, making it the highest-charting album by a South Korean solo musician and surpassing fellow BTS member RM’s Indigo, which debuted at No. 3 in December, according to industry sources.
BTS is widely regarded as South Korea’s biggest cultural phenomenon, selling out stadiums around the world and dominating the charts while raking in billions for the country’s economy and establishing a global legion of fans known as ARMYs.
However, due to South Korea’s mandatory military service, the K-pop juggernaut announced a hiatus last year.
All able-bodied men in South Korea are required to serve in the military for at least 18 months, and after a years-long debate over whether BTS deserved an exemption, Jin, the group’s oldest member, enlisted last year.
Before the break, BTS had six No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, and all seven members of the boyband had solo hits on the top songs chart, according to Billboard.
According to Billboard, South Korean rapper Psy’s global hit Gangnam Style peaked at No. 2 in 2012.
