During an appearance on the Jimmy Fallon Show, Jeon Jung-kook said to Fallon, “You really make it sound like a huge global pop star.” Jung-kook is a member of the well-beloved K-pop group called BTS. The group is currently on hiatus due to each member’s enlistment in the Korean military and to pursue their own solo careers.
Before the release of his hit single “Seven,” much of Jung-kook’s success can be credited to his experience and achievements within BTS. BTS is still a globally celebrated K-pop group, especially in America. Throughout the years, they’ve delivered talent on the stage, with chart-topping songs like “Dynamite” & “Butter” and formed an unexplainable bond with their fanbase “ARMY.” The band has also used their platform to speak about social injustices, in May 2022 they visited the White House to address the surge in anti-Asian hate crimes.
The foundation for Jung-kook’s solo career was laid out perfectly. In June 2022 Jung-kook collaborated with Charlie Puth on the song “Left and Right” which hit #22 on the Billboard Hot 100. In that same year he released a song titled “Stay Alive” which was designed for a webtoon and at the opening ceremony of FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, Jung-kook performed his song “Dreamers.”
In summer 2023 everything took off for the heartthrob with the release of “Seven” ft Latto. Jung-kook’s upbeat single is certified platinum and according to Forbes, broke a record on the music streaming service Spotify. It became the fastest song to reach 1 billion streams, surpassing Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.”
Jung-kook has since gone on to collaborate with more artists like rapper Jack Harlow, who he collaborated with on the song “3D” which gave an early 2000s NSYNC vibe. He also collaborated with Kid Laroi on the catchy R&B-esque track, “Too much.”
On November 3, Jung-kook released his long-awaited debut album “Golden.” The album may give a sense of nostalgia for some fans as he was nicknamed the “golden maknae” (youngest) by BTS fans and members of the K-pop group. In a press release, it was written, “Goldentakes its motif from the golden moments of Jung-kook as a solo artist.”
In an interview with PICKCON, Jung-kook expressed, “The album was prepared for the overseas music market, so we chose all English songs.” The pop infused album indeed captured listeners and fans all over the worldwide, Jung-kook even surprised them with a performance in NYC on the TSX stage.
Jung-kook always makes sure to give his fans a shoutout as he wouldn’t be at the top without their love and support. It’s been a victorious year for Jung-kook, but this is just the beginning of a pop star and it’s exciting to see what heights his solo career will go.
