Highlights
- Artists like BTS’ Jungkook and Jimin, and BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Jennie are proving the growing global power of K-pop soloists.
- K-pop’s Billboard success is no longer limited to groups, as solo releases continue gaining mainstream traction worldwide.
- Jennie’s recent entry at the Billboard Hot 100 Top 10 further reinforces that momentum.
Ranking in the Billboard Hot 100 remains the ultimate feat for global pop acts, particularly for K-pop artists. Although the Billboard 200 album chart often sees entries from the K-pop genre inside the upper tier, solo acts rarely make an impact unless and until it's a venture from a member of a popular group.
An instance of such an occurrence is BTS member Jungkook’s first solo album, Golden, which debuted atop Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Nov. 18, 2023). According to Luminate, it sold 164,800 copies in the U.S. for the week ending Nov. 9, 2023; additionally, it also arrived at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Although rare, Jungkook’s solo success is not an isolated event. Popular girl group members have also charted individual success as soloists. For instance, BLACKPINK member Jennie had recently secured her first top-ten hit with her latest song Dracula, a collaboration with Kevin Parker’s Tame Impala project.
Jennie’s Dracula Remix Hits Top 10 on Billboard Hot 100 Chart
The song Dracula leaped from No. 18 to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, showcasing how Jennie’s addition in the remix bolstered the popularity of the track, which was originally a Tame Impala solo. The track currently appears on 19 Billboard charts according to Forbes, achieving new peaks on five more, which are listed below:
- Global 200 at No. 2
- Rock & Alternative Airplay at No. 2
- Adult Pop Airplay at No. 14
- Pop Airplay at No. 18
- Radio Songs at No. 23
Jennie’s achievement places her as the only third solo female K-pop act to enter the Top 10 tier of Billboard Hot 100. Notably, her bandmate Rosé became the first to hold the title a little over a year ago, owing to her Bruno Mars collab APT., which ranked No. 3 on the same chart.
KPop Demon Hunters Extend K-pop’s Fictional Chart Boom
Despite Jennie’s high ranking, the top hit for a female act in the K-pop category remains bound to HUNTR/X, the fictional girl group from the Netflix hit KPop Demon Hunters. HUNTR/X’s Golden, charted several weeks of success on many tallies while being an award season favorite.
The group, voiced by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami, will also be at the core of a KPop Demon Hunters concert, which is set to arrive soon. Also, another HUNTR/X song How It’s Done, has secured a top-ten position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
However, the film’s antagonist boy band Saja Boys too entered the top 10 as well, with several members like Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, and Samuil Lee, accompanying the ranking.
PSY, Jungkook and Jimin Back K-pop’s Solo Legacy
Although PSY pioneered the path of global recognition by hitting the No. 2 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with its 2012 release Gangnam Style, followed by a top-five follow-up with Gentleman, BTS Jungkook remains the most dominant K-pop soloist in recent times. The youngest member of BTS had peaked with Standing Next to You and the Jack Harlow collab 3D. He also shares this success with his band member Jimin, who hit several Billboard charts owing to his tracks Like Crazy from FACE (2023) and Who from MUSE (2024).
