Every member of the global sensation BTS has successfully made their mark on the Billboard charts with their individual solo albums.
According to the latest chart data released by U.S. Billboard on september 19th (local time) for the week of September 23rd, V's debut solo album 'Layover', released on the 8th, secured the #2 spot on the main album chart, 'Billboard 200'. In its first week of release in the U.S., 'Layover' achieved impressive sales, with 88,000 physical albums, 9,000 SEA units (sales equivalent from streaming), and 3,000 TEA units (sales equivalent from digital song downloads), totaling a whopping 100,000 units.
Furthermore, it clinched the #2 position on both 'Top Album Sales' and 'Top Current Album'. The title track 'Slow Dancing' showcased its popularity by ranking #51 on the 'Hot 100', #2 on 'Digital Song Sales', #3 on 'Global (Excluding U.S.)', and #4 on 'Global 200'.
With this achievement, V now joins the ranks of Jimin and Suga, who released their debut solo albums in March and April respectively, marking some of the highest achievements for K-pop solo artists on the 'Billboard 200'. V also celebrated his third entry on the 'Hot 100' chart, following his previous solo tracks, the SBS drama 'That Year, We' OST 'Christmas Tree' (#79) and 'Layover's pre-release track 'Love Me Again' (#96), setting a new personal best on the chart.
Since J-Hope kicked off the solo releases with 'Jack In The Box' in July of the previous year, BTS has been on a solo album spree. After more than a year, with V being the last member to release a solo project, all BTS members have solidified their global influence as individual artists.
Following J-Hope's promising start with 'Jack In The Box' ranking #17 on the 'Billboard 200', RM's 'Indigo' peaked at #3, while Jimin's 'Face' and Suga's 'D-DAY' both achieved the #2 spot. Jin made it to the 'Hot 100' at #51 with his collaborative track 'The Astronaut' with global band Coldplay. Both Jimin and Jungkook made history by becoming the first K-pop solo artists to reach #1 on the 'Hot 100' with their tracks 'Like Crazy' and 'Seven', respectively.
Notably, the achievements of Jungkook and V are even more significant as they came after Billboard adjusted its chart calculation method in response to the rising influence of K-pop.
Moreover, their solo tracks continue to demonstrate enduring popularity on the Billboard charts. Jungkook's 'Seven' has held the #1 spot on 'Global (Excluding U.S.)' for nine consecutive weeks, setting a new record for the longest duration at #1 by a K-pop artist, and remains in the upper echelons of 'Global 200'. 'Like Crazy' stands at #43 on 'Global (Excluding U.S.)' and #74 on 'Global 200', while 'Jack In The Box' continues to rank at #15 on both 'Top Current Album' and 'Top Album Sales'.
The fact that every member has charted on Billboard with their solo albums holds deep significance, especially considering the group announced a hiatus from group activities in June of the previous year. With the members starting their military service in December of the same year, there were concerns about the group's future. However, with all members expected to complete their military service by 2025, the achievements of the past year have effectively dispelled any concerns about a hiatus.
Additionally, on the 20th, their agency HYBE announced, "Big Hit Music has decided to sign an exclusive contract with all seven members of BTS. Based on this board resolution, we will sequentially sign contracts with all members." With BTS having previously renewed their contract with the agency in 2018, this announcement raises expectations for the group's robust activities as a complete unit after completing their military service in 2025.
