BTS member Jin's Korean single 'The Astronaut,' released on October 28 last year, has maintained its hot streak on the American Billboard charts, charting for 18 weeks. In the recent Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart announced on November 14, 'The Astronaut' ranked 9th, marking its second consecutive week in the Top 10, proving its unwavering popularity more than a year after release.
'The Astronaut' has set a significant record in the K-pop solo history of the past decade by charting for a total of 18 weeks. Upon its release, the song debuted at number 1 on the World Digital Song Sales Chart and remained at the top for three consecutive weeks, the longest at that time for a K-pop solo song in the past decade.
Additionally, 'The Astronaut' has spent 15 of its 18 weeks on the chart in the Top 10, showcasing Jin's overwhelming presence and power. In 2022, the single debuted with a first-week sales figure of 44,000 on the Digital Song Sales chart, marking the fifth-highest sales debut of any song released last year. This debut performance placed 'The Astronaut' at number 58 on Billboard's 2022 Year-End Digital Song Sales chart, the only K-pop solo song on the chart.
On Spotify, the world's largest music platform, 'The Astronaut' has garnered over 286.54 million streams as of November 16, continuing its popularity. The official music video is close to reaching 100 million views, currently standing at 97.69 million.
'The Astronaut' also achieved a record-breaking debut on the U.S. iTunes Top Songs chart, reaching number 1 in just 1 hour and 23 minutes, the fastest for any K-pop solo artist. The song was jointly composed and written by Jin and the world-renowned band Coldplay, becoming the first million-seller solo single certified by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA), sweeping charts worldwide.
The music video for 'The Astronaut' set a new record by staying at number 1 on the 'Worldwide YouTube Popular Music Video Category' for 17 consecutive days, surpassing Jin's previous record of 16 days with 'Super Tuna'. It was also recognized in Rolling Stone's 'Top 100 Songs of 2022,' ranking as the highest among Asian solo artists, and placed 14th in Billboard's '25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022: Staff Picks'.
Furthermore, 'The Astronaut' ranked 4th in the 'Top 10 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022' by French media outlet Paris Match, receiving acclaim for its excellent musicality and impressive capabilities.
On the first anniversary of 'The Astronaut' on October 28, fans worldwide commemorated the occasion with New York Times Square billboard ads, military newspaper ads, and meaningful donations.
