SEOUL -- Jungkook, the youngest artist of BTS, has become the only South Korean singer named in the top 10 list of the global single chart published by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a nonprofit organization that represents the global recording industry. The 26-year-old secured the 10th position with his first solo album "Seven."
According to the Global Single Chart released by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) on February 26, Seven ranked 10th in 2023. The IFPI has more than 8,000 record companies worldwide as its members and determines the rankings based on various factors such as paid subscription streaming and single-track downloads. Miley Cyrus' "Flowers" topped the list, followed by "Calm Down" by Rema and Selena Gomez, and SZA's Kill Bill.
Jungkook is the first South Korean solo artist to enter this chart in 11 years following, Rapper Psy, well-known for his global hit song "Gangnam Style." Seven, released in July 2023, topped Billboard's top 100 popular song chart and achieved No. 3 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
Along with other BTS members, Jungkook is currently fulfilling his mandatory military service in South Korea. The seven-member band is set to resume its group activities in 2025. Despite the K-pop phenomenon's hiatus, BTS' agency HYBE became the only domestic entertainment company to surpass 2 trillion won ($1.5 billion) in annual sales last year. The company's annual sales in 2023 were 2.17 trillion won, up 22.6 percent year-on-year.
HYBE sold a total of 43.6 million albums in 2023, which is twice as many as the previous year. Boy Band Seventeen was the top-selling album group among HYPE artists, recording cumulative album sales of around 16 million.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
