Jimin’s WHO Breaks Records as the Longest-Charting Song by a K-Pop Soloist

On November 1, 2024, Jimin from BTS made an impressive mark in the music industry with his single “WHO,”which achieved the feat of being the longest-charting song by both a K-pop and Korean solo artist on the UK Official Streaming and Audio Streaming charts. This milestone also made him the first Asian artist in a decade to reach such a distinction.

The Success of WHO and MUSE

“WHO”serves as the title track for Jimin’s second solo album, MUSE, which debuted on July 19, 2024. The song was co-written by notable artists including Jon Bellion, Pdogg, GHSTLOOP, and the vocalist himself. Following its release, “WHO”notably dominated the Daily Top Songs Global chart on Spotify, securing the number one spot for four consecutive days in July.

In terms of commercial success, “WHO”entered the Billboard Global 200 at number one, achieving an impressive 90.5 million streams and 129,000 sales worldwide. Furthermore, the track also claimed the top position on the Billboard Global (Excl. US) chart, with 76 million streams and 76,000 sales outside the United States.

MUSE Achieves Significant Certifications

In August 2024, Jimin’s album MUSE was awarded a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for exceeding 100,000 physical album sales. The following month, it further distinguished itself by earning two Platinum certifications from the Circle Chart (formerly Gaon Music Chart) after surpassing 500,000 album units sold.

Global Impact and Reach of WHO

“WHO”proved to be a global sensation, topping the Spotify Daily Top Songs chart in 16 countries, including major markets like Singapore, South Korea, and Bulgaria. The single peaked at number one worldwide in 112 nations, including prominent territories such as the United States, Germany, France, and Canada.

Additionally, MUSE topped the iTunes Album chart in the UK as well as securing the number one position in 86 other countries, including Australia, Malaysia, and Sweden.

The Creation of MUSE

Notably, Jimin recorded MUSE prior to his enlistment in the military, actively working on both his debut solo album, FACE (2023), and MUSE concurrently. Collaboration with renowned HYBE music producer Pdogg, whose real name is Kang Hyo-won, was crucial to the creation of both albums.

In a revealing Weverse interview from August 2024, Pdogg and GHSTLOOP shared insights about the composition of “WHO.”GHSTLOOP indicated that Jimin journeyed to the US to collaborate with Grammy-nominated songwriter Jon Bellion. Pdogg remarked:

“We made FACE and MUSE pretty much simultaneously. However, the mood behind the MUSE tracks didn’t fit with FACE, leading us to create two distinct albums. If Jimin hadn’t engaged with the KARMA synthesizer, we might never have seen the emergence of ‘Rebirth’.”

Tracklist of MUSE

• Rebirth (Intro)
• Interlude: Showtime
• Smeraldo Garden Marching Band (feat. Loco)
• Slow Dance (feat. Sofia Carson)
• Be Mine
• WHO
• Closer Than This

Looking Ahead

In other noteworthy updates, members of BTS, including Jimin, Namjoon, Taehyung, Jungkook, and Suga, are scheduled to return from their military service in June 2025.

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