Jimin's Solo Success Continues with 'MUSE' and Record-Breaking Hit 'WHO'

Jimin's Solo Success Continues with 'MUSE' and Record-Breaking Hit 'WHO'

Jimin's Solo Success Continues with 'MUSE' and Record-Breaking Hit 'WHO'

Jimin's rise as a solo artist has been nothing short of extraordinary, with his second album MUSE continuing the impressive trajectory set by his debut album FACE. Both albums have earned him numerous unprecedented achievements across the globe, but his impact on the UK music scene is particularly noteworthy. As reported by the IFPI in 2023, the UK is the world’s third-largest music market, and Jimin’s accomplishments as a Korean solo artist have set new benchmarks not only for himself but for K-pop as a whole.

A Breakthrough in the UK Music Scene

Jimin first made waves with his debut album FACE, where he became the first Korean solo artist to break into the UK Official Singles Chart Top 10. His song set the record for the longest-charting Korean solo track in the Top 40. Now, with MUSE, Jimin has managed to shatter even more records.




The lead single from MUSE, titled WHO, has been an unprecedented success in the UK. It has consistently broken streaming and sales records for K-pop soloists, reaching new heights on multiple platforms. On October 13, WHO reached a peak of #53 on the Apple Music Daily Top 100 chart, surpassing Jungkook and Latto's collaboration Seven, which peaked at #63.




Additionally, on the Apple Music All Genre chart, WHO reached #33 on September 27, further cementing its place in history as the highest-ranking song by a Korean or K-pop solo artist on this chart. This surpasses Jungkook and Latto's Seven (#58), as well as Jimin’s group BTS' hits like Butter (#35) and Dynamite (#38). Even more remarkable, WHO became the first song by a Korean soloist to ever enter the UK Apple Music All Genre chart, debuting at #117 and steadily climbing the ranks. Upon entering the Top 50, it set a milestone as the first Korean solo artist song to do so.

Dominating London and the UK Charts

The success of WHO didn’t stop there. The song made history on the Apple Music UK-London City chart, where it claimed the #1 spot—making Jimin the first Korean solo artist to top the chart in London, one of the world’s leading cities for music consumption.




On the UK Official Singles chart, WHO now holds the record as the longest-charting solo song by a Korean artist this decade, having spent 13 weeks on the chart as of 2024. It took this record during its 12th week, surpassing Jungkook's Standing Next To You, which previously held the record with 11 weeks.




Upon its release, WHO debuted at #4 on the UK Official Singles chart, the highest debut for any song by a Korean/K-pop act in 2024. This marked a historic milestone, beating V’s FRI(END)S (#13), and setting the record as the highest debut for a Korean soloist in history, surpassing Jungkook’s Standing Next To You (#6).

Further Chart Successes

WHO has also performed phenomenally on other charts, spending 13 weeks on the UK Official Singles Sales chart, setting a record as the longest-charting song by a Korean soloist in the Top 10. In its second week of release, it became the first solo song by a Korean artist to remain #1 simultaneously on both the UK Official Singles Sales chart and the UK Official Singles Downloads chart for multiple weeks.




On the UK Official Big Top 40, WHO spent its first two weeks at #1, making Jimin the first Korean solo artist to achieve multiple weeks atop this chart. He also became the first Korean soloist to chart two solo songs simultaneously on the Big Top 40 with WHO and Be Mine during WHO’s third week.

A Streaming Phenomenon

On Spotify, WHO reached 169,000 streams, surpassing Jungkook’s Standing Next To You (139,000) to become the Korean solo song with the biggest streaming day in Spotify UK’s Daily Top Songs chart. As of August 19, the song achieved a new peak of #15, recording 251,000 streams, further extending its record as the highest-streamed solo K-pop song in the chart’s history.

Netizen Reactions:

1. “Jimin is truly making history. His achievements are inspiring, especially for K-pop!”

2. “Seeing Jimin succeed as a solo artist is so rewarding after years with BTS!”

3. “WHO is such a banger. I’m not surprised it’s breaking records left and right!”

4. “He’s not just a Korean solo artist anymore, he’s an international phenomenon!”

5. “Jimin topping charts in the UK? Who would have thought K-pop would go this far?”

6. “This is amazing for Jimin and for the entire K-pop industry. So proud of him!”

7. “What a milestone! First Korean soloist to hit #1 in London? Unreal!”

8. “His voice and artistry are unmatched. It’s no wonder he’s breaking records!”

9. “Jimin's chart success in the UK is legendary! He deserves all this recognition.”

10. “Jimin continues to show why he’s an icon. These achievements are groundbreaking.”

11. “I’m so proud to see him making waves globally. He's setting the bar so high!”

12. “Who else but Jimin could take over the UK music scene like this? Truly historic.”

13. “The UK’s third-largest music market, and Jimin is dominating! Just wow!”

14. “No other soloist is doing it like Jimin! His records are untouchable.”

15. “Imagine debuting at #4 on the UK Official Singles Chart. That’s superstar status!”

16. “I’ve been streaming WHO nonstop—it’s a masterpiece and deserves this success.”

17. “This is just the beginning for Jimin as a solo artist. I’m excited for what’s next!”

18. “It’s so heartwarming to see him being celebrated globally. His talent knows no bounds.”

19. “BTS members are out here breaking solo records too! Jimin leading the charge!”

20. “Jimin topping charts in London? He’s truly an international star now.”