INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 06: Jimin of BTS performs onstage during KIIS FM’s Jingle Ball 2019 … [+]
For years, it was major news every time a South Korean musical act reached the top 10 on the Billboard 200, as very few names from that part of the world had managed to succeed in such a manner. Now, it’s not odd to see a debut from a K-pop band in the highest reaches of the tally every few weeks…but the same can’t be said for soloists.
Whenever a solo star from that part of the world makes it to the uppermost tier on the Billboard 200 in America, it’s very much worthy of noting.
BTS member Jimin is expected to make history with the release of his debut solo project, titled Face. It looks like the EP is going to make a huge opening on the Billboard charts in a few days, possibly debuting inside the top 10 on the Billboard 200–the chart company’s weekly ranking of the most-consumed EPs and albums in the U.S.
HitsDailyDouble suggests that Face could open as high as No. 3. The EP will likely start off behind Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which is too huge to beat and which will likely earn a fourth stay on the throne. It seems that coming in second place on next week’s Billboard 200 will almost surely be Lana Del Rey’s brand new Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
The publication suggests that Face could launch with more than 100,000 equivalent units, which is a huge debut sum for a South Korean musician. In fact, it’s a sizable start for any artist these days.
If Jimin debuts Face inside the top 10 on the Billboard 200, he will become just the third solo South Korean artist to do so. He’ll join his BTS bandmate RM in the accomplishment, which he managed just a few months ago. RM’s latest solo effort Indigo rose to No. 3 in late 2022.
The only other solo South Korean artist to hit the top 10 on the Billboard 200 is Nayeon, who is perhaps best known for her work with the K-pop girl group Twice. On her own, her EP I’m Nayeon peaked at No. 7 in mid-2022. Before 2022, no K-pop solo star had risen into the top 10 on the chart.
With BTS on hiatus, it’s no surprise that the members are all succeeding individually. They did so while together, but now that the schedule is lighter for them, they all have time to shine. Jimin’s success with Face is likely to be just the first of a handful of highly popular EPs and albums by BTS singers that are coming down the pipeline.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2023/03/27/bts-jimin-is-headed-for-a-historic-debut-with-solo-ep-face/