Several days ago, fans of both BTS and one of its members, the talented Jung Kook, were treated to some excellent and thrilling news. The singer has a new single coming, and it will put him back in the spotlight for a moment. The musician has recorded a track titled “Stay Alive,” which was announced recently by Hybe, the company that owns BTS’s label. From the moment the word was shared, followers of the band and Jung Kook were ready to hear the cut.
While a release date was included in the original announcement, a press statement shared by Hybe after the news went viral makes it clear that fans will have to wait a little longer if they want to access the track anywhere. It might not sound like much of a delay, but it does alter when the tune will impact the Billboard charts, which already seems likely.
BTS and Jung Kook lovers will be able to hear “Stay Alive” on Friday, February 4, when it will officially be available in the band’s webtoon 7Fates: Chakho. If they want to listen to the cut, they’ll have to do so within the confines of that online destination, at least at first. That detail wasn’t made clear when the single was first announced, but thankfully fans won’t have to wait too long before the track is available everywhere.
According to information shared by Hybe, the full version of “Stay Alive” will be available on all music consumption platforms on Friday, February 11 at 12 AM EST. A week will pass between when people can hear the cut and when Jung Kook, Suga and BTS fans will be able to buy the track or stream it on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Since BTS devotees won’t be able to consume “Stay Alive” on major platforms or purchase it until Friday, February 11, that means it won’t reach the Billboard charts until the following week. Listeners have from February 11 until the end of the day on February 17 in which to press play or purchase the title in large enough numbers to send it to a number of rankings in major Western markets. Should it sell and/or stream well enough in its first tracking period, “Stay Alive” could begin popping up on Billboard rosters starting on Tuesday, February 22, unless the company delays its roll out of the weekly tallies due to the President’s Day holiday.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/02/03/fans-of-btss-jung-kook-will-have-to-wait-a-little-longer-than-expected-to-own-his-new-solo-single/