Even though BTS and all seven of its members are busy with their mandatory military service–required of all men in South Korea by a certain age–that doesn’t mean the singers in the group aren’t still succeeding on the Billboard rankings. This week, Jimin ties with his bandmate for a special chart record as he earns another major smash.
Jimin’s new single “Closer Than This” debuts at No. 1 on this week’s edition of the Digital Song Sales chart. The South Korean superstar’s latest offering opens in first place with more than 14,000 copies sold, according to Luminate.
“Closer Than This” marks Jimin’s fifth No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart–on his own, that is. With another smash to his credit, he ties with his BTS friend Jung Kook for the most leaders on the tally among South
Impressively, Jimin earned all five of his No. 1 singles on the Digital Song Sales chart in a little more than a year. He first hit the summit alongside fellow K-pop star Ha-Sung Woon with their collaboration “With You” in 2022. That tune turned out to be the beginning of a highly successful streak for him.
Jimin snagged his debut leader on his own in mid-2023 with “Set Me Free Pt. 2,” which introduced his debut solo collection Face. He then returned to the peak spot on the Digital Song Sales chart in short order with his own “Like Crazy.” He was one of several artists–in addition to Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, JVKE, and Muni Long–to hit No. 1 with “Angel Pt. 1.” Now, Jimin has collected the first champion of 2024 with “Closer Than This.”
Jung Kook was the first solo South Korean artist to manage a quintet of No. 1s on the Digital Song Sales chart, but he doesn’t own that record to himself anymore. Like Jimin, Jung Kook reached the peak spot on the sales-only tally under his solo name for the first time in 2022. He collected a pair of wins that year, first alongside Charlie Puth on “Left and Right.” Then, later, his own “Dreamers” also topped the ranking.
Throughout 2023, Jung Kook earned a trio of new No. 1 singles on the purchase-focused roster. He fronts two of those tunes–“3D” with Jack Harlow and his own “Standing Next To You.” Jung Kook also earned a win alongside The Kid Laroi and Central Cee with “Too Much.”
Both Jimin and Jung Kook are currently tied for the second-most No. 1 smashes on the Digital Song Sales chart when looking at all South Korean musical acts. The two singers come in behind only BTS, the band that made them both household names in the U.S. BTS has thus far accrued 12 champions on the tally–the most among groups.
