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Can Jimin Break BTS’ Curse On The Charts?

Added 2024-07-08 05:42:18 +0000 UTC

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2024/07/07/can-jimin-break-bts-curse-on-the-charts/

Hugh McIntyre Senior Contributor

Jimin shocked his fans recently by announcing a new solo album. The superstar is still enlisted in the South Korean military at the moment, but that duty isn’t keeping him from releasing more music on his own before BTS reunites, which will likely take place at some point in 2025.

Muse is expected to arrive on July 19, and expectations for the project are high. The set is sure to be adored by fans, and it will certainly become a commercial success…but can it help Jimin become the first member of the boy band to break an odd curse that’s plagued the singers?

Six of the seven men in BTS have released solo albums, and all of them have become chart wins around the world, including in the U.S. Somehow, none of them–nor any other solo musicians from South Korea, for that matter–have hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Most of the BTS artists have come close, and now that he has a second chance, Jimin could become the first to finally make it to the summit.

Jimin previously peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200–Billboard’s most important albums chart–with his first solo collection. Face debuted and stalled in that space in spring 2023, and he’s not alone in that predicament.

Fellow BTS stars Suga, V, and Jung Kook have also seen solo offerings miss the highest spot on the Billboard 200 by just one position. All of them pushed their projects to No. 2 last year, as 2023 was a very busy period for the singers that make up the chart-topping outfit.

Two other BTS members, RM and J-Hope, have come close to reaching that point. Both have cracked the top five, and they are the only South Korean solo musicians (for the moment, at least) to earn more than one placement inside the top 10 on the Billboard 200.

Jimin’s Muse stands a great shot at debuting high on the Billboard 200, though it’s too early to call the race for him. He faces tough competition from several other beloved musical acts–including fellow South Koreans Stray Kids–as well as popular holdovers. He will make history no matter where his new set launches, but he is certainly one to watch for the No. 1 spot in late July.