Hot 100 First-Timers: BTS’ JIN Scores First Solo Entry With ‘The Astronaut’

South Korean singer-songwriter and BTS member JIN earns his first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated Nov. 12), thanks to his new release, “The Astronaut.”

The song debuts at No. 51 with 4.9 million U.S. streams and 44,000 downloads sold in its first tracking week, according to Luminate, following its Oct. 28 release. It also launches at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart.

BTS has tallied 26 entries on the Hot 100 with JIN (full name: Kim Seok-jin) as a member, including six No. 1s among 10 top 10s.

“The Astronaut” was produced by Kygo and Bill Rahko, and JIN co-wrote it with, among others, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion. (Late Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson, who died in 2018, is also listed as a co-writer.) BTS previously teamed with Coldplay on “My Universe,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100 in October 2021.

BigHit Music announced the release of “The Astronaut” in October following the news that all seven members of BTS will serve in South Korea’s military for at least 18 months. “Jin will initiate the process as soon as his schedule for his solo release is concluded at the end of October,” the label noted in a statement. “He will then follow the enlistment procedure of the Korean government. Other members of the group plan to carry out their military service based on their own individual plans.”

Prior to “The Astronaut,” JIN charted five solo tracks on World Digital Song Sales: “It’s Definitely You,” with fellow BTS member V, reached No. 8 in 2017; “Yours” spent a week at No. 1 in November 2021; and, on last week’s Nov. 5-dated chart, his “Super Tuna,” “Abyss” and “Tonight” ranked at Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. He became just the third soloist to blanket the top three simultaneously, after BTS’ Agust D and J-Hope. BTS has also achieved the feat. “The Astronaut” rockets in as his third leader on the list.

BTS made its first Billboard chart appearance in 2013, when “No More Dreams” debuted at No. 14 on World Digital Song Sales (before climbing to No. 2 seven years later). Since then, the group has broken numerous records, including the records for most Hot 100 No. 1 debuts among groups (five) and the most top 10 debuts among groups (nine). BTS notched its six No. 1s over just a year and one month in 2020-21, the quickest accumulation of six leaders since The Beatles earned six over a year and two weeks in 1964-66.

JIN is the fifth member of BTS to score a solo entry on the Hot 100. J-Hope first earned the honor in October 2019 with “Chicken Noodle Soup,” featuring Becky G (No. 81 peak). Suga followed with “Daechwita” (billed as Agust D; No. 76 peak, June 2020) and “Girl of My Dreams,” with Juice WRLD (No. 29, December 2021). V jingled in with “Christmas Tree” (No. 79, this January) and Jung Kook followed with “Stay Alive” (No. 95, February) and as featured on Charlie Puth’s “Left and Right” (No. 22, July).

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