BTS Jin’s Happy Virus Spreads Worldwide.
The solo album ‘Happy’, based on band sound, is released today (15th). If you had to pick the most surprising member within BTS, I would say ‘Jin’.
With his statue-like appearance and easygoing personality, he is known for his comedic ambitions.
He feels a thrilling sense of happiness by making the members laugh.
In this regard, ‘Happy’ is an album that reflects Jin’s identity.
Both the pre-released ‘I’ll Be There’ and the title track ‘Running Wild’ give a glimpse into Jin’s sincere thoughts on happiness.
Interestingly, the album was created based on band sound.
‘I’ll Be There’ exudes a rocker vibe with a touch of rockstar feel, and ‘Running Wild’ is characterized by a cheerful melody, guitar riffs, and drum beats, reminiscent of British rock.
The track ‘Until I Reach You’ brings J-pop sensibilities and turns the mood of the album around.
Additionally, collaborations with global stars like Red Velvet’s Wendy, British pop band Take That, and Japanese rock band One Ok Rock showcased the ‘superstar’ features.
Fan love can’t be left out.
‘Longing’, which decorates the end of the album, conveys Jin’s feelings for ARMY (fan base name) through heartfelt lyrics accompanied by an acoustic piano performance.
The solo album planning was carried out as quickly as possible as a way to repay ARMY who waited for him after his discharge last June.
Jin reached a career-high even before the official release.
The pre-released song ‘I’ll Be There’ was streamed more than 4.69 million times on its release day last month on the 25th, ranking 9th on the world’s largest music platform Spotify’s ‘Daily Top Songs Global’.
This is a self-broken record from the 17th place achieved with Jin’s single ‘The Astronaut’.
It is also receiving a good response on the US Billboard charts.
‘I’ll Be There’ reached 5th on the ‘World Digital Song Sales’ and debuted at 39th on the ‘Global (Excluding US)’ chart and 84th on the ‘Global 200’, marking a successful start to his solo activities.
Despite internal conflicts at HYBE and military hiatus, BTS is steadily moving forward with solo activities.
V, who is currently serving in the military, released the digital single ‘Friends’ in March and will release a duet song ‘White Christmas’ with ‘pop music legend’ Bing Crosby worldwide at 2 PM on December 6.
Although many pop stars like Taylor Swift and Michael Bublé have covered ‘White Christmas’, it is the first time Bing Crosby officially releases a duet version of the song.
There are high expectations as V has revealed he is a passionate fan of Bing Crosby.
Jimin’s solo 2nd album released in July, with the title track ‘Who’, has been on the US Billboard main single chart ‘Hot 100’ and album chart ‘Billboard 200’ for 15 consecutive weeks.
RM’s documentary film ‘RM: Light People, Long Place’, which documents the preparation process of his solo 2nd album ‘Light Place, Long Person’, is set to be released on December 5.
Likewise, after releasing his solo album, Jin will hold a solo fan showcase ‘Jin Happy Special Stage’ on the 16th-17th at Jangchung Gymnasium in Jung-gu, Seoul, to meet with fans. In a recent HYBE third-quarter performance report conference call, CFO Lee Kyung-joon mentioned they are discussing activities with BTS members for 2026, leading to much speculation about the timing of BTS’s full group activities.
This speculation arose because HYBE announced a renewal with BTS last September, foreseeing full group activities in 2025.
Some are voicing opinions that internal conflicts within the agency and noise, such as member Suga’s scooter DUI, are delaying the group activities.
Meanwhile, BTS revealed their desire to make a group comeback in the second half of next year after they all become military veterans in June, and talks about a new tour in 2026 are ongoing, leading to predictions that full group activities won’t be delayed.
However, what is certain is that BTS’s presence still outweighs negative issues.
Cultural critic Jeong Deok-hyun says, “Even during their military hiatus, BTS members are raising anticipation for BTS full group activities through their distinct individual activities.”
He noted, “The careers of members like Jungkook, Jimin, and Jin amidst various noises prove BTS is still going strong” and “if they overcome negative factors through individual activities and make a comeback as a whole, it will become a new narrative.”
Kim Ji-hye Reporter jahye2@edaily.co.kr
