Jung Kook (Big Hit Music)
Big Hit Music
Jung Kook has spent 2023 proving he can produce hit after hit on his own, aside from the many smashes he’s scored as a member of BTS. The singer has been welcomed with open arms on plenty of Billboard charts, but his performance might be most notable on the notoriously fickle and competitive pop radio lists. While it’s never easy to land a high-rising win on any of those tallies, Jung Kook now claims many of the most successful among solo stars from his home nation.
This week, Jung Kook has two singles on the Pop Airplay chart, and they’re both gaining ground. His track “3D” with Jack Harlow lifts slightly to a new high point of No. 22. At the same time, “Too Much,” a new single from The Kid Laroi that features both Jung Kook and Central Cee, climbs even higher. That tune is up to No. 17.
As of this week, Jung Kook now claims four of the five highest-charting songs by any South Korean solo musician in the history of the Pop Airplay ranking. He fills positions two through five on that all-time list, missing out on the highest rung…for now.
Psy’s “Gangnam Style” still stands as the single from a South Korean solo artist that’s lifted highest on the Pop Airplay chart. It topped out at No. 10 more than a decade ago, becoming the first top 10 smash from a K-pop star at the time. In the years since, very few tunes from any K-pop act have reached that arena.
Jung Kook’s highest-ranking hit on the Pop Airplay chart remains “Left and Right.” His collaboration with Charlie Puth stands as the second-loftiest placement on the tally by a South Korean solo act, and it almost tied for first place. “Left and Right” peaked at No. 11 in 2022.
“Too Much” ties with another Jung Kook smash as it lifts to No. 17. The track is now on the same level as the BTS star’s “Seven,” which features rapper Latto. That cut peaked at No. 17 earlier this year, ushering in his highly-successful solo era.
For now, “3D” sits in fifth place on the ranking of the highest-reaching hits on the Pop Airplay chart when looking specifically at tunes produced by solo artists primarily known for K-pop. Now at No. 22, it seems like the catchy cut could continue to climb in the coming frames, perhaps rewriting this list.
