Jung Kook, member of the K-Pop band BTS, topped the Billboard Hot 100 at number one on Tuesday with his song Seven, featuring American singer Latto. He became the second member of BTS to solo debut on the Hot 100 after Jimin released his song Like Crazy in April.
His single, released on July 14, sold over 153,000 downloads and CD-singles from July 14 to July 20 and, as of July 25, attained over 167 million streams on Spotify since its release.
His song also debuted at number one on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. US Charts.
Jung Kook said in an interview with KOREA Dispatch on July 13 that his song is unique and is about a person’s wish to be with the person whom they love.
“Seven is a toxic song that anyone can enjoy easily and comfortably,” Jung Kook said in the interview. “It is a summer song that I want to enjoy with many people this summer, including electronic music rhythms and summer vibes.”
Jung Kook performed his song in Central Park on July 14 as part of the Summer Concert Series on Good Morning America, where fans can be heard screaming throughout his act. The recording of his performance was posted on YouTube and has garnered over 9.5 million views, as of July 25.
He also performed on BBC Radio 1 on July 20 and The One Show in London on July 21.
In a broadcast on Z100 New York on July 20, Jung Kook said that he did not notice any differences between collaborating with Korean artists and with American artists on his music beyond the language differences.
“First of all the language is different,” Jung Kook said in the interview. “Other than that I don’t think there’s a big difference.”
Rhian Daly, a writer at NME, labeled Jung Kook’s song as a “summer-ready bop that also adds new facets to the singer’s artistry.”
“As fragments of acoustic guitar loop between irregular rhythms, Jungkook is an anchor, his smooth voice – which glides and dives between polished mid-register and honeyed falsetto – cushioning the more jagged nature of the sonics here,” Daly wrote in his piece published on July 14.
Fans can stream Seven on various platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Music.
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