Jihyo of TWICE finally made her long-awaited solo launch on August 18 with the release of her solo EP ZONE.

To celebrate her solo debut, the talented TWICE leader went on Lee Mujin Service with soloist Lee Mujin and talked about her 18 years in the entertainment business.

In 2005, Jihyo of TWICE became a trainee at JYP Entertainment. Jihyo was only eight years old at the time, and she spent the rest of her childhood studying for her debut, which happened with TWICE's The Story Begins ten years later, in 2015.

Jihyo told Vulture magazine in an interview that after ten years of being a trainee and dreaming of her launch, she felt lost when it finally happened because she had reached her first goal.

"To be honest, when I was a trainee, all I wanted to do was make my appearance and become a singer. And after I reached that first goal, I remember feeling a little lost. I didn't know what to be excited about."— TWICE's Jihyo

She told Lee Mujin that she also "suffered a lot" after her launch because of other things. Pop songs by TWICE are known for being happy and upbeat.

Jihyo said that when the group was training, they mostly sang pop songs, but she liked other types better.

She said that because of this, she was "scolded a lot" and "many people" told her she "couldn't sing well."

Jihyo thought that her voice as a hero and the voice of the artist she wanted to be "collided a lot," which made her wonder, "What [was] right?" a long time ago.

Jihyo's solo EP gave her the freedom to sing in any way she wanted, and four of ZONE's songs were written with her.

Source(1)

BTS member Jungkook continues to prove his global superstar status, setting incredible records on the Billboard charts!

Jungkook’s solo single “Seven”, released in July 2023, has achieved a historic milestone by charting for 77 weeks on the Billboard Global 200 as of January 18.

This makes it the longest-charting song by an Asian solo artist in history. On the Billboard Global (Excluding U.S.) chart, “Seven” has ranked for an unbelievable 78 consecutive weeks, another record no other Asian solo artist has achieved.

With these numbers, Jungkook becomes the first and only Asian solo artist to stay on both the Global 200 and Global (Excluding U.S.) charts for over 77 weeks.

Billboard’s official data confirms that Jungkook has now accumulated 212 weeks on the Global 200 and 261 weeks on the Global (Excluding U.S.) chart, further solidifying his status as one of the world’s top artists.

Jungkook’s chart domination doesn’t stop there. His solo hits “Seven”, “3D”, and “Standing Next to You” all claimed the #1 spot on the Billboard Global charts, with “Seven” even debuting at #1 on the prestigious Hot 100. The track stayed on the Hot 100 for 15 weeks, showcasing its massive appeal.

Fans in the UK also celebrated “Seven” as it debuted at #3 on the UK Official Singles Chart, remaining on the chart for 14 weeks—the longest run ever for a K-pop soloist.

With these unmatched achievements, Jungkook continues to write history as a true global sensation!

Source: [1]