BTS member Jin is making waves worldwide with his debut solo album, Happy, and it's clear that the album is a global hit!

Released on November 15, Happy and its title track Running Wild have received massive love from fans and music lovers across the globe, especially in Japan.

According to the Billboard Japan Year-End charts for 2024, which cover the period from November 27, 2023, to November 24, 2024, Jin's Happy ranked 19th on the Billboard Japan - Hot Albums Year-End 2024 chart, making it the highest-ranking K-pop solo album.

Not only did Happy break records, but it also secured a top 20 spot in the annual chart, proving just how much the album resonates with listeners.

Jin claimed the #1 spot for K-pop soloists and #3 globally on the year-end chart, with only legendary Japanese artists Kenshi Yonezu and Hikaru Utada ahead of him. This is a huge accomplishment for the BTS member, who just released his solo album in November.

But that’s not all! Happy also made waves on the Billboard Japan - Top Albums Sales Year-End 2024 chart, where it ranked #20 overall and again claimed the #1 spot for K-pop soloists. Jin ranked #3 globally, right behind Yonezu and Utada, solidifying his place in the music world.

The album's success in Japan is staggering, with Happy selling 219,241 copies on its first day and 223,938 copies in its first week. This earned Jin the #3 spot on the all-time first-week sales chart for solo K-pop artists on the Oricon album chart!

Jin's Happy has continued to make history, with his pre-release track I’ll Be There and the title track Running Wild both topping Oricon charts.

His collaboration with ONE OK ROCK’s lead vocalist Taka on the track Nege Dwal Ttakjiman also topped the Oricon Daily Digital Single Chart on November 27, making Jin the second K-pop artist to hold multiple #1 positions on this chart!

Not stopping there, Running Wild achieved #1 on the Spotify Japan Daily Top Songs Chart on December 21, 2024, setting a new record for the highest streaming numbers by a K-pop artist, including both group and solo. It also ranked #6 on the global Spotify Top Songs Chart on the same day.

Jin’s Happy is taking the world by storm, and with these impressive achievements, it's clear that the BTS member is only just getting started on his solo journey!

Source: [1]

When the Stars Gossip is facing a tough battle as its ratings continue to decline, leaving many to wonder if it can recover.

Despite its massive 500 billion KRW budget and a year-long production process, the drama’s viewership has been steadily dropping since its premiere.

The first two episodes of the show had relatively modest ratings, with 3.3% for episode one and 3.9% for episode two.

However, the third episode, which aired on January 11th, saw a sharp drop to just 2.2%, according to Nielsen Korea.

At this rate, the drama is on the verge of falling below 1% in viewership, which would be a serious blow for the production.

The drama’s star-studded cast, featuring Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, hasn’t been enough to stop the slide in ratings.

As the show tries to maintain its momentum, the question remains: Can When the Stars Gossip bounce back, or will its viewership continue to sink?

With such a big budget and high expectations, viewers are still holding out hope for a recovery, but the drama’s future is uncertain unless ratings start climbing.

Source: [1]