Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
Of all the days Jung Kook sings about in his hit single “Seven,” Friday may be the most special. Finally, BTS’s “Golden Maknae” has finally unveiled his first solo studio album, “Golden.” The record – which already includes two Top 5 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 – was released on Friday, November 3rd.
The road to gold began in July when Jung Kook dropped his Latto-assisted “Seven.” The sassy Pop&B track reached the top of the Hot 100 – becoming his first No. 1 single in the US as a soloist – and recently became the fastest song in history to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. A second single, a Jack Harlow collaboration titled “3D”, was released on September 29th, debuting and peaking at number 5 on the Hot 100. On October 3rd, the BTS breakout star confirmed the release of “Golden” through a Press release that promised an 11-track album announcement.
The solo LP – with production credits from artists including BloodPop, DJ Snake and Diplo – follows several solo singles from Jung Kook, including 2022’s “Stay Alive” (No. 95) and a special version of Charlie Puth’s “Left and Right.” (No. 22). Leading up to Golden, Jung Kook also appeared on “Too Much,” a collaboration with The Kid LAROI and Central Cee that has since peaked at #44 on the Hot 100. Debuting at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart, “Too Much” helped Jung Kook become the first South Korean soloist to score three UK top 10 singles.
“Golden” is the latest in a series of solo projects from the Bangtan Boys after the band paused their group activities to allow its members to enlist for military service in South Korea. So far, Jin, J-Hope and Suga have all come forward, bringing BTS a few steps closer to their return in 2025.
On Monday, November 6th – just three days after Golden’s release – Jung Kook will make his solo debut on The Tonight Show as a guest and cast member. Host Jimmy Fallon announced the news on Wednesday (November 1) with a hilarious Instagram video.
Stream Golden now: