Jung Kook

Jung Kook is not just BTS's main vocalist, but an artist who has managed to build his own sound beyond the group. From his early solo steps within BTS's discography — with songs like Begin in 2016, Euphoria in 2018, or My Time in 2020 — he demonstrated an ability to adapt his style to various genres, from pop to futuristic R&B. But where he truly stood out was in his leap into the global market: in 2022, his collaboration with Charlie Puth on Left and Right took him to position 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, and that same year, Dreamers made him the first South Korean artist to sing an official song for the FIFA World Cup, performing it at the opening ceremony. His evolution didn’t stop there: in 2023, Seven with Latto not only debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 but also broke streaming records, becoming the fastest song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. Then, 3D with Jack Harlow repeated the feat by entering the top five of the same chart, solidifying his place as a solo artist.

What’s interesting about his career is how he balances the weight of being a BTS icon with building his own identity. Before taking off as a soloist, he had already left his mark in the group: Euphoria, for example, wasn’t just a song but a piece accompanied by a nine-minute short film that marked the start of BTS’s *Love Yourself* series. But his definitive leap came when he decided to explore collaborations outside Korea, something uncommon for a K-pop artist at the time. Working with Charlie Puth on Left and Right allowed him to showcase a side closer to Western pop, while Dreamers tied him to a global event like the World Cup. This change in scale wasn’t accidental: in 2022, after graduating from Global Cyber University, he received the *President’s Award*, the highest recognition from his school, a detail that reflects how his discipline and professional focus have been key to his growth.