'The Astronaut' by BTS' Jin sells 700,000 copies on 1st day, tops iTunes' chart in 97 countries
This photo of Jin, a member of K-pop juggernaut BTS, is provided by Big Hit Music, the band's agency. Yonhap
The first official solo single by BTS' Jin has sold more than 700,000 copies on the first day of its release, his agency said Saturday.
"The Astronaut" sold 700,754 copies for a day after it came out at 1 p.m. Friday, Big Hit Music said, quoting data from Hanteo Chart, a local market tracker.
It marks a big sales figure for a single-track album.
"The Astronaut" also topped iTunes' top songs chart in 97 countries around the world, including the United States, Britain, Germany and France, as of 9 a.m. Saturday.
The song's music video telling a story of an astronaut who accidentally landed on Earth has also garnered over 17 million views on YouTube as of 2 p.m.
"The Astronaut" is a pop-rock genre song co-written by Coldplay, with the British band also playing on the recording. Jin participated in writing the lyrics, expressing his affection for Army, the global fandom of the K-pop septet.
Jin's deeply sentimental voice accompanied by a calming sound of acoustic guitar and gradual build-up of synth sound creates the mysterious and dreamy mood of the song.
After wrapping up promotional activities for "The Astronaut," Jin is set to temporarily leave the music scene to become the first BTS member to enlist for mandatory military service. (Yonhap)