Big Ocean, the world’s first K-pop group made up of deaf idols, has been recognized by the major U.S. media outlet Rolling Stone. On November 12, Rolling Stone released an exclusive feature titled “Meet the Deaf K-Pop Group That’s Breaking Barriers,” sharing Big Ocean’s inspiring journey.

Rolling Stone introduced Big Ocean members—Chanyeon, Hyunjin, and Jiseok—saying, “Big Ocean is not your typical K-pop group. They made history on April 20, Korea’s Disability Day, by debuting as the first K-pop group with deaf members.”

The article explored how Big Ocean was formed and the dedication they’ve put into their training. The group explained, “Our success comes from 1% talent and 99% effort.” They added, “We perform using Korean Sign Language (KSL), American Sign Language (ASL), and International Sign Language (ISL) to reach our fans, whom we call ‘Waves,’ all around the world.”

In the feature, Rolling Stone also discussed Big Ocean’s debut mini-album Follow, which includes the singles Glow, BLOW, SLOW (featuring DAY6’s Young K), and their English song FLOW. Each song was released in stages to share uplifting messages.

Big Ocean shared, “Follow is about inviting listeners to join us on a journey to happiness. Each track has a special meaning—‘shine’ with hope, ‘blow away’ worries, ‘slow down’ when you need to, and ‘flow’ with life.”

Follow officially dropped on November 12. To celebrate, Big Ocean is connecting with fans across the U.S., visiting places like the Empire State Building, Times Square, and Central Park in New York City. They will also perform FLOW live for the first time at Cool Out 2024 in the Cayman Islands from November 14-17.

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BTS's Jin continues to shine bright with his massive popularity, securing the No. 1 spot in the MY1PICK weekly rankings for an impressive 43 consecutive weeks!

In the MY1PICK K-POP Individual Category Weekly Ranking for the third week of December (December 16–22), Jin earned a massive 6,154,905 hearts, keeping his position at the top. From the 5th week of February to the 3rd week of December, Jin has been unbeatable in the weekly rankings, proving he has an enormous fanbase and global influence.

But Jin’s achievements don’t stop there. In November, he dominated the K-POP Individual Category Monthly Ranking, topping it with 25,452,283 hearts. He has held the No. 1 spot for 11 months straight, from January to November, showing his continuous popularity throughout the year.

Jin also claimed victory in the One Pick Chart’s “November Monthly Chart K-POP (Solo)” category, holding the No. 1 position for 8 months in a row, from April to November. On top of that, he won the 2024 Season Chart K-POP (SOLO) for both the 2nd and 3rd quarters, making him the best One Pick star of the season.

The Season Chart awards honor artists who have consistently earned love from fans, with a physical trophy given to the top artist. Jin’s back-to-back victories solidify his place as one of the most beloved stars in K-pop.

Jin’s fan power doesn’t end with rankings. He’s also triumphed in numerous themed votes, taking first place in categories like “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of,” “Star You Want to See First Pitch at a Baseball Game,” “Best Cooking Genius Idol,” “Star Who Would Be the Best Child,” and “Star You Would Fall in Love With at First Sight.” His reward advertisement for the “Star You Want to Collect All Photo Cards Of” vote began airing on December 26 and can be seen at Yeoksam Station until December 30.

Meanwhile, Jin’s first solo album Happy was released on November 15 and quickly became a global hit, showcasing his talents as a solo artist. He held a special showcase, Jin ‘Happy’ Special Stage, on November 16 and 17, where fans were captivated by his beautiful vocals and flawless live performance.

Jin has also been keeping busy with appearances on popular variety shows like Salon Drip 2, Neighborhood Star K4, and Limousine Service. He’s also appeared on famous American talk shows, including The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Japan’s top music program Venue 101, where he impressed fans with his humor and solid live performances. His reputation as the “Vocal King” and “Live King” is stronger than ever!

As if that wasn't enough, Jin is also gaining attention globally for singing the main theme song for the new tvN drama Ask the Stars. Jin's talents continue to wow the world, and it's clear he's not slowing down anytime soon!

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