BTS’s Jungkook is proving once again why he’s a global pop sensation! His solo album GOLDEN, released in November 2023, has officially earned a 'Gold' certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ), marking sales of over 7,500 units in the country. This makes it the fourth major certification for GOLDEN, showing the album’s incredible popularity worldwide!

Not only has GOLDEN earned 'Gold' status in New Zealand, but it’s also been recognized with 'Gold' certifications in Italy, France, and Canada, making Jungkook one of the few Korean solo artists to achieve such global success. In fact, he’s now in the same league as PSY, who also earned this recognition for his solo work.

The achievements don’t stop there! Jungkook’s GOLDEN album has sold over 2 million copies on the Circle Album Chart, earning a 'Double Million' (2M) certification. The QR code version of GOLDEN on Weverse even earned a 'Platinum' certification after selling 250,000 copies.

But the album’s success is not just limited to these countries. GOLDEN made history by becoming the first album by a K-pop solo artist to receive a ‘Silver’ certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It also earned ‘Gold’ certifications from the Italian Music Industry Association (FIMI) and the French National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (SNEP), further cementing Jungkook’s status as a global music powerhouse.

Jungkook’s GOLDEN continues to break records in every corner of the globe. It earned ‘Platinum’ and ‘Gold’ certifications from the Japan Record Association (RIAJ), ‘Gold’ from the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA), and made history on the U.S. Billboard 200 by staying on the chart for 24 weeks—an all-time record for an Asian solo artist. It also charted for 8 weeks on the UK Official Albums Chart, another first for a K-pop solo artist.

On Spotify, GOLDEN became the first K-pop solo album and the fastest album by any K-pop artist to reach an incredible 5 billion streams!

With all these milestones, Jungkook’s GOLDEN is undoubtedly one of the most successful K-pop solo albums ever—and it’s only the beginning!

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BLACKPINK’s Jisoo shared a surprising story from her trainee days!

On January 29, the latest episode of Dex’s Fridge Interview was released on YouTube. During the chat, Dex asked Jisoo if she ever rebelled or broke the rules as a trainee. She confidently replied, “Not at all. The only rebellion I had as a trainee was eating.”

Dex then jokingly imitated her younger self, saying, “I’m perfect, so why are they telling me not to eat? I’m going to eat tteokbokki!”

Jisoo laughed and admitted, “Actually, I was really chubby back then. They kept telling me to lose weight, but I always said, ‘No, I need to eat. I like myself chubby.’”

She even recalled a moment with YG Entertainment’s founder, Yang Hyun Suk:
“The boss told me to lose weight, and I responded like that. He just walked away, thinking, ‘She’s a weird one.’ I literally said, ‘No! I like myself chubby!’”

Jisoo then revealed that after she debuted, she naturally lost weight. She added, “Later, after I debuted and naturally lost weight, he was like, ‘You didn’t lose weight when I told you to, but now that you debuted, you did.’”

Fans are loving Jisoo’s confidence and honesty! Meanwhile, her full interview on Dex’s Fridge Interview is now available on YouTube.

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