BTS’s Jungkook continues to break records and make history, even while serving in the military!

The talented singer has just reached a major milestone by spending an incredible 600 days on Spotify’s prestigious "Global Top Artist" chart. This makes him the first K-pop solo artist to achieve this groundbreaking feat, proving just how popular and loved he is worldwide!

Since starting his solo career in July 2023, Jungkook has consistently remained on the chart, showing his solid presence and undeniable appeal as a solo artist, even after enlisting in December 2023. His success is nothing short of amazing!

Jungkook’s solo single "Seven" played a huge part in these historic achievements. He became the fastest artist in Spotify history to hit major milestones, including 100 million, 900 million, 1 billion, and 1.1 billion streams. He also made history as the first Asian artist to reach a massive 2.1 billion streams.

And it doesn't stop there—Jungkook now has three songs with over 1 billion streams: "Seven", "Standing Next to You", and "Left and Right". He also holds two songs with over 1.1 billion streams ("Seven" and "Standing Next to You").

On top of that, his tracks "Seven", "3D", and "Standing Next to You" all topped Spotify’s "Daily Top Song Global" chart, with "Seven" becoming the first Asian song to hold the #1 spot for an impressive 71 days! Jungkook also set the record for the longest-running #1 male artist on the "Weekly Top Song Global" chart in 2023, holding the position for a total of 9 weeks.

"Seven" was so popular that it earned a place as the 11th most-streamed song of the 2020s on Spotify, further cementing its status as a global smash hit!

Jungkook’s debut solo album, "GOLDEN," also made history by becoming the first album by an Asian solo artist to surpass 5.1 billion streams on Spotify.

With his personal Spotify account, Jungkook has reached an astonishing 8.2 billion total streams, making him the fastest, first, and most-record-breaking K-pop artist on the platform!

Jungkook’s success is truly unprecedented, and his journey to the top is far from over.

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The new OTT series Newtopia has faced mixed reactions, with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo's acting and a slow storyline making viewers question if the show can survive.

Released on the 7th, Newtopia on Coupang Play promised to offer something fresh in the K-zombie genre. The drama follows an unlikely couple, Lee Jae-yoon (played by Park Jung Min), a late-blooming soldier, and his girlfriend Kang Young-joo (Jisoo), as they fight to survive in a zombie-infested Seoul.

The mix of zombies and romantic comedy sounded like an interesting twist, but the show hasn’t exactly hit the mark.

Jisoo’s second lead role after Snowdrop in 2021 was highly anticipated. But many fans and critics have been concerned about her acting, especially after she received some backlash for her unclear pronunciation and awkward expressions in her previous project.

Director Yoon Sung-hyun, aware of the concerns, said at the press preview, “Since Jisoo hadn’t acted for a long time after her last project, I was also initially worried, thinking, ‘Will she be okay?’ But Jisoo dedicated herself, doing script readings four days a week. She worked hard, and as a result, I had no doubts or difficulties. By episode 8, you'll feel that only Jisoo could have portrayed Young-joo. She did an amazing job.”

Despite his words of praise, Jisoo’s performance still left fans worried. While she showed some improvement, her portrayal of Young-joo seemed inconsistent, lacking the calmness expected from the character. However, her "girl crush" image, with her background as a "campus goddess," did add some intrigue to her role.

The main issue, however, wasn’t just Jisoo's acting. Newtopia also struggled with its pacing. While other recent hits like Trauma Center or Trigger grab attention right from the start, Newtopia spent too much time in the first episode on Jae-yoon’s military life and Young-joo’s personal struggles, making it feel like a waste of time. The show failed to showcase the humor and zombie elements it promised, leaving many viewers unimpressed.

On top of that, some characters came off as annoying, like Jae-yoon’s colleague, Line Ho (Im Seong Jae), and the "unlikable" senior character Seojin-wook (played by Kang Young Seok). Even Park Jung-min didn’t do much to help the show move along, making the 57-minute episode feel even longer.

Thankfully, the show picked up pace in episode 2, finally diving into the zombie chaos. But will that be enough to save Newtopia? With the first episode still fresh in fans’ minds, the jury’s still out on whether this K-zombie drama can find its footing and deliver the thrills viewers are hoping for.

The remaining six episodes of Newtopia will air every Friday at 8 PM, with one episode released per week. Stay tuned to see if the series can bounce back!

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