BTS' Jimin tops US Billboard singles chart with 1st solo release

Jimin of K-pop sensation BTS is the first South Korean solo act to hit No. 1 on Billboard's main singles chart Hot 100.

The American music and entertainment magazine Billboard on Monday said the title song "Like Crazy" from his debut solo EP "Face" entered the Hot 100 at No. 1 in an article forecasting this week's charts.

Jimin is thus K-pop's first solo act to top the charts, breaking the mark of rapper Psy, whose 2012 smash "Gangnam Style" ranked second on the Hot 100 for seven consecutive weeks.

Jimin is also the first K-pop soloist to top the Hot 100 after leaving a group. Starting with "Dynamite," BTS released six No. 1s on the chart like "Butter," "Life Goes On," "Permission to Dance," "Savage Love" a collaboration with two other artists, and "My Universe."

The Hot 100 is calculated based on volume of digital music streaming and downloads and radio airplay. Billboard said "Like Crazy" saw brisk sales with five versions released during the assessment period: the original, English, deep house, UK garage and instrumental.

"Like Crazy" saw sales of 254,000 downloads and CD singles March 24-30, with 10 million streams and 64,000 radio listeners, it added.

Write to Ji-Hye Min at spop@hankyung.com