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BTS' Taehyung & Jungkook, or Taekook, as they are lovingly called by fans, have set an unprecedented record with their solo releases. For those unversed, at their Festa celebrations last year, BTS members announced they would be taking a break from group activities and focusing on their solo endeavors.
Older members J-hope, Jin, and RM released their solo albums Jack in the Box, The Astronaut, and Indigo last year. This year, BTS' maknae line showcased their solo albums for the first time. Jimin and SUGA released their respective albums, FACE and D-DAY, in March and April of this year.
The third quarter of the year (July–August–September) was dedicated to BTS' Taehyung and Jungkook's solo releases. Bangtan's Maknae debuted his tantalizing single SEVEN featuring American rapper Latto and Korean actress Han So-hee in July, and V released his debut solo album Layover on September 8.
Now, according to Herald Economy, BTS' Taehyung and Jungkook, or Taekook, recorded ₩ 537.9 billion in sales for the third quarter of the year. Notably, this is the highest sales HYBE has recorded in a single quarter since it went public.
Unsurprisingly, ARMYs took to social media to react to this incredible news. @R_taekook22 wrote:
"Taekook my Kings and the power they hold amazing!!"
BTS' Taehyung & Jungkook's fans celebrate their record-earning sales with euphoric reactions
According to a detailed report by the Korean media outlet Herald Economy, BTS's Taehyung and Jungkook, also known as Taekook, made astounding contributions to HYBE records with ₩ 537.9 billion in sales in the third quarter. Even after sales deductions, the operating profits amount to ₩ 72.7 billion, and this is just in the third quarter of 2023.
The sales increased by 21 percent and the operating profit by 20 percent as compared to the sales last year. For those unversed, sales is another word for revenue, and operating profit is money that is left after tax deductions.
BTS' Taehyung recorded 2.1 million copies in the first week of the release of Layover. With this, the 28-year-old BTS member became the first K-pop soloist to exceed 2 million copies in the first week.
On the other hand, Jungkook has released two major singles—SEVEN on July 14 and 3D on September 29—in collaboration with American rapper Jack Harlow. SEVEN debuted at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart upon release and charted on the aforementioned chart for 13 consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, 3D debuted at the fifth rank on Billboard's Hot 100.
Jungkook's next album, GOLDEN, scheduled for release on November 3 at 1 p.m. KST, will feature SEVEN (clean and explicit versions) and 3D. The Maknae is anticipated to lead HYBE's sales in the fourth quarter of 2023 (October-November-December).
ARMYs have taken to X to celebrate BTS' Taehyung & Jungkook's achievements with euphoric reactions.
Besides BTS' Taehyung and Jungkook's incredible achievements, Bangtan's official book Beyond the Story, which commemorates their decade-long journey in showbiz, also contributed to HYBE's sales in the third quarter, although the sales figures were not made public.
For the fourth quarter, HYBE will be primarily focusing on the Euphoria singer's debut solo album GOLDEN, which is all set to release on November 3 at 1 p.m. KST and consists of 11 songs.
What are BTS' Taehyung and Jungkook up to?
BTS' Taehyung and Jungkook are busy with their solo endeavors. On October 14, the Singularity singer wrapped his debut solo fan meeting titled VICNIC (an amalgamation of V and Picnic) at Kyunghee University's Peace Amphitheatre, with 1400 ARMYs attending the event.
The event officially marked the end of promotions for his debut solo album, Layover, which was released on September 8. Additionally, the fan meeting might be one of his major activities before the singer enlists in the military with his fellow 95-liner bandmate Jimin.
On the other hand, the Dreamers singer is all set to release GOLDEN and embark upon a series of promotional activities, including an appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" and a solo concert on November 20. ARMYs will be notified of his future activities in due course of time.
