K-pop supergroup BTS have rapidly become one of the most popular boybands in the world, but it looks like the members have a lot of star power as individuals too.
The band are used to breaking records: they have dozens under their belt, including the fastest time to reach one million followers on TikTok and becoming the first K-pop group to perform on a major US awards show, and now one of its seven members Jungkook has broken a record of his own.
Thanks to his 2018 solo single Euphoria re-entering the US charts this week, he has just become the longest-charting K-pop solo artist, racking up an impressive 26 weeks near the top of the pops.
The record was previously held by Jennie with track Solo.
In total, Euphoria has sold more than four million international copies, making it the best-selling B-side in K-pop history, too.
Check out this photo gallery of BTS through the years:
BTS through the years: Members of BTS arrive on the red carpet during the K-Con 2014 (Korean Culture Convention) at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on August 10, 2014. AFP
Members of Korean K-pop group BTS arrive on the red carpet during the K-Con 2014 (Korean Culture Convention) at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on August 10, 2014. AFP
South Korean K-pop group 'BTS' pose on the red carpet of the 2016 Asia Artist Awards in Seoul on November 16, 2016. AFP
The seven members of BTS: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and JungKook visit Music Choice on March 22, 2017 in New York City. Getty
BTS performs 'Fake Love' at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 20, 2018, in Las Vegas. Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP
BTS accepts the Top Social Artist award at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards on May 20, 2018. Reuters
Members of the Korean K-Pop group BTS attend a meeting at the United Nations high level event during the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2018. AP photo
BTS performs during a Korean cultural event as part of South Korean President's official visit to France on October 14, 2018 in Paris. AFP
BTS pose for photos on the red carpet of the Mnet Asian Music Awards (Mama) in Hong Kong on December 14, 2018. AP photo
South Korean boy band BTS attend the Seoul Music Awards on January 15, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. Chung Sung-Jun / Getty Images
BTS presents the award for Best R&B Album during the 61st Annual Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. AFP / Robyn Beck
BTS perform on 'Saturday Night Live' on April 11, 2019. NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
BTS before rehearsals for KBS 2TV's 'Music Bank' at KBS' new hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on April 19, 2019 in Seoul, South Korea. Getty Images
BTS and Halsey performing 'Boy With Luv' at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019. Reuters
Members of K-Pop boyband BTS attend Youth Day at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea on September 19, 2020. Yonhap via Reuters
BTS present a purple-colored gift box to President Moon Jae-in, third left, during the inaugural Youth Day event held at the presidential compound, Cheong Wa Dae, in Seoul, South Korea, on September 19, 2020. The 'Year 2039 Gift' contains various materials related to their musical performances and will be stored at a national museum until it is unveiled 20 years later. EPA
Members of South Korean boy band BTS pose on the red carpet during the annual Mama Awards at Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, Japan on December 4, 2019. Reuters
Members of South Korean boy band BTS speak for the 34st annual Golden Disk Awards ceremony in Seoul, South Korea on January 4, 2020. Kim Hee-Chul / EPA
K-pop band BTS arrives at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on January 26, 2020. Jordan Strauss / Invision / AP File
BTS visits the 'Today' Show at Rockefeller Plaza on February 21, 2020 in New York City. AFP
BTS addressing as part of YouTube Originals' 'Dear Class of 2020' commencement speeches, in this still image from video made available on June 7, 2020. YouTube Originals/Handout
BTS performing as part of YouTube Originals' 'Dear Class of 2020' commencement speeches, in this still image from video made available on June 7, 2020. YouTube Originals/Handout
BTS performs 'Dynamite' during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020. Reuters
BTS accepts the award for Best Pop video for 'On' during the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020. MTV via AP
Euphoria’s new record isn’t the only accolade Jungkook has achieved.
Just this month he broke the record for becoming the only person to receive more than two million likes on five of his Twitter posts, showing that his powers extend far beyond music.
And it looks as though it will continue to be a record-breaking year for him, as he was also named the most-searched Idol on Google and YouTube for 2020 so far, a title he also held in 2019.
K-pop is incredibly popular in the GCC, and so Jungkook has many fans in the Gulf.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how the K-pop craze first arrived in the UAE. But it’s been around for a while – K-pop bands such as Super Junior, Big Bang, 2ne1, SHINee and TVXQ were big in the mid-2000s, after becoming popular on YouTube.
One of the first major K-pop performances in the UAE was in 2011, when pop star Seo In-young and girl group Nine Muses performed as part of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix celebrations. Five years later, there was the game-changing KCON held at du Arena.
Inside Abu Dhabi's K-pop academy:
The event brought big names to town, such as BTS (who were less famous then but still a big deal) and solo artists Taeyeon (formerly of Girls Generation) and Kyuhyun (a former member of Super Junior). It was also the same year the Korean Cultural Centre opened in the capital.
