The solo works of the members of the group BTS are being consecutively recognized as part of the annual best albums of 2024 by various prestigious international media outlets.
RM's second solo album 'Right Place, Wrong Person' and Jin's first solo album 'Happy' have been included in Billboard's recent announcement of 'The 25 Best K-Pop Albums of 2024: Staff Picks.'
RM's 'Right Place, Wrong Person' received high praise as "the best K-Pop album of the year and the boldest album released in 2024 across all genres."
Billboard stated, "This is RM's monumental leap. He has challenged the boundaries of genres, seamlessly transitioning from hip-hop to jazz, from afrobeats to punk while maintaining artistic consistency." They added, "The lyrics strike a balance between self-exploration and social commentary, showcasing RM's growth as a musician and storyteller. RM has created a masterpiece that transcends cultural and genre boundaries."
Jin's 'Happy' was described as "an impressive pop rock album." Billboard explained that the album features retro-sounding songs like 'Running Wild' and 'I'll Be There' reminiscent of the rock band The Killers and Fitz and the Tantrums, as well as the smooth modern pop track 'Heart on the Window (with Wendy).' They concluded, "'Happy' shows that Jin is ready to firmly establish his own path and pursue successful solo activities."
'Right Place, Wrong Person' has been recognized as a masterpiece by multiple media outlets besides Billboard. Global culture magazine HYPEBEAST selected this album as one of 'The 10 Best Music Projects of 2024,' introducing it as "an album that changes the preconceived notions about RM seen only on screen." HYPEBEAST highlighted the diverse musical genres across the 11 tracks, stating, "Even amidst the breadth, it maintains focus and proves RM's essence."
The British music magazine NME expressed surprise at RM's diverse musical colors and consistent message, ranking the album 16th in 'The 50 Best Albums of 2024.' NME commented, "This is a work filled with ideas that stands out among the albums released this year."
RM's second solo album has also made it to the 'The 100 Best Albums of 2024' list selected by the American music magazine Rolling Stone, becoming the only K-Pop work to be included this year. Rolling Stone described it as "a psychedelic and emotional album that harmonizes introspective lyrics with music that invites new explorations."
BTS's group songs have also made their mark among great songs. The American entertainment media UPROXX selected the digital single 'Dynamite,' released in 2020, as 71st in 'The 100 Best Hit Songs Of The Century So Far.' This is particularly meaningful considering the sustained influence and long-term listenability.
UPROXX stated, "BTS brought color and joy to the world during a time when everything seemed dull. Most importantly, 'Dynamite' served as a signal that K-Pop could smoothly enter the global market."
Additionally, BTS was recognized as the K-Pop artist with the most global streams for seven consecutive years in Spotify's '2024 Wrapped' year-end summary. This year, they recorded 3.9 billion streams globally on Spotify. Thus, BTS continues to receive unwavering love and showcases a strong presence in major global year-end charts.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
