BLACKPINK and BTS have set high standards for successful K-pop acts globally, with their solo debuts complementing the groups’ progress and accentuating their unique artistic elements. BTS’s Jimin debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Like Crazy,” making it the first time a solo member of the group achieved this feat, while BLACKPINK’s Jennie debuted her first single, “Solo,” two years before the band dropped its first studio album. Despite not having a full-length album to their name until 2020, BLACKPINK had already made a significant mark on the K-pop scene with viral hits like “DDU-DU DDU-DU” and “BOOMBAYAH,” with their album track “Ice Cream” featuring Selena Gomez reaching No. 13 on the Hot 100, their highest-charting single in the United States.
