J-Hope Ties Jung Kook's Historic All-Time Record

Forbes

04-04-2025

J-Hope has made it clear in recent months that even while his band BTS is on pause, he's going to keep the hits coming. The South Korean star has remained active on the Billboard charts, both through collaborations and solo releases. Now, as he returns with his brand new single 'Mona Lisa,' he adds to his growing list of wins — and this latest one helps him reach a very impressive milestone that puts him alongside one of his own bandmates.
'Mona Lisa' opens at No. 65 on the Hot 100. While that's not the loftiest start of his career, its arrival is still cause for celebration. The track is his seventh solo placement on the most important songs ranking in America, which is a huge feat for any K-pop act — especially one working on its own.
As he moves from six Hot 100 appearances to seven, J-Hope breaks out of a tie he previously held with three other K-pop soloists. Now, he matches his BTS bandmate Jung Kook for the most solo appearances among artists primarily known for creating K-pop music. Both have now landed seven tracks on the Hot 100 on their own.
Thanks to his latest smash, J-Hope passes fellow BTS members Jimin and V, as well as Blackpink's Jennie, all of whom have charted six times on the ranking.
When expanding the scope beyond just soloists and looking at all K-pop acts, J-Hope's achievements are still incredibly impressive, though he drops in terms of placement. He and Jung Kook are now tied in third place when it comes to the most Hot 100 hits among South Korean artists. Leading the list, unsurprisingly, is BTS, with 27 appearances. Blackpink follows in second with nine.
'Mona Lisa' is J-Hope's third Hot 100 hit this year alone. That means he's managed to earn nearly half of his career total smashes in just the first few months of 2025. He started off strong with 'LV Bag,' a collaborative track fronted by Don Toliver that also features Pharrell Williams and Speedy. Just a few weeks ago, he hit again with 'Sweet Dreams' after teaming up with Miguel.
'Mona Lisa' doesn't just make it onto the Hot 100, it finds its way to four Billboard charts this frame. The song launches at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, giving J-Hope yet another bestselling title to his name. It also breaks into the top 10 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., starting off at No. 9. The cut almost manages a similar showing on the Billboard Global 200, where it's new at No. 14.