BTS Star Jin Surprises By Announcing A New Album, Months After His First Arrived
BTS's Jin announces Echo, his second solo project, due May 16—just six months after Happy made a ... More major splash on the Billboard 200. INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA - SEPTEMBER 18: GUCCI brand global ambassador, Jin of boy band BTS is seen departing for Italy for the Gucci 2025 SS womenswear fashion show at Incheon International Airport on September 18, 2024 in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Han Myung-Gu/WireImage)
BTS singer Jin has a new release on the way, and it's arriving sooner than most fans probably expected – especially considering there hadn't been hints about a new era, and it hasn't been long since he last gave his following music under his own name.
The K-pop superstar has officially announced Echo, his next solo project. While many details are still being kept under wraps, including how long the release will be, as the word 'album' means different things in the Western markets, when compared to how it is used in South Korea. No song titles or singles have been shared yet, either, though they likely will be fairly soon.
Echo will be Jin's second solo collection, following Happy, which dropped in November. That effort arrived with much fanfare and made an impressive commercial impact. Happy debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, making him one of a growing number of K-pop soloists to hit the highest tier on the most important albums ranking in America. The set produced just one Hot 100 hit, 'Running Wild,' which peaked at No. 53.
Echo is scheduled to be released on May 16, which means it will hit store shelves and streaming platforms less than six months after Happy. That kind of quick turnaround is relatively uncommon in the K-pop space when it comes to soloists, and that timeline makes the announcement that much more shocking.
BTS remains on hiatus, as several of the band's seven members are currently completing their mandatory military enlistment in South Korea. Others, meanwhile, have turned their attention to solo endeavors, like J-Hope, who has dropped several tunes throughout 2025.
With Echo, Jin will soon become the fifth BTS member to deliver multiple solo projects. He'll join the ranks of Suga, J-Hope, RM, and Jimin with at least two efforts under his own moniker. That leaves just two other bandmates — Jung Kook and V — who've only put out one collection apiece, at least so far.
Jin hit No. 1 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart in February, but it's unlikely that the tune will be featured on Echo. 'Close to You" served as a soundtrack cut from he Korean television series When the Stars Gossip.
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