Biography
Jung Kook, the South Korean vocalist, songwriter, and producer, first gained prominence as the main vocalist in the K-pop group BTS. Since the band's 2013 debut, he has shared in their worldwide achievements, filling arenas across continents and securing chart-topping releases in numerous countries. Beyond collective endeavors, he has taken part in multiple reality television programs while also writing and producing independent tracks, among them the 2020 release "Still with You" and the 2023 debut single "Seven," which anchored his inaugural album Golden.
Born Jeon Jung-kook in Busan in 1997, he drew motivation from earlier K-pop figures such as G-Dragon of Big Bang and Western performers including Justin Timberlake and Usher, prompting him to enter the music industry. He began preparatory work with Big Hit Entertainment in the early 2010s, sharpening his performance abilities through practice in his hometown and Los Angeles before being selected as an original member of the label's new boy band BTS. Their inaugural project, 2 Cool 4 Skool, arrived in 2013, after which the group achieved leading positions in K-pop and delivered international successes like Love Yourself: Tear and Map of the Soul: 7. Within BTS, Jung Kook received featured spots on selections such as "Begin" from Wings and "Euphoria" from Love Yourself: Answer, while also assisting in the creation of "Love Is Not Over" and "Magic Shop."
Separately from group work, he participated in the 2015 Korean collaborative effort "One Dream, One Korea" and distributed "Still with You" during June 2020. In 2021 he joined Iyori Shimizu of Back Number and UTA on "Film Out," a track tied to BTS' Japanese-language collection BTS, The Best. The next year brought further solo releases, beginning with the expansive "Stay Alive" linked to 7Fates: Chakho, followed, after the chart-dominant BTS anthology Proof, by a partnership with Charlie Puth on the pop single "Left and Right." November 2022 saw the launch of "Dreamers" for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 soundtrack; Jung Kook performed it at the opening ceremony alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, and the song ascended to number one on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.
His first official solo single, the explicit "Seven" featuring rapper Latto, emerged in 2023 and formed the centerpiece of the November full-length Golden. The project incorporated appearances by Jack Harlow on "3D," Major Lazer on "Closer to You," and DJ Snake on "Please Don't Change," while also drawing contributions from BloodPop, Cirkut, Banx & Ranx, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, and additional collaborators. Subsequent remixes paired Jung Kook with two of his cited influences, adding Timberlake to "3D" and Usher to "Standing Next to You." Golden reached the summit of both the Korean and Japanese rankings and attained the number-two position on the Billboard 200. The standalone single "Never Let Go" followed in July 2024 and registered on the Hot 100.
Born Jeon Jung-kook in Busan in 1997, he drew motivation from earlier K-pop figures such as G-Dragon of Big Bang and Western performers including Justin Timberlake and Usher, prompting him to enter the music industry. He began preparatory work with Big Hit Entertainment in the early 2010s, sharpening his performance abilities through practice in his hometown and Los Angeles before being selected as an original member of the label's new boy band BTS. Their inaugural project, 2 Cool 4 Skool, arrived in 2013, after which the group achieved leading positions in K-pop and delivered international successes like Love Yourself: Tear and Map of the Soul: 7. Within BTS, Jung Kook received featured spots on selections such as "Begin" from Wings and "Euphoria" from Love Yourself: Answer, while also assisting in the creation of "Love Is Not Over" and "Magic Shop."
Separately from group work, he participated in the 2015 Korean collaborative effort "One Dream, One Korea" and distributed "Still with You" during June 2020. In 2021 he joined Iyori Shimizu of Back Number and UTA on "Film Out," a track tied to BTS' Japanese-language collection BTS, The Best. The next year brought further solo releases, beginning with the expansive "Stay Alive" linked to 7Fates: Chakho, followed, after the chart-dominant BTS anthology Proof, by a partnership with Charlie Puth on the pop single "Left and Right." November 2022 saw the launch of "Dreamers" for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 soundtrack; Jung Kook performed it at the opening ceremony alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, and the song ascended to number one on Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart.
His first official solo single, the explicit "Seven" featuring rapper Latto, emerged in 2023 and formed the centerpiece of the November full-length Golden. The project incorporated appearances by Jack Harlow on "3D," Major Lazer on "Closer to You," and DJ Snake on "Please Don't Change," while also drawing contributions from BloodPop, Cirkut, Banx & Ranx, Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, and additional collaborators. Subsequent remixes paired Jung Kook with two of his cited influences, adding Timberlake to "3D" and Usher to "Standing Next to You." Golden reached the summit of both the Korean and Japanese rankings and attained the number-two position on the Billboard 200. The standalone single "Never Let Go" followed in July 2024 and registered on the Hot 100.
Singles
