SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA – JUNE 20: Kai of South Korean boy band EXO-K attends Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things … [+]
Once a month, Gaon and the Korea Music Contents Association analyze sales and streaming data and then announce which albums and songs have sold or streamed well enough to collect coveted certifications. This time around, nine titles earn prizes, with just one solo musician included in the roundup. With a second honor to his credit, he now ranks among the most successful artists working on their own in the South Korean music industry.
Kai’s Peaches is now a platinum success in the Asian nation, meaning it has been purchased by at least 250,000 people. He’s also landed wins as a member of both Exo and SuperM, but on his own, he’s only collected two certifications. When looking at solo artists, that’s still enough for him to make history.
The beloved musician is now tied with IU for the fourth-most album certifications in South Korea, when looking at solo artists only. Both stars have earned a pair, and they surely have more coming their way, as they remain both incredibly popular and very active.
Kai collected his first album certification in South Korea exactly a year ago when his debut solo EP Kai went platinum. Now, he’s repeated that feat exactly with his sophomore EP Peaches. Including his work with both Exo and SuperM, Kai has snagged five other awards, bringing his total to seven.
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Leading the charge among all solo musicians in terms of the number of album certifications earned is Kang Daniel. The former Wanna One star has seen four of his efforts earn some kind of award. Behind him come both Baekhyun and Kim Ho-joong, with three apiece.
At the moment, Kai is tied with IU, the most successful female solo musician in South Korean history, looking at her album certifications. The superstar’s releases Lilac and Love Poem have both been named platinum successes. By doubling his total certifications, Kai breaks out of a tie with fellow solo artists Suho, D.O., Jonghyun and both Lisa and Rosé from Blackpink, who count one honor each.
