The increase also means J-Hope makes his debut on Billboard's Rap Albums chart, landing at No. 19. Only two other Korean acts have appeared on this chart in G-Dragon (Coup d'Etat Pt.1 and Pt.2 both bowed in 2013) and MOBB (the duo's eponymous EP hit No. 20 in 2016).
Among all K-pop albums to bow on the Billboard 200, Hope World has only been outcharted by two entries from his boy band BTS who have 2017's Love Yourself: Her (which hit No. 7 last year) and 2016's Wings (No. 26).
J-Hope also sees "Daydream," the lead single from Hope World, rising to No. 1 on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart giving him his first solo chart-topper. The house-inspired hip-hop track that lets J-Hope show off his low-bass crooning earns an additional 3,000 downloads this week, marking 5,000 downloads total.
The 24-year-old is now the 10th artist in an exclusive group of K-pop acts to hit No. 1 on World Digital Song Sales. BTS lead with six, most recently topping the tally with "Mic Drop." They're followed by PSY (with his four No. 1s), BIGBANG and Blackpink (with three each), EXO and 2NE1 (two apiece), while CL, Twice, and G-Dragon and Taeyang have also collected a No. 1.
A slew of Hope World tracks also rise on the chart as "Airplane" debuts at No. 5 on World Digital Song Sales, "Hope World" jumps to No. 6 (from its No. 16 debut last week), "Base Line" debuts at No. 8, "Hangsang" jumps to No. 11 (from No. 23) and "P.O.P (Piece of Peace), Pt. 1" debuts at No. 12.
With the recent music video release of Hope World cut "Airplane" -- which currently has more than 10 million views at press time -- and the continuing interest in J-Hope and BTS, this mixtape may very well continue to hang around the charts (and continue to break even more records while at it).
