BTS' RM Is The First Korean Solo Artist To Enter Billboard 200 Top 3 With 'Indigo'

BTS' RM has reached a new milestone in his solo career, making history as the first South Korean solo artist to enter the top three of the Billboard 200 chart.

On Monday, Billboard announced that the 28-year-old rapper's newly released solo album "Indigo" re-entered the chart at No. 3 for the week ending on Dec. 31, marking its second non-consecutive week on the Billboard 200.

RM's album beat Twice's Nayeon's solo EP "Im Nayeon" as the highest-charting Korean solo album to date on the chart. Nayeon's record peaked at No. 7 in July, according to Soompi.

"Indigo" debuted on the Dec. 17-dated Billboard 200 chart at No. 15 after its initial release via streaming services and as a digital download album. It was eliminated the following week.

But the album surged to the third spot this week following the release of its CD version, garnering a total of 83,000 equivalent album units in the week ending Dec. 22. The figure consists of 79,000 traditional album sales and 4,000 streaming equivalent album (SEA) units, according to Billboard.

The scores are equivalent to at least 5.3 million on-demand audio streams garnered during the week, Soompi reported, citing Luminate.

In addition to becoming the first South Korean solo artist to hold one of the top 3 spots on the Billboard 200, RM is also the first member of his seven-member globally renowned boy band to make it to the top 10 of the chart with a solo album.

RM is also the second BTS member to appear on the chart this year with a solo project, following co-star J-Hope's "Jack in the Box," which peaked at No. 17 in July.

The BTS leader, whose real name is Kim Namjoon, became the third member of the band to release a solo record since they announced that they were going on hiatus as a group to pursue individual endeavors back in June.

In an exclusive interview with Hypebeast, RM revealed the reason why it took some time to release his first solo album, explaining that he was "dedicating most of my energy to BTS."

"[But] I did want to release a studio album as a solo artist at some point. I don't think it's healthy to have your entire identity wrapped up in a group. This group, of course, is a crucial part of my life. But it does not entirely represent who I am as a person, and I had to release this album to stand on my own as an individual," he added.

The album's theme centered on a new side of the rapper that the fans have yet to discover. According to RM, it was "a piece of work that had to be made" to not lose his sense of self.

"Indigo" features a total of 10 songs, including "Yun," "Closer," "No. 2," "Lonely," and "Still Life." RM collaborated with several musicians for the album such as Anderson .Paak, Erykah Badu, Kim Sawol, Colde and many more.