Image Source: Getty / THE FACT / Imazins
The time for BTS’s oldest member, Jin, to enlist in South Korea’s military — as all able-bodied Korean men of a certain age must — has come. It’s a bittersweet moment for BTS and their fans, as he’ll be separated from his bandmates and ARMYs for just under two years as he completes his service. That’s seemingly why Jin is leaving fans with the most thoughtful gift to thank them in advance for their steadfast dedication as they wait for his return: his first official solo single.
On Aug. 18, just a day after Big Hit Music confirmed each member of BTS will enlist in the Korean military starting with Jin at the end of October, it announced Jin will also release a solo single he cowrote with Coldplay. While Jin has released solo songs as part of BTS’s albums, on special occasions, and just for fun (we’re still jamming out to “Super Tuna“), “The Astronaut” will mark his first official solo musical endeavor.
“BTS member Jin’s first official solo single, ‘The Astronaut,’ will be released. . . . Since it’s a song made with so much love toward the fans, we hope ‘The Astronaut” can be a gift to all of you,'” the Weverse announcement read. “We also prepared various promotions for the fans throughout the preparation process of this single. Please show a lot of anticipation and support for this promotion, where you can meet various sides of Jin.”
Read on to learn everything there is to know about Jin’s new single and how you can support it.
Jin’s “The Astronaut” Poster
The poster for Jin’s “The Astronaut” was shared on BTS’s Twitter on Oct. 18. Fittingly, it’s a simple image of a huge galaxy of stars.
‘The Astronaut’ Poster
2022.10. 28. 1PM (KST) | 12AM (ET)
Co-written by Jin x @Coldplay #진 #Jin #TheAstronaut #JinXColdplay pic.twitter.com/wKkCnxiD1J— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) October 19, 2022
Jin’s “The Astronaut” Teaser
On Oct. 18, a video was posted to BTS’s Twitter featuring a lone astronaut (seemingly representing Jin) floating endlessly through space before reaching a beautiful, blinding light.
The Astronaut
2022.10. 28. 1PM (KST)👨🚀 https://t.co/C9HTwK7ove#진 #Jin #TheAstronaut pic.twitter.com/sOxcYyf6aQ
— BIGHIT MUSIC (@BIGHIT_MUSIC) October 18, 2022
Jin’s “The Astronaut” Release Date
“The Astronaut” is set to release digitally everywhere on Oct. 28. If you order the physical album from US retailers, however, it will ship on Dec. 2.
How to Preorder Jin’s “The Astronaut” Physical CD
You can preorder the CD for “The Astronaut” (which is available in two versions) for $16-$20 through the following US retailers: BTS’s official store, Target, Weverse, and Amazon. All digital and physical sales (from US retailers) will count toward the Billboard charts.
What Does Jin’s “The Astronaut” Physical CD Come With?
As Big Hit promised, Jin prepared all of the goodies ARMYs have come to expect from BTS’s releases. Both versions of the album will come with:
- Out Cover (one of two versions)
- Booklet (one of two versions)
- Lyric Card
- Postcard (one of two versions)
- Poster (one of two versions)
- Seal Sticker (two of eight versions)
- Graphic Sticker
- Photocard (one of two per version)
- CD-R (one of two versions)