BTS’s Suga Proves His Power As A Soloist, Sets Multiple Historic Records With His Tour
In June 2022, the BTS members shared that they will be taking a temporary break from releasing music as a group and focusing on promoting as solo artists for the time being. The news, followed by the announcement of their military enlistment, had fans anxious about what the future held.
But one by one, as the members started their solo projects, fans realized that they wouldn’t be running out of new music or content from BTS anytime soon. While J-Hope took a big leap and became the first member of the group to release his solo album Jack In The Box, Suga took another one for the team and set off to tour the world as a soloist.
Get Ready for the Day #SUGA #AgustD #슈가 #SUGA_AgustD_TOUR pic.twitter.com/Vjanqstyd1
— BTS_official (@bts_bighit) February 21, 2023
Suga released his solo album D-Day on April 21 and kicked off his SUGA | AGUST D world tour on April 26 at the UBS arena in New York. Though BTS are already stadium-filling artists, Suga wanted to go for an arena tour because he was doing the shows solo. But that didn’t do anything to dim the demand. His concert tickets sold out at light’s speed, and he had to add two new Asia dates even before the tour started!
The U.S. leg of Suga’s tour consisted of 11 shows across five different cities between April 26 to May 17. After successfully wrapping up his U.S. concerts, the rapper returned to Korea on May 19. Though he went back to promote his album the very next day, the impact left his solo U.S. tour left behind was so big that it required a few days to be processed.
Suga has set multiple milestones with this tour as a rapper and a solo act. First, he became the Korean Soloist with the highest-grossing concert in the U.S. with his two nights at the UBS arena alone.
#SUGA of @BTS_twt earns the highest-grossing concerts by a Korean soloist in US history, with $2.970 million each night at UBS Arena in New York on April 26-27, 2023.
— Touring Data (@touringdata) May 11, 2023
Next, his tour became the highest-grossing tour by an Asian act in the history of the U.S. The total revenue generated in his 11 shows amounted to USD 30.2 million dollars.
#SUGA of @BTS_twt's "D-Day | Agust D" earns the highest-grossing tour by an Asian soloist in US history, with $30.2 million from 151,000 tickets sold in 11 shows.
— Touring Data (@touringdata) May 23, 2023
His solo tour is also now the fourth highest-selling tour by an Asian act in the U.S., preceded by BTS’s Love: Speak Yourself and Permission to Dance tours and BLACKPINK‘s Born Pink.
Top Tours by Asian Acts in the US:
$70.7M – #BTS Love: Speak Yourself (18 shows)
$69.3M – #BTS Permission to Dance (8 shows)
$45.5M – #Blackpink Born Pink (12/17 shows)
$30.2M – #Suga D-Day (11 shows)
$26.7M – #StrayKids Maniac (16 shows)
$19.8M – #JJLin JJ20 (7 shows)
$18.7M -…— Touring Data (@touringdata) May 23, 2023
Lastly, Suga made history as the first rapper to earn over USD 3 million dollars from a single arena concert in the U.S. His three shows in Los Angeles grossed around USD 3.164 million per night.
#SUGA of @BTS_twt is the first rapper to earn over $3 million in a single arena-concert in US history, with $3.164 million each night at the Forum in Inglewood on May 10-11 and 14, 2023.
— Touring Data (@touringdata) May 23, 2023
On multiple occasions, Suga has expressed that he decided to do a solo tour to fill the gap left by his group’s temporary break. He didn’t want to keep fans waiting even longer, so he took the responsibility up on his shoulders. Given the massive success of this tour, it looks like BTS have nothing to worry about when they finally reunite after their military service. Because BTS might not be breaking records with their music for now, but their very own members are out there setting new ones!
