A number of nominations for the song have been given to Jin at the Gaon Chart Music Awards, Seoul Music Awards, and Hanteo Awards. He also holds the record for K-pop solo debuts with the highest debut and peak on the Billboard Hot100 (#51).
Jin co-produced, co-composed, co-produced, and authored the lyrics for the song. On TikTok, his performance during the Coldplay gig in Argentina went viral. Jin put up a strong show while using his vocal prowess. Numerous Korean celebrities have expressed support for the song, including Jung Woo-sung, Park Seoham, N.flying, Lee Sangyeob, Kim Namgil, and Ji Seokjin. On the Rolling Stone list of the Best Songs of 2022, Jin is the highest-ranked soloist.
Even Kim Do Heon, a KMA committee member, appreciated the song and Jin’s abilities:
‘It is the most impressive song among the solo activities of BTS members this year. Jin’s voice is very powerful as he sings the themes that remind you of ‘Moon’ and ‘Mikrokosmos.’ With the participation of Kygo and Max Martin, the sound quality came out excellent. Meanwhile, the sound of Coldplay in the melody is lively with a new voice.’
It was the most amazing song from BTS this year, according to Kim Do Heon. All of Jin’s solo songs were either co-written by him or he wrote them alone, and they are consistently considered as some of the best songs in the whole BTS catalog. For instance, Rolling Stone magazine ranked “Moon” as the 7th best song of 2020 and the 5th best boyband song in history.
A reputable journalist named Kim Jae-ha posted about “The Astronaut” on her personal Twitter account on December 15. She is a journalist who has contributed to illustrious publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone. She authored a column about the top K-pop songs of 2022 for Teen Vogue.
“I selected Jin’s “The Astronaut” as the Best Kpop Song of the Year. He’s always had the ability to express vulnerability in songs like the glorious EPIPHANY. Here the @BTS_twt vocalist exhibits defiant strength, promising: “You & me/A never-ending history.”
The solo single by Jin was chosen by Kim Jae-ha as the best K-pop song of the year. She authored the following article for Teen Vogue:
“Before he enlisted for South Korea’s mandatory military duty earlier this week, Jin recorded “The Astronaut” for his ARMY. Co-written with Coldplay, the song is a lush pop creation that showcases the BTS member’s vocal range and emotive qualities. Jin has explored the universe paradigm in his music previously (“Moon”), but knowing that it will be another 18 months before he returns as a civilian makes this release both precious and bittersweet. Jin has always had the ability to express vulnerability in songs like the glorious “Epiphany.” But here, he also exhibits defiant strength, promising listeners, “You and me, a never ending history.”
Jin’s excellent vocal range and the nuanced emotions that each of his solo songs has were praised by Kim Jae-ha.