BTS member V’s solo song “FRI(END)S” has surpassed 570 million streams on Spotify, showcasing its continued global popularity.
The digital single reached the milestone on the 18th on the world’s largest music streaming platform. “FRI(END)S” is a pop soul R&B track featuring a sweet melody and witty lyrics, highlighting V’s wide vocal range as he effortlessly moves between deep tones and falsetto.
Released on March 15, 2024, “FRI(END)S” achieved remarkable chart success despite the absence of promotional activities due to V’s military service and without the support of a physical album. The song debuted at No. 65 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 3 on Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.), and No. 5 on the Global 200. In the UK, it entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 13, charted for two consecutive weeks, and debuted at No. 3 on the Official Big Top 40 with only two days of tracking.
The track also topped both Worldwide iTunes and European iTunes, becoming the first song released in 2024 to reach No. 1 on iTunes charts in 100 countries worldwide. Amazon Music and Apple Music selected “FRI(END)S” as one of the “Best K-pop Songs of 2024.” The song was further featured as background music for Season 3 of the popular U.S. drama series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.”
The music video, filmed in the UK, also drew widespread acclaim. V’s expressive performance, portraying contrasting characters in moments of solitude and romance, delivered a cinematic experience. The video ranked No. 1 on YouTube’s Worldwide Trending Music chart for 14 consecutive days and made history as the first K-pop artist to top the U.S. “TIDAL Top Video” chart.
As of January 19, V has 20,314,183 followers on Spotify, the highest number among K-pop solo artists, reaffirming his unmatched popularity as a solo performer.
Written by Mun Wan Sik
Translated by Lee So Yun
