BTS’s V has broken significant records on Spotify and iTunes with his new song “FRI(END)S,” shining in popularity on the world’s largest platforms. On its release day, March 15th, “FRI(END)S” streamed 4,728,233 times on Spotify, marking its debut at 7th place on the ‘Daily Top Songs Global’ chart. This achievement sets a new record for 2024, being the highest for a male solo artist worldwide and for a K-pop solo artist on Spotify. Following the release of “FRI(END)S,” V also climbed to 4th place on the ‘Global Digital Artist Ranking’ chart.
By the morning of March 17th, “FRI(END)S” had reached #1 in 90 countries on iTunes, and maintained its position at the top of the Worldwide and European iTunes Song charts for three consecutive days. Forbes highlighted “FRI(END)S” reaching #1 on the US iTunes Song chart, suggesting this early success on iTunes could indicate a promising debut on the Billboard charts if the trend continues on streaming platforms.
The music video for “FRI(END)S” has also garnered a hot response, debuting at #1 on YouTube’s ‘Global Top Music Videos’ chart, and achieving top rankings on iTunes Music Video charts in the UK, Tidal’s UK Top Video chart, and Apple Music’s Top Music Videos in Japan, among others.
Praise from major music critics is pouring in. NME lauded V’s vocal abilities and range in “FRI(END)S,” noting his “rich and luxurious baritone that scales up to falsetto vibrato and stylish high notes, confidently progressing towards a smooth and powerful climax with strong backup vocals. His ability to handle a wide vocal range effortlessly and gracefully is astonishing.”
Fans celebrated V’s single release with various events. Fan groups like “Nuna V,” “Sorte,” and “Baidu V Bar” organized large-scale LED billboard advertisements in Gangnam, Hongdae, and COEX in Seoul. “V Inside” promoted the song with LED trucks, while “Kim Taehyung Supporters” hung celebratory banners in Chuncheon. “Taehyung V Chile” posted a large congratulatory advertisement near Los Leones subway in Chile, showcasing the global support for V’s new single.
Source: starnewskorea.com
