*This content was translated by AI.
BTS V added another meaningful record, further highlighting his presence.
V’s solo track ‘FRI(END)S’ and the unit song ‘Winter Ahead (with PARK HYO SHIN)’ recently received gold certification from the Recorded Music NZ (New Zealand Recording Industry Association).
V previously received gold certification for ‘Love Me Again’ in 2024 and ‘Slow Dancing’ in 2025. With this latest recognition, a total of four songs have now been certified gold by the New Zealand Recording Industry Association.
‘FRI(END)S’ is a digital single released on March 15, 2024. The song is characterized by its sweet melody typical of the pop soul R&B genre and witty lyrics. V’s charming vocal tone, which freely moves between low tones, chest voice, and falsetto, stands out.
‘FRI(END)S’ debuted at No. 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 main singles chart without a physical album release. It also reached No. 3 on the Billboard Global (excluding the US) and No. 5 on the Global 200. This achievement, accomplished without any promotional activities due to military service, demonstrates his powerful streaming presence. The song also topped the Worldwide iTunes and European iTunes charts. Among songs released in 2024, it was the first globally to reach No. 1 on iTunes charts in 100 countries.
The music video recorded No. 1 on YouTube’s World Trending Music category for 14 consecutive days after its release. It also became the first K-pop artist to reach No. 1 on the US Tidal Top Video chart. Amazon Music and Apple Music selected ‘FRI(END)S’ as one of the ‘Best K-Pop of 2024.’ The song was also used as background music for Season 3 of the popular US drama ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ earning widespread public acclaim.
‘Winter Ahead’ was released on November 29, 2024, while V was serving in the military. Despite having no promotional activities, the song entered the US Billboard Hot 100 main singles chart. It subsequently debuted at No. 1 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart and No. 62 on the Holiday Top 100 chart.
Through ‘Winter Ahead,’ V continued to set a first-ever record for a K-pop artist. A total of three songs—’Christmas Tree,’ ‘White Christmas,’ and ‘Winter Ahead’—have appeared on the Billboard Holiday Top 100 chart. All three songs also reached No. 1 on the Holiday Digital Song Sales chart, marking a unique achievement for a K-pop artist.
*This content was translated by AI.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.starnewskorea.com ’
