BTS logs 500m Spotify streams with ‘Black Swan'
'Black Swan' is a B-side track from the group's fourth studio album 'Map of the Soul: 7' and was dropped as a prerelease in January 2020. Containing autobiographical messages from the bandmates who realized the meaning of music, the dreamy tune hit Billboard's Hot 100 at No. 57 and the UK's Official Singles Top 100 at No. 46.
In 2024, it earned gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan and as of January, music video for the track logged 500 million YouTube views.
The band has 14 songs with over 500 million Spotify streams, and eight solo releases from the members have achieved the feat as well. The most recent to do so was Suga's 'Haegeum,' the main track from his 2023 solo LP 'D-Day,' which hit the milestone earlier this month.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
12 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Hybe continues to rely heavily on BTS for profit despite diversification push
J-Hope's world tour accounted for 40 percent of company's concert revenue in Q2: analyst Despite Hybe's ongoing efforts to diversify its business and reduce dependence on BTS, new data shows the K-pop powerhouse still relies heavily on its flagship group for generating profit. Earlier in August, the company announced a record quarterly revenue of 705.6 billion won ($504.4 million) with 63 percent coming directly from artist-driven activities such as concerts and albums. While overall album sales fell 8.4 percent year-on-year, concert revenue offset the decline. Concerts alone accounted for 26.7 percent of total revenue, jumping 31 percent year-on-year to 188.7 billion won, leading overall growth. Nearly 40 percent of Hybe's concert revenue in the second quarter came from BTS member J-Hope's 'Hope on the Stage' world tour, according to Kim Hyun-yong, an analyst at Hyundai Motor Securities, speaking in a local news show Tuesday. If accurate, it would mean J-Hope generated about 75.5 billion won — roughly 10 percent of Hybe's total quarterly earnings. J-Hope's tour ran from February to June across 16 cities, staging 33 shows and drawing about 500,000 fans, including sold-out stadiums in Los Angeles and Mexico City. The finale took place at Goyang Sports Complex in Gyeonggi Province in June. BTS member Jin's solo tour boosted Hybe's performance, as did Seventeen's fan meetings in Japan and world tours by Tomorrow X Together and Le Sserafim, which together attracted 1.8 million concertgoers worldwide. Indirect revenue streams such as merchandise, licensing, content and fan club memberships accounted for 37 percent, or 257.8 billion won, of Hybe's total revenue. Hybe's Disney-style vision faces limits Since 2022, Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk has promoted Hybe as a '360-degree business,' likening it to Disney in its pursuit of intellectual property-driven growth across music, tech and fandom platforms. He has described Hybe as 'half a tech company,' aiming to be self-sustaining and not reliant on any single artist. However, the latest results suggest otherwise. Most of Hybe's profits still come from direct artist activities, raising questions about the pace of its diversification strategy. Hybe has been investing in new groups and expanding its global fan platform Weverse, but so far no act has been able to match BTS' sales power. NewJeans emerged as a next-generation K-pop star in 2022; however, NewJeans' ongoing legal dispute with Hybe subsidiary Ador has kept the group inactive. Meanwhile, Hybe America's girl group Katseye, launched with Geffen Records under a localized K-pop training system, has yet to make a significant financial impact despite placing two songs — 'Gabriela' and 'Gnarly' — on the Billboard Hot 100 within just over a year since its debut.
Korea Herald
13 hours ago
- Korea Herald
McDonald's, BTS reunite with new Happy Meal launch next month
McDonald's is once again teaming up with global pop sensation BTS to roll out a new collaboration in September. According to McDonald's Korea on Wednesday, the 'BTS Happy Meal' will debut on Sept. 3 in 66 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Germany, Brazil and Australia. The Happy Meal is McDonald's children's menu set, which includes a hamburger, fries, a drink and a toy. For this collaboration, the toy will be a miniature figurine from BTS's TinyTan character line, modeled after the group's members. Earlier this week, the US burger chain teased the launch by posting an image on its official Instagram account showing a Happy Meal box alongside the tops of seven figurines' heads. This will be the second collaboration between McDonald's and BTS. Their first project, 'The BTS Meal,' released in 2021, was available in more than 50 countries and drove record-high annual sales for McDonald's Korea. The limited-edition purple packaging and merchandise also sparked a wave of fan excitement. The new TinyTan figures are expected to attract not only children but also adult collectors and fans.
Korea Herald
14 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Kep1er hit by song leak as demo of new single released earlier under different name
'Bubble Gum' demo allegedly leaked, distributed as 'Bubble Gun' months before official release K-pop girl group Kep1er has fallen victim to a music leak, with the demo version of their new single 'Bubble Gum' reportedly released under the altered title 'Bubble Gun' ahead of its official launch on Tuesday. According to local reports Wednesday, the demo track created in April surfaced on streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music under the title 'Bubble Gun' on April 14 — months before Kep1er dropped the official version on Aug. 19. The release has sparked concerns of hacking or an illegal leak during the production process. The unauthorized version mirrors the demo produced by Kep1er's label WakeOne Entertainment, a music subsidiary of CJ ENM, and songwriter team The Collabo X, complete with guide vocals recorded by one of the composers. Only the title was changed — from 'Gum' to 'Gun' — before being distributed online. On streaming platforms, the demo track is credited to an artist called DJ-Gamyeon, who has no other registered songs. WakeOne and The Collabo X are now working to identify the individual behind the release and are preparing legal action to prevent further damage. Meanwhile, 'Bubble Gum' is the girl group's first EP since November 2024, showcasing a bold shift from youthful charms to a more playful, charismatic image.
