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BTS’ "Idol" Reaches 1.4 Billion YouTube Views

The milestone signals sustained global engagement for the 2018 single during the Arirang world tour.

Overview

  • BigHit Music confirmed late Wednesday that the “Idol” music video topped 1.4 billion views on YouTube at about 9:20 p.m. KST.
  • This is the group’s fifth music video to pass 1.4 billion views, joining “Boy With Luv,” “DNA,” “Dynamite,” and “MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix).”
  • The video originally premiered on August 24, 2018 at 6 p.m. KST and took just over seven years, 11 months, and five days to reach the mark.
  • Idol” mixes South African house beats with traditional Korean rhythmic patterns and uses chuimsae call-and-response chants that BTS incorporated into the song to keep a distinct Korean identity.
  • The view milestone gives BigHit and fans a promotional moment during the Arirang world tour and underlines how long-term streaming can sustain interest in older releases and live shows.