[News Culture] BTS’ “IDOL” has surpassed 1.5 billion views on YouTube, adding another major milestone to one of the group’s most enduring hits.
BIGHIT MUSIC said the music video crossed the mark on the evening of July 29.
First released in August 2018 as the lead single from the repackaged album “LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer,” “IDOL” becomes the group’s fifth music video to reach 1.5 billion views. The others are “Dynamite,” “Boy With Luv (Feat. Halsey),” “DNA” and the remix of “MIC Drop.”
The renewed surge comes as “IDOL” takes center stage on BTS’ ongoing “ARIRANG” world tour. The song has emerged as one of the show’s biggest crowd moments, with the members playing directly to fans and turning the performance into a shared celebration rather than a simple revival of an older hit.
That energy has carried over online, sending listeners back to a music video that remains one of the clearest expressions of BTS’ identity.
“IDOL” still feels distinctive because of the way it folds Korean tradition into a global pop framework. Korean rhythms and vocal exclamations run through the track’s South African-inspired beat, while the video moves freely between tropical scenery, Eurasian references and traditional Korean imagery.
The choreography follows the same logic, bringing together African dance, Korean movement and elements of talchum. The result is unmistakably rooted in Korea without ever feeling limited by geography—one of the qualities that helped turn BTS into a global act.
The milestone follows BTS’ announcement that it will not submit its fifth full-length album, “ARIRANG,” for consideration at the 2027 Grammy Awards. Coming alongside the continued success of “IDOL,” the decision reinforces the group’s focus on its music, live performances and connection with fans rather than awards recognition.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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