BTS V’s “Winter Ahead” Becomes Fastest Jazz Song to Hit 200M Streams on Spotify
BTS member V (Kim Taehyung) and singer Park Hyo-shin‘s collaborative jazz track, Winter Ahead, has made history by becoming the fastest jazz song by a Korean act to surpass 200 million streams on Spotify. The milestone was achieved on February 20, 2025, 84 days after its release on November 29, 2024.
This marks V’s eighth solo song to reach the 200 million stream milestone. Winter Ahead previously set records as the biggest jazz debut on Spotify and the fastest jazz song to hit 100 million streams.
Record-Breaking Achievements
Since its release, Winter Ahead has dominated charts and broken multiple records:
- Spent 12 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on MelOn’s jazz weekly chart
- It became the first jazz song by a Korean act to debut on the Billboard Hot 100
- Held the record as the longest-charting Korean jazz song on the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart
The song’s music video teaser also set a record as the fastest teaser by a Korean artist in 2024 to surpass two million views within 24 hours.
The success of Winter Ahead extended beyond music, significantly impacting tourism and local businesses in Seoul. Following the premiere of the music video at Shinsegae Department Store, Myeongdong Square experienced a tourism surge, attracting nearly one million visitors by the end of 2024.
The broadcast of the music video reportedly boosted sales and advertising efforts in the area, further solidifying the song’s cultural and economic influence.
With its continued success, Winter Ahead remains a testament to V’s versatility as an artist and the growing global appeal of Korean jazz music. Fans eagerly anticipate what milestones the song will achieve next.