BTS member V continues to solidify his global presence, adding another significant achievement to his impressive list of records.
His solo track ‘FRI(END)S’ and the collaborative song ‘Winter Ahead (with PARK HYO SHIN)’ recently earned Gold certification from the Recorded Music NZ in New Zealand.
Previously, V’s tracks ‘Love Me Again’ received Gold certification in 2024, followed by ‘Slow Dancing’ in 2025. This latest achievement brings his total to four songs that have been awarded Gold status by the New Zealand music industry.
Released as a digital single on March 15, 2024, ‘FRI(END)S’ captivates listeners with its characteristic sweet melody and witty lyrics, embodying the essence of the pop-soul R&B genre. The track beautifully showcases V’s alluring vocal range, effortlessly transitioning between deep bass, full chest voice, and delicate falsetto.
‘FRI(END)S’ made a remarkable debut at No. 65 on the prestigious U.S. Billboard ‘Hot 100’ main singles chart, a significant feat for a digital-only release. The song also soared to No. 3 on ‘Billboard Global (Excl. US)’ and No. 5 on the ‘Global 200’. This impressive chart performance, achieved even during V’s military service with no promotional activities, underscores his immense global digital music influence. Furthermore, it claimed the top spot on both the Worldwide iTunes and European iTunes charts. Notably, ‘FRI(END)S’ was the first song released in 2024 to hit No. 1 on iTunes charts in 100 countries worldwide.
The ‘FRI(END)S’ music video dominated YouTube’s World Trends music category, securing the No. 1 spot for 14 consecutive days post-release. It also marked a historic moment as the first K-pop artist to top the U.S. ‘Tidal Top Video’ chart. Both Amazon Music and Apple Music recognized ‘FRI(END)S’ as one of the ‘Best K-pop’ tracks of 2024. The song’s popularity further surged after being featured as background music in Season 3 of the hit American drama ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’.
‘Winter Ahead’ was released on November 29, 2024, notably while V was fulfilling his mandatory military service. Despite the absence of promotional activities, the song successfully entered the U.S. Billboard ‘Hot 100’ main singles chart. It also debuted impressively at No. 1 on the ‘Holiday Digital Song Sales’ chart and No. 62 on the ‘Holiday Top 100’ chart.
With ‘Winter Ahead’, V continued to set new precedents as a K-pop artist. A total of three of his tracks—’Christmas Tree’, ‘White Christmas’, and ‘Winter Ahead’—have appeared on the Billboard ‘Holiday Top 100’ chart. Furthermore, all three songs reached the No. 1 position on the ‘Holiday Digital Song Sales’ chart, an unparalleled achievement for any K-pop artist.
