• 7 Korean Stars You May Be Surprised To Learn Are "Once A Fan" But Now A Successful Stars Just Like Their Idols

    If you have a favorite celebrity, you will like to meet him at least once.

    Is there anything more exciting than walking along the same street as your favorite stars?

    There are celebrities who aspired to be superstars and earned the title of "Successful Fan" by entering the entertainment industry themselves.

    Meet celebs who were previously big fan of one person but are now stars of another.

    Shin Hye Sun and Won Bin

    Actress Shin Hye Sun said in a past interview, "Won Bin in the drama 'Autumn in My Heart' was so cool. I decided to become an actor to meet Won Bin", she said, adding that she had dreamed of becoming an actor since elementary school.

    In addition, Shin Hye Sun, who appeared on KBS2's "Happy Together 3" in 2016, expressed her fan sentiment toward Won Bin, saying, "My childhood was happy thanks to Won Bin".

    Shin Hye Sun, who dreamed of becoming an actress to meet Won Bin, said she is now trying to be properly recognized by the public as an actress.

    BTS' Jungkook and IU

    BTS' Jungkook showed off his extraordinary fanship for singer IU through various interviews and broadcasts.

    Jungkook even said that the first album he bought in his life was IU's album, drawing attention.

    Jungkook, who is now a global singer, has become a "successful fan" who stands alongside IU.

    SEVENTEEN's Hoshi and SHINee

    Hoshi, a member of the group Seventeen who appeared on MBC M's "Star Show 360" in 2016, confessed to being an old fan of the group SHINee.

    Hoshi expressed his deep affection for SHINee by announcing that he slept listening to SHINee CDs every day.

    Hoshi said he was so happy to meet SHINee in person after his debut, and certified that he was a "real fan" of SHINee.

    Jeon Somi and Minzy

    Singer Jeon Somi has long liked the group 2NE1 since she was young.

    Jeon Somi, who appeared with Minzy from 2NE1 on KBS2's "Slam Dunk 2", which aired in 2017, blushed as she confessed to being a long-time fan of 2NE1.

    In a preliminary interview, Jeon Somi said, "I liked it so much that I always listened to 2NE1 songs. When I was young, They become role model for an attachment", said Jeon Somi, who actually met Minzy on the day of filming, showing her shyness and nervousness.

    Jeon Somi also announced that she passed the JYP Entertainment audition by singing a song by 2NE1.

    INFINITE's Sung Kyu and Nell

    Sung Kyu of INFINITE was a huge fan of Nell even before his debut.

    Sung Kyu, who appeared on MBC's "Unhappy Living Together" in 2018, confessed, "An acquaintance of the cafe president who was working part-time at the time when he was losing his audition for singers was related to Nell".

    At that time, Nell's manager came to the cafe as a guest, and Sung Kyu, who liked Nell very much, auditioned for the agency with the intention of receiving Nell's signed CD.

    Sung Kyu, who sang Nell's song "Missing", passed the audition and was able to debut as INFINITE.

    (G)I-DLE Soyeon and 2PM

    Soyeon of the group (G)I-DLE has become a junior singer from 2PM's enthusiastic fan.

    In the past, Soyeon was a fan who often went to 2PM's concerts, but she said she was upset that she had never encountered 2PM since her debut.

    However, last year, Soyeon met 2PM in the waiting room of a program due to overlapping activities. 

    Soyeon wrote a handwritten letter to each 2PM member on her autographed CD and delivered it. The letter was filled with messages of support, saying, "Thanks to my senior, my teenage years were happy."

    The 2PM members also expressed their affection for their juniors, referring to their meeting with Jeon Soyeon on other broadcasts, saying, "I was happy to see a person who was a fan going well on his way."

    ITZY's Ryujin and GOT7

    Ryujin, a member of the group ITZY, debuted as a singer while being a fan of the group GOT7.

    Ryu Jin went to GOT7's first anniversary fan meeting when she was in middle school, and was caught up by a JYP Entertainment official and was cast.

    Ryujin, who later made a spectacular debut as a member of ITZY, won the title of "Successful Fan" who walked the path of the same singer from a girl fan who liked GOT7.

    Source[1]

  • BTS’s V breaks records again as ‘Winter Ahead’ hits 210 million Spotify streams

    BTS’s V is proving once again why he’s a global music powerhouse! His song “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)” has officially surpassed 210 million streams on Spotify, showing its long-lasting popularity.

    On February 26, Winter Ahead crossed the 210 million stream mark on the world’s biggest music platform, Spotify. Since its release, the song has been charting for 91 consecutive days on both the Global Spotify Chart and Europe’s Apple Music Daily Song Chart, proving its strong presence.

    Originally released on November 29, 2023, Winter Ahead made a huge impact on year-end charts for 2024. It debuted at No. 99 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, topped Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart at No.1, and ranked No. 62 on Billboard’s Holiday Top 100.

    Over in the UK, the song entered the Official Singles Chart at No. 86, while securing No.1 on the Official Singles Downloads Chart and No.2 on the Singles Sales Chart, proving its incredible digital sales power.

    The music video for Winter Ahead also became a hot topic! V transformed into a sculptor, delivering a deep and emotional performance with his expressive acting, pulling fans into the song’s atmosphere.

    Despite being 6 minutes and 22 seconds long, the video went viral, ranking No.1 on the "Music Video Trending Worldwide" chart.

    On TIDAL, a global high-quality streaming platform, Winter Ahead made history as the longest-running K-pop song at No.1 on the Global Top Video chart.

    It also topped Top Video charts in several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and Singapore.

    Even Billboard couldn’t resist the charm of Winter Ahead! The song was featured in "The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season," with Billboard praising it as "evoking the feeling of the first day of winter, with harmonies as fresh as a snowflake."

    They also noted that "its impact will last far beyond December 25."

    Additionally, Winter Ahead was voted No.1 on Billboard’s ‘2024 Fan-Favorite Songs’ list, proving that fans can’t get enough of V’s music.

    With this, V has now charted three songs on Billboard’s Holiday Hot 100, following Christmas Tree (2021) and his cover of White Christmas. He is officially the only K-pop artist to achieve this!

    Even more impressively, he holds the record as the only K-pop artist to have three songs reach No.1 on Billboard’s Holiday Digital Song Sales chart, solidifying his dominance in the holiday music scene.

    With Winter Ahead continuing to shine worldwide, V once again proves why he’s the ultimate ‘Winter King’ of K-pop.

    Source (1)