BTS member V (Kim Taehyung) is making waves with his song "FRI(END)S", which has just surpassed 400 million streams on Spotify!

Released on March 15, this digital single reached this impressive milestone on November 1. With this achievement, V now has four solo songs that have each crossed the 400 million stream mark.

"FRI(END)S" was made as a special gift for his fans before he enlisted in the military. Upon its release, the song debuted at number 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100, number 3 on the Billboard Global (excluding the US), and number 5 on the Global 200.

In the UK, it entered the UK Official Chart at number 13 and made an impact on the UK’s Official Big Top 40, landing at number 3 just two days after its release. It stayed on the chart for five weeks!

The song also topped both the Worldwide iTunes and Europe iTunes charts, becoming the first song of 2024 to reach number 1 on iTunes in 100 countries. Currently, it holds the number 1 spot in 102 countries on iTunes!

On Spotify's global chart, "FRI(END)S" debuted at number 7 and secured a place among the top 10 K-pop solo songs with the most streams in Spotify's mid-year report for 2024, proving its streaming power.

The music video for "FRI(END)S," filmed in the UK, quickly became a hit, taking the number 1 spot in YouTube's Global Trending Music category right after its release and staying there for 14 days in a row!

It also topped Tidal's "Top Videos" chart in 23 countries, making V the first K-pop artist to reach number 1 on Tidal's US "Top Video" chart.

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ChoA, former member of the girl group Crayon Pop, has bravely shared her ongoing battle with cervical cancer and her emotional journey.

On January 28, ChoA posted a heartfelt update on her social media, explaining her struggles. "I usually laugh, talk, and live my life as usual, but there are moments when I suddenly face a reality that isn’t like before, and it gets tough," she shared.

She went on to say, "Recently, something difficult happened, and in the past, I would have had a drink with my husband to shake it off. I really miss being able to do that."

ChoA admitted that she still can’t fully believe her diagnosis. "When I face the reality I’ve been avoiding, my heart that I’ve built up breaks down," she said. "But the life I’m living now, which I’m still enjoying, is something that someone else might be wishing for. I try to gather my thoughts again with gratitude."

She also expressed hope for the future, saying, "Lately, I dream of a day five years from now when I’ll be declared cancer-free and be able to have a drink with my husband after putting the kids to bed, after all the struggles. It’s been almost two years, so I believe the day I get that clean bill of health will come soon."

ChoA married a businessman in 2021, six years older than her. In October 2023, she revealed her cervical cancer diagnosis, sharing that she had been diagnosed during a routine check-up in her first year of marriage.

Despite everything, ChoA remains hopeful, noting that the cancer was smaller than expected during surgery, and she was able to preserve her fertility—a step closer to her dream of becoming a mother.

Source (1)