BTS member V (Kim Taehyung) continues to impress with his hit song Friends, which has been selected as one of the 'Best K-Pop of 2024' by both Amazon Music and Apple Music.

On November 22, Friends was added to Amazon Music's prestigious 'Best of 2024 K-Pop' playlist, featuring 50 standout songs of the year.

Just days earlier, on November 19, Friends was also included in Apple Music's 'BEST of 2024 K-Pop World' playlist.

To top it off, on November 23, Friends won the 'Best Solo & Featuring' category in the third season of Tokyo FM's K-Star Chart 2024.

Released on March 15 as a digital single, Friends has reached impressive milestones, surpassing 425 million streams on Spotify by November 23.

The track made a strong debut, landing at No. 65 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Billboard Global 200. It also hit No. 3 on the Billboard Global (excluding the U.S.) chart.

Friends continued to make waves on the UK charts, debuting at No. 13 on the Official Chart and staying in the Top 40 for two weeks. On the UK's Official Big Top 40, it debuted at No. 3 after just two days, staying on the chart for five weeks.

Friends made history by reaching No. 1 on iTunes worldwide, including in Europe, and became the first song of 2024 to top iTunes in 100 countries. It is currently holding the No. 1 spot in 102 countries.

On Spotify, Friends debuted at No. 7 on the global chart and topped the 2024 mid-year K-pop report for solo tracks with the most streams. It also became the longest-charting K-pop solo song on Spotify's global charts, cementing V's success as a solo artist.

The music video for Friends has been a huge hit as well, topping YouTube’s World Trending Music chart for 14 days in a row. It also reached No. 1 on Tidal’s 'Top Videos' chart in 23 countries, making V the first K-pop artist to top Tidal's Top Video chart in the U.S.

Looking ahead, V will release a duet titled Winter Ahead (with PARK HYO SHIN) on November 29, collaborating with the famous vocalist Park Hyo Shin.

On December 6, V will also release a reimagined version of the classic White Christmas in a duet with Bing Crosby, drawing even more excitement from fans.

Source: [1]

Lee Kyung Gyu's star-making influence goes beyond Kang Ho Dong, as Hong Jin Kyung shares how he helped her kickstart her career.

On the April 24 episode of KBS 2TV’s Problem Child in House, legendary comedian Lee Kyung Gyu appeared as a guest—and a touching story from the past was revealed.

Hong Jin Kyung surprised everyone when she said, “He’s the teacher for all of us. Personally, he’s the one who helped me debut.” She even pinned a carnation flower on his chest to show her gratitude.

Lee Kyung Gyu smiled and said, “I still remember when Hong Jin Kyung walked up the stairs onto the stage for the first time.”

Hong Jin Kyung then shared her journey to becoming a star. “I joined a supermodel contest, but only the top 3 winners were noticed in broadcasting. I got a special prize, so I had no chance to be on TV."

She continued, "At first, I was just a backup for a show. But somehow, I became a regular the next week. I never knew why."

She added, "I thought the PD gave me a shot. But then one day, I randomly met Kyung Gyu sunbae, and he told me it was actually him who recommended me.”

Kim Sook asked with a smile, “So Kyung Gyu sunbae said nice things about you to the PD?”

Lee Kyung Gyu playfully replied, “Don’t say it in such a childish way,” making everyone laugh.

He then explained more seriously, “The show was Scoop TV Entertainment, and I was pretty much the main MC. When Jin Kyung showed up, I saw her determination and passion."

He added, "While others didn’t seem serious, she really stood out. I told the PD, ‘She seems unique. Why not keep her on the show?’”

Kim Jong Kook chimed in, “So if the main MC said that, doesn’t that mean you basically got her in?”

That made Lee Kyung Gyu happy. He grinned and replied, “Exactly! You speak well. Be like him!”

He added, “After that, Jin Kyung’s career took off. She started doing shows with Lee Young Ja and just kept going.”

Fans are now calling Lee Kyung Gyu not only a top MC, but also a quiet star-maker behind the scenes!

Source: [1]