V (Kim Taehyung) of BTS continues to showcase his global musical influence as his duet “Winter Ahead (with Park Hyo Shin)” surpasses 200 million streams on Spotify. This milestone solidifies the song’s popularity and marks yet another achievement in V’s solo career.
On February 21, “Winter Ahead” officially crossed 200 million streams on Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform. This remarkable feat makes it the fastest jazz song ever to achieve this milestone.
Success on global charts
“Winter Ahead” achieved notable success on multiple international year-end charts in 2023. Upon its release, the song debuted at No. 99 on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated December 14). Additionally, it topped the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart and secured the No. 62 spot on the Holiday Top 100 chart.
The song also made waves in the UK, entering the Official Singles Chart at No. 86 (dated December 6). It further demonstrated its popularity by reaching No. 1 and No. 2 on the Single Downloads and Single Sales charts, respectively.
Recognized as a top winter song
Billboard acknowledged the song’s seasonal charm by including it in its “The 27 Best Winter Songs for the Season” list. The publication praised the collaboration, saying, “It reminds us of the first day of the cold season. The harmony of the two feels like fresh snowflakes. This song will have a shelf life beyond December 25.” Furthermore, “Winter Ahead” was selected as #1 on Billboard’s ‘Fan’s Favorite Song of 2024.’
V breaks records on the Holiday Charts
Following the success of his 2021 hit “Christmas Tree,” V has now charted three songs on Billboard’s Holiday Hot 100—”Winter Ahead” and his rendition of “White Christmas” featuring Bing Crosby. This achievement makes him the only K-pop artist to have three songs on the chart.
Additionally, V set a new record as the only K-pop artist to have all three songs reach No. 1 on the Billboard Holiday Digital Song Sales chart.