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BTS' 'Idol' music video tops 1.4 bil. YouTube views

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By Yonhap
  • Published Jul 30, 2026 10:39 am KST
K-pop boy group BTS / Courtesy of BigHit Music

K-pop boy group BTS / Courtesy of BigHit Music

The music video for K-pop supergroup BTS' 2018 hit "Idol" has surpassed 1.4 billion views on YouTube.

The video hit the milestone at about 9:20 p.m., becoming the band's fifth music video with more than 1.4 billion views, according to the group's agency, BigHit Music.

"Idol" is the lead track off "Love Yourself: Answer," the repackaged version of the group's third full-length album, "Love Yourself: Tear," released in August 2018.

The song blends South African house beats with traditional Korean rhythmic patterns and call-and-response chants known as "chuimsae," typically shouted by audiences in traditional Korean performances to encourage performers. In "Idol," the group incorporates these chants as part of the lyrics themselves, creating a fusion that resonated globally while retaining a distinctly Korean identity

The song is also included in the setlist of BTS' ongoing "ARIRANG" world tour, which began in April.