BTS Jimin’s "Who" Shatters Spotify Japan Records: The Most Streamed K-Pop Solo Track in History

Photo: BIGHIT MUSIC

Jimin's "Who" Sets a Monumental Milestone on Spotify Japan's All-Time Streaming Charts

Jimin, the unparalleled vocalist and lead dancer of the 21st-century pop icons BTS, has officially rewritten the history books in the world's second-largest music market. According to the latest data updated on February 28, 2026, the title track "Who" from Jimin's acclaimed 2nd solo album 'MUSE' has surpassed a staggering 144.8 million filtered streams on the Spotify Japan chart. This astronomical figure officially places "Who" at No. 40 on Spotify Japan's 'All-Time Most Streamed Songs' list. More importantly, this establishes a new absolute record for the highest number of streams and the highest ranking ever achieved by any track sung by a K-pop solo artist (including both solo tracks and collaborations) in the history of the platform in Japan. When expanding the scope to include all K-pop group songs, "Who" proudly stands as the second most-streamed track overall, trailing only behind BTS's own mega-hit "Dynamite." This phenomenal achievement solidifies Jimin's status not merely as a member of a global supergroup, but as a standalone cultural titan who commands massive, unwavering popularity and immense digital consumption power within the highly competitive Japanese local market.

Sweeping the 2025 Year-End Charts: The Unrivaled Dominance of 'MUSE' and "Who"

The sheer magnitude of Jimin's popularity in Japan was already heavily foreshadowed by his absolute domination of the major year-end charts. In the '2025 Wrapped' year-end summary officially released by Spotify Japan, "Who" proudly secured the No. 10 spot on the [Top Tracks of 2025 Japan] list, officially making it the most-streamed K-pop song in Japan for the entire year. What makes this achievement truly staggering is that "Who" was the only K-pop track—and indeed, the only foreign-language song—to penetrate the impenetrable Top 10 of this highly localized chart. Furthermore, his sophomore masterpiece, 'MUSE,' ranked No. 13 on the [Top Albums of 2025 Japan] chart, claiming the title of the most-streamed K-pop album of the year. The commercial triumph of "Who" extended well beyond streaming platforms. On the notoriously rigid 2025 Billboard Japan 'Hot 100' year-end chart, the track ranked No. 73, making Jimin the only Korean male solo artist to secure a spot on this prestigious list. These consecutive milestones vividly illustrate that Jimin’s music has transcended the typical boundaries of the K-pop fandom, deeply embedding itself into the daily playlists of the general Japanese public.

Global Market Report: How Jimin Shattered the "Localization Rule" of the Japanese Music Industry

From the analytical perspective of a global music market researcher, Jimin's historic triumph with "Who" is a disruptive event that completely shatters the traditional "localization rule" of the Japanese music industry. Japan is famously known as a highly insular market with a massive preference for domestic content. Historically, K-pop artists have had to release dedicated Japanese-language versions of their songs or produce original Japanese albums to achieve mainstream charting success. However, Jimin bypassed this outdated localized strategy entirely. He penetrated the very core of the Japanese mainstream market with an original track, relying purely on the intrinsic musical quality of retro R&B, his irreplaceable vocal tone, and an aggressively stylish performance. This proves that top-tier global pop music no longer requires linguistic localization to conquer the Japanese archipelago. Furthermore, strategically speaking, this colossal solo success in Japan serves as a massive amplifier for the upcoming BTS full-group comeback with 'ARIRANG' on March 20. By maintaining a vice-like grip on the Japanese charts during the group's hiatus, Jimin has ensured that BTS's return will be met with an active, primed, and explosive consumer base in one of their most crucial markets. He has proven that true musical artistry knows no borders.