What happened: "Who" crosses 2.5 billion Spotify streams
Two years after its release, a track from a K-pop soloist's second album is still climbing the platform's play counter — without a single guest verse attached to it.
Jimin's solo single "Who" passed 2.5 billion cumulative streams on Spotify on July 30, 2026, with agency BigHit Music confirming the milestone publicly on August 1, 2026 . It is the highest stream total of any song in the BTS member's solo catalogue. At each new streaming threshold, Korean outlets have described "Who" in similar terms — the first solo track by an Asian artist, without a featured collaborator, to reach the mark .
"Who" is the title track of MUSE, Jimin's second solo album, released July 19, 2024 . The song blends hip-hop and R&B, with lyrics built around longing and the uncertainty of searching for someone the narrator has not yet met, as Korea Herald described it. Its path to 2.5 billion was gradual rather than front-loaded — the last 500 million streams alone took roughly ten and a half months, accumulating during a stretch when Jimin was not actively promoting the release, based on the milestone dates below.
The streaming timeline: how "Who" got to 2.5 billion
The climb to 2.5 billion took just over two years and moved in roughly half-billion steps rather than one burst. "Who" crossed 1 billion streams in early 2025, then reached 2 billion on the Spotify chart update dated September 18, 2025 — about 426 days after release, confirmed by Spotify on September 21, 2025. From there the pace settled into a steady catalogue rhythm: 2.3 billion as of February 19, 2026, or 581 days post-release, then 2.4 billion by May 12, 2026, and 2.5 billion on July 30, 2026.
| Milestone | Date reached | Days after release | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 billion | Early 2025 | ~190–250 | KED Global |
| 2 billion | September 18, 2025 (chart update) | ~426 | KED Global |
| 2.3 billion | February 19, 2026 | 581 | Star News |
| 2.4 billion | May 12, 2026 | ~663 | Star News |
| 2.5 billion | July 30, 2026 | ~742 | Star News |
The shape of that curve is the detail worth noting. Moving from 2 billion to 2.5 billion took approximately ten and a half months, a rate consistent with sustained placement on editorial and algorithmic playlists rather than a release-week or comeback-driven spike. Front-loaded hits typically post their largest daily counts in the opening weeks and then taper; "Who" instead kept adding streams at a comparatively even pace well into its second year on the platform.
Two conditions shaped that run. There was no overseas feature collaborator on the track to widen its audience, and there was no active promotional campaign across most of the accumulation period — Jimin was completing South Korean military service until June 2025, and BTS group activity resumed after that point . Read against that timeline, the growth pattern looks driven by repeat listening and playlist retention rather than a renewed marketing push.
Why the no-feature record matters
A solo track with no featured artist reaching 2.5 billion Spotify streams is unusual because collaborations are the standard route to cross-market playlist placement. "Who" cleared that bar without one, and its chart record explains how: the song debuted at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 12 the following week, on the chart dated August 3, 2024, before logging 33 weeks total . That run made "Who" the longest Hot 100 stay by a K-pop soloist, surpassing Psy's previous 31-week record for a Korean solo act . Longevity, not a single opening week, is what the numbers describe.
The global charts show the same pattern. "Who" topped both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts for two consecutive weeks, and ultimately spent 74 weeks and 89 weeks on those charts respectively . In the United Kingdom it entered the Official Singles Top 100 at No. 4 for the chart week of July 26–August 1, 2024 and remained on the chart for 28 weeks . It also placed No. 57 on Billboard's 2025 Year-End Hot 100, a ranking that reflects full-year consumption rather than a launch-week spike.
- Billboard Hot 100: No. 14 debut, No. 12 peak, 33 weeks charted
- Billboard Global 200: two weeks at No. 1, 74 weeks charted
- Billboard Global Excl. U.S.: two weeks at No. 1, 89 weeks charted
- UK Official Singles Top 100: No. 4 entry, 28 weeks charted
- Awards and year-end: most-streamed K-pop track worldwide in Spotify's 2024 Wrapped, and K-Pop Song of the Year at the 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards in March 2025
One qualification belongs with the figure. Spotify does not issue press releases for per-track stream thresholds, so the 2.5 billion number originates from BigHit Music's announcement and the public play counter on the track page rather than from a platform statement . Outlet-to-outlet discrepancies also exist: some reports list the Hot 100 debut as No. 12 instead of No. 14, conflating the debut with the following week's peak. As Korea JoongAng Daily and other Korean outlets reported the milestone, the consistent framing was that the record is defined by the absence of a featured collaborator — a claim that rests on catalogue metadata, not on chart methodology.
Jimin's wider 2026 streaming run
The 2.5 billion mark on "Who" is one line item in a broader set of Spotify figures Jimin accumulated through 2026. The parent album MUSE crossed 4 billion streams on May 17, 2026 — 668 days after its release — and was reported as the first and only Korean-language solo album to pass that threshold on the platform . It also reached the 3.8 billion and 4 billion marks faster than any other Korean album, having logged 3.1 billion by August 2025 and 3.5 billion on October 26, 2025 .
At the artist-profile level, Star News reported that as of May 12, 2026, Jimin had roughly 8.3 billion cumulative streams across the 34 tracks credited on his Spotify profile. About 6.8 billion of that total — more than 80% — came from 22 pure solo tracks with no featured artists, a distribution the outlet described as a first for a K-pop soloist .
Individual tracks continued clearing thresholds through the summer. On July 31, 2026 — a day after the "Who" milestone — MUSE B-side "Be Mine" passed 400 million Spotify streams, becoming the second track from that album and the fifth song on Jimin's solo profile to do so . Several others sat close to their own round numbers at the time of reporting:
- "Like Crazy" — approximately 1.47 billion streams, approaching 1.5 billion
- "Like Crazy" (English version) — above 400 million
- "Set Me Free Pt. 2" — about 482.21 million
- "Filter" (BTS album track) — above 519.17 million
Chart longevity tracks alongside the streaming counts: MUSE spent 34 weeks on the Billboard 200, reported as the longest run for a K-pop solo album on that chart . The timing matters for reading these numbers. Jimin completed South Korean military service in June 2025 and BTS resumed group activity afterward, meaning much of this accumulation happened without a dedicated solo promotional cycle behind it, as Star News and other Korean outlets noted in their coverage.
Where fans can follow the count
The verifiable number lives on Jimin's official Spotify artist page, not in a press release. Spotify does not issue announcements for per-track stream thresholds, so the 2.5 billion figure for "Who" reached on July 30, 2026 traces back to BigHit Music's confirmation on August 1, 2026 and to the public play counter on the track page itself . Fans who want the current figure can read it directly from the official Spotify artist profile, which also carries reporting discrepancies into perspective — some outlets list the Hot 100 debut as No. 12 rather than No. 14.
There is no new single, tour date, or promotional campaign attached to this milestone. It is a catalogue record, accumulated while solo activity stayed limited after Jimin's June 2025 discharge. The practical takeaway: the next number — for "Who," for MUSE, or for "Be Mine," which passed 400 million on July 31, 2026 — will show up on the counter before it shows up in a headline.
Frequently asked questions
When did Jimin's "Who" reach 2.5 billion Spotify streams?
Spotify's play counter passed 2.5 billion cumulative streams for "Who" on July 30, 2026, and BigHit Music confirmed the milestone publicly on Saturday, August 1, 2026 . Spotify does not issue press releases for individual track thresholds, so the confirmed source is the agency announcement paired with the live counter on the track page .
What makes "Who" a record among Asian solo tracks?
Korean industry reporting has repeatedly described "Who" as the first solo track by an Asian artist, without a featured collaborator, to reach major Spotify streaming thresholds — no overseas guest artist, no major feature credit, and no active promotional campaign across most of the run . The song also debuted at No. 14 and peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 across 33 weeks — the longest Hot 100 run for a K-pop soloist, surpassing Psy's previous 31-week record .
What album is "Who" from?
"Who" is the title track of MUSE, Jimin's second solo album, released on July 19, 2024 . The album itself crossed 4 billion Spotify streams on May 17, 2026, 668 days after release, reported as the first Korean-language solo album to reach that figure on the platform . MUSE also logged 34 weeks on the Billboard 200 .
How long did it take "Who" to go from 2 billion to 2.5 billion streams?
About ten and a half months. "Who" reached 2 billion on the September 18, 2025 Spotify chart update, roughly 426 days after release , then hit 2.5 billion on July 30, 2026 . Interim markers were 2.3 billion on February 19, 2026 and 2.4 billion by May 12, 2026, a steady long-tailed curve rather than a front-loaded release spike .
What other Jimin tracks are close to major streaming milestones?
"Like Crazy" sits at roughly 1.47 billion streams, approaching 1.5 billion, while its English version is above 400 million and "Set Me Free Pt. 2" stands at about 482.21 million . MUSE B-side "Be Mine" passed 400 million on July 31, 2026, the second MUSE track and fifth song on Jimin's solo profile to clear that line . Current totals are visible on his official Spotify artist page.
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This article was written using information collected and analyzed by NAMANE's in-house K-pop research AI engine. We use AI technology to bring you faster, broader coverage, and in the process some details may occasionally differ from the latest facts. For important information such as dates, venues, and prices, please double-check with official sources.
