ARMYs (BTS' fandom), awaiting BTS' return from military service, have shifted the tides of the season.
According to Big Hit Music on December 14, BTS' hit song 'Spring Day' from six years ago has rapidly climbed the charts, reaching the top of iTunes 'Top Songs' in 83 countries worldwide, coinciding with the members' military enlistment.
On the 12th, the day when all BTS members had officially begun their military service, 'Spring Day' surpassed Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas' to take the number one spot in 37 countries on iTunes. This is 'Spring Day's first re-entry into the U.S. iTunes song chart in nearly 6 years and 10 months.
Mariah Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas' is a seasonal anthem that echoes through streets worldwide during the holiday season, often referred to as a 'pension song' for bringing her billions in royalties annually.
The global resurgence of 'Spring Day' to number one, overtaking a classic 'pension song,' is a testament to the immense and enduring power of the BTS fandom. Particularly noteworthy is that this isn't a new song or a result of planned promotion but a track released six years ago, making this achievement even more significant.
'Spring Day' is a song from the 2017 album 'YOU NEVER WALK ALONE,' with RM and Suga contributing to the lyrics. The lyrics, 'Looking at your picture/Still longs for you/Time is too cruel...My heart races through time...How much more snow needs to fall/For that spring day to come...Just a few more nights/Then I'll come for you/To pick you up/Through the end of the cold winter/Until the spring day comes/Until the flowers bloom/Please stay there a bit longer,' resonate with fans and members alike, evoking empathy and connection.
But that's not all. 'Outro: Tear,' another BTS track, made a stunning comeback on the U.S. iTunes single chart, reaching number one for the first time in five years since its release.
Meanwhile, BTS members Jimin and Jungkook started their military service on the 12th by joining the 5th Division in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. The day before, on the 11th, RM and V enlisted together at the Nonsan Army Training Center. On this day, members Jin, Suga, and J-Hope, already in military service, took leave to bid farewell, showcasing BTS' strong friendship. Following Jin's enlistment in December last year, J-Hope enlisted this April as an active-duty soldier and is currently serving as an instructor. Suga enlisted this past September and is fulfilling his military duty as a social service worker. With this, BTS has fully entered its military hiatus and is expected to return as a complete group in 2025.
