BTS’s V’s solo track ‘FRI(END)S’ has shone its global popularity by being featured as background music (BGM) in a popular US drama series.
‘FRI(END)S’ was featured in the popular Amazon Prime Video series ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3, which began airing on July 16th. ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ which premiered in June 2022, is a popular US drama series that depicts growth and romance.
V’s solo track ‘FRI(END)S’ was released on March 15, 2024, as a gift prepared by V for fans waiting during his military service. The song confesses the desire to end a long-time friendship and move on to a relationship beyond friendship.
‘FRI(END)S’ seems as if it was made for ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty,’ perfectly expressing the wavering feelings of the protagonist towards someone they’ve known as a friend since childhood. ‘FRI(END)S’ is a pop soul R&B genre with a sweet melody and witty lyrics, and the calm and cozy melody provides a sense of stability to the listener. The heavy, repeating beat makes the song more dramatic, and V’s charming vocals, ranging from low tones to falsetto, richly fill the song.
The digital single ‘FRI(END)S’ debuted at No. 65 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, No. 3 on the ‘Billboard Global (excluding US)’ chart, and No. 5 on the ‘Global 200’ chart, despite not having a physical album release. It also entered the UK Official Chart singles chart at No. 13 and charted for two consecutive weeks. On the UK’s largest chart, ‘Official Big Top 40,’ it debuted at No. 3 with tracking data from just two days.
The music video stands out for its relatable and surprising elements. The focus is on V’s face with contrasting expressions when alone and with a lover. V creates a completely different story by changing his outfits, hairstyles, and props in repeating situations. V’s excellent acting skills in portraying contrasting characters in a three-dimensional way are also impressive.
The music video, filmed in the UK, topped the YouTube World Trends music category after its release and maintained the top spot for 14 consecutive days. It also achieved the record of being the first K-pop artist to top the US ‘Tidal Top Videos’ chart.
Written by Mun Wan SikTranslated by Lee So Yun