BTS Hits New Milestones Despite Hiatus: 'Black Swan' Has 500 Million Views; 'Love Yourself: Her' Certified Gold
BTS has reached new milestones even though the members are serving in the military.
Despite being on a temporary hiatus from group and solo activities due to the members' mandatory military service fulfillment, the seven-member K-Pop group could not seem to go on a break in achieving new milestones.
Per BTS Charts & Awards on X, BTS' official music video for its 2020 hit song "Black Swan" surpassed 500 million views on YouTube on Monday -- the group's 17th music video to do so.
BTS' previous MVs to reach this milestone include "DNA," "Fire," "MIC Drop (Steve Aoki Remix)," "IDOL," "Dope," "Boy With Luv," "Blood Sweat & Tears," "Dynamite," "Butter" and "Permission to Dance," among others, per Soompi.
"Black Swan" is one of the 19 tracks included in BTS' fourth studio album, "Map of the Soul: 7," which features the "heartfelt story of BTS and their search for their 'real selves.'"
MTV described "Black Swan" as "BTS at [its] most raw and unflinching" phase in the group's music.
"'Black Swan' is something deeper and more painful: the loss of feeling. They're now terrified that the thing that once made them feel everything -- their music -- will make them feel nothing," MTV wrote.
Meanwhile, the septet's "Love Yourself: Her" album from 2017 received a gold BRIT certification last Friday for selling at least 100,000 units.
According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), "Love Yourself: Her" is the seventh album of BTS to receive gold certification in the United Kingdom.
It now joins "Love Yourself: Answer," "Map of the Soul: Persona," "Map of the Soul: 7," "Face Yourself," "Love Yourself: Tear" and "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life: Young Forever" on the list of BTS' certified gold albums in the European country.
"Love Yourself: Her" features "all the different faces of love expressed through the signature music of BTS!"
The nine-track album, released on Sep. 18, 2017, echoes the message: "Loving yourself is the beginning of true love."
BTS members Jin, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, Jungkook and V are currently fulfilling their mandatory military service in South Korea as active-duty soldiers.
Meanwhile, Suga is currently serving as a social service agent, an alternative military service for those deemed unfit to serve as soldiers due to different factors such as health.
He had a shoulder injury after a motorcycle accident in 2012.
BTS is scheduled to make its highly-anticipated OT7 reunion in June 2025, after all members get discharged from their required service as South Korean citizens.