BTS's V's song 'Friends' has been named MVP in Tokyo FM's Q2 popularity poll, showing his worldwide popularity.

Tokyo FM announced that 'Friends' was the MVP in the 'K-Star Chart' poll for April to June. 'Friends,' released on March 15th, topped the 'K-Star Chart Top 10 Weekly' poll for 15 straight weeks.

V also won the MVP title from January to March with his song 'Wherever U R,' making it two songs in a row to top the chart's popularity poll.

On March 15th, 'Friends' got 4,728,233 streams on Spotify, debuting at number 7 on the 'Daily Top Songs Global' chart. After releasing 'Friends,' V ranked 4th on the 'Global Digital Artist Ranking' chart.

'Friends' had the most streams among K-pop solo songs in the first half of 2024, with over 266.97 million streams. It set a record for the highest-streamed K-pop solo song released in 2024. 'Friends' also became the first 2024 song to hit number 1 on the iTunes chart in 100 countries, reaching number 1 in 102 countries.

'Friends' debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 'Hot 100' chart and number 13 on the 'UK Official Chart' singles chart, the highest for a K-pop song released in 2024, staying there for two weeks.

The music video also made a big impact, reaching number 1 on YouTube's 'Global Top Music Videos Chart,' the UK iTunes Music Videos chart, and Japan Apple Music Top Music Videos chart.

On Tidal's music video chart, 'Friends' became the first K-pop artist video to rank number 1 on the US 'Tidal Top Videos' chart. It also hit number 1 on the UK 'Tidal Top Videos Chart' with 'Love Me Again,' marking V's second time at the top.

British music magazine NME praised 'Friends,' saying, "'Friends' shows off V's amazing vocals and range. From a deep baritone to high notes, he handles it all smoothly and confidently. V's ability to sing such a wide range so effortlessly is impressive."

Source [1]

Actor Chun Jung Myung has opened up about a devastating betrayal by his former manager, who swindled tens of billions of won from his family. The former manager, who had been trusted like family, is now serving prison time for his actions.

In the December 8 episode of SBS’s My Little Old Boy, Chun Jung Myung shared the shocking details of his financial fraud ordeal with fellow cast members Lee Sang Min and Kim Heechul.

He explained, "I was financially defrauded by the manager I had worked with for 16 years since my debut. He forged documents to steal money and even caused huge financial losses for my parents."

A close source confirmed on December 9, "The manager mentioned on the show ultimately couldn’t repay the damages and is now serving his prison sentence for fraud."

The source also revealed that Chun Jung Myung suffered losses in the tens of billions of won. The emotional toll was severe, leading to social anxiety, and he even considered retiring from the entertainment industry due to the devastating betrayal.

Chun Jung Myung debuted in 1999 with the drama School 2 and became a household name with roles in Beijing, My Love, Fashion 70s, and What's Up Fox? However, after his role in the 2019 drama Urban Cops: KCSI, he suddenly disappeared from the spotlight, sparking concerns from fans.

An entertainment agency CEO weighed in, saying, "Celebrities, especially those with limited real-world experience, are vulnerable to scams because of their public status. Some get trapped and lose vast amounts of money after being used as figureheads."

An entertainment law expert added, "Fraud cases are tricky because proving the intent to steal is difficult. If someone makes an enticing offer, always ask, ‘Why me and not them?’ Skepticism is key."

Source: [1]