"Time really does fly!" — ARMY celebrates 8 years of BTS' 'Spring Day' release

On February 13, 2025, BTS fans worldwide celebrated the eighth anniversary of the group's iconic track, Spring Day. Released in 2017 as part of the album You Never Walk Alone, the song has etched an indelible mark in the annals of music history, both for its profound thematic depth and its remarkable chart achievements.

In August 2024, Spring Day became the first song in Melon's history to surpass 1 billion streams. By January 2024, it had secured a spot on Melon's Year-End Chart Top 100 for eight consecutive years (2017–2024).

On December 12, 2023, coinciding with the day the remaining BTS members commenced their military service, Spring Day re-entered the U.S. iTunes song chart after nearly 6 years. Notably, it surpassed Mariah Carey's perennial holiday classic, All I Want for Christmas.

Upon its release, the track debuted at No. 15 on the U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart, marking BTS' continued ascent in the American music scene.

Spring Day is lauded for its poignant exploration of themes such as loss, longing, grief, and the hope of reunion. Notably, it references Ursula K. Le Guin's novella The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas, delving into concepts of societal happiness juxtaposed with underlying suffering.

To commemorate the eighth anniversary, fans, affectionately known as ARMY, shared personal stories of how the song had impacted their lives. One fan wrote:

"My first BTS comeback, I discovered them in january that same year. Time really does fly!"

Fans wished Spring Day a "happy anniversary" for turning eight, as they discussed the contemporary resonance of the song on X.

"Happiest birthday to my favourite of favourite songs , the one that solidified my army status and made BTS an integral part of my life," a fan wrote.

"Happy anniversary to the song that literally changed my life," another fan wrote.

"The song's themes of longing, nostalgia, and hope resonate with listeners of all ages, making it a timeless anthem for anyone going through a difficult time," another fan added.

Several fans highlighted how the song was "the most streamed song with the most unique listeners in melon history."

"& It's still charting in south Korea till this day. It's the most stream song with the most unique listeners in melon history. She's the queen mother," a fan commented.

"No wonder... it suddenly crossed my mind and I immediately put it on my homepage just today... it's been a long time since spring day has been on the melon music chart. Maybe it will last even longer there," another fan added.

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BTS' You Never Walk Alone album overview, chart achievements, and more

Released on February 13, 2017, You Never Walk Alone is a repackage of BTS' second studio album, Wings. This special edition not only encapsulated the themes of youth and growth explored in the original album but also introduced new tracks that resonated deeply with fans worldwide.

You Never Walk Alone features a blend of previously released songs from Wings and four new tracks: Spring Day, Not Today, Outro: Wings, and A Supplementary Story: You Never Walk Alone. The album was released in two physical versions, titled Left and Right, each offering unique visual content.

Upon its release, You Never Walk Alone garnered over 700,000 pre-orders, setting a record for the highest pre-order volume in the first half of 2017. In its debut week, it sold 373,750 copies, topping the Gaon Weekly Chart and breaking previous records set by Wings.

By the end of February 2017, the album had sold over 710,000 copies, marking the highest sales ever recorded in a single month on the Gaon Chart at that time.

You Never Walk Alone was the third best-selling album of 2017 in South Korea on the Gaon Album Chart. As of 2020, the album has sold more than 1 million copies, and when combined with the original Wings album, total sales exceed 2 million copies.

The album debuted at No. 61 on the Billboard 200 chart, extending BTS' record as the K-pop act with the most entries on the chart at that time. This marked their sixth entry, a unique achievement for a Korean artist during that period. The album also debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard World Albums chart, becoming BTS' third chart-topping album on this ranking.

In China, the album sold 144,400 copies in its first week on QQ Music, charting at No. 1 on the platform's best-selling albums of the week.

The album's lead singles, Spring Day and Not Today, played significant roles in its success. Within an hour of its midnight release, Spring Day reached the top spot on eight online music streaming sites, including Melon, Mnet, Genie, and Naver Music.

Following its release, Not Today surpassed Spring Day on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart, rising to No. 1 and marking BTS' fourth entry as chart-topper on this ranking.

Spring Day earned BTS four first-place trophies in local music program awards. Internationally, the song debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart.

Spring Day music video portrays the BTS members in various settings, symbolizing the journey through grief and the anticipation of a hopeful reunion. The imagery of a train journey, deserted landscapes, and a solitary tree in a thawing field serve as metaphors for the passage of time, isolation, and the eventual arrival of "spring"—a season emblematic of renewal and new beginnings.

According to fan theories, the song and its music video were seemingly a homage paid to the victims of the Sewol Ferry tragedy which took place in April 2014, killing 304 passengers onboard. Among the deceased, 250 were school students from Danwon High School in Ansan. The music video also represents the symbolic yearning of someone waiting for their kids, friends, or siblings to return.

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Critics praised You Never Walk Alone for its cohesive narrative and the emotional depth of its new tracks. The album's themes of hope, unity, and resilience resonated with a global audience.