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On December 11, Forbes reported that BTS' Taehyung, also known as V, has replaced Mariah Carey at No. 1 on the Billboard chart with his latest single, Winter Ahead, featuring Park Hyo-shin. Taehyung and Park Hyo-shin's collaborative song debuted at number 62 on the Holiday 100 chart. However, last week, Winter Ahead dethroned Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You from the premiere spot.
The internet went into a frenzy because Mariah Carey is known by netizens as the queen of holidays who rules the Holiday Digital Song chart as the holiday season draws close. BTS fans, ARMYs, acknowledged the significance of the news of BTS' V dethroning Mariah Carey. An X user said:
"What did we say.... Move over Mariah, the King of Christmas is here.."
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"flop this flop that my man here replaces THEE Mariah Carey," a fan claimed.
"This is insane only possible by BTS members to replace the reigning queen of Christmas songs!!" Another fan mentioned.
Winter Ahead and Christmas Tree are the only songs by a Korean artist on the Holiday 100 chart and both are sung by Taehyung. Hence, ARMY emphasised the artist's title as the 'winter king.' Many fans announced the BTS singer as the winter king and expected more Christmas themed songs from him.
"About time babe! More Christmas songs please!" An ARMY said.
"Love the headline! To replace Mariah Carey on top of a chart in holiday season is indeed a huge achievement!" Another fan mentioned.
"Replacing western queen on chart is a giant leap for Asian / #V proved that he's the brightest star w/his own color," a fan proudly stated.
"You don't know how strong this man is. The hardest period is Christmas, but he competed with great artists. The light is being shed on Taehyung strength and he is considered new Christmas artist of new century. No new Christmas artist has been able to do what Taehyung has done," a netizen remarked.
"CRAZY HEADLINE I'm so proud!!" An X user tweeted.
Adding another feather to his title of 'winter king,' the Love Me Again singer collaborated with Bing Crosby, posthumously, on White Christmas. Bing Crosby's family commented that choosing V for a revival of Bing's song was a 'no brainer' as not only was the K-pop singer a huge was of Mr. Crosby but also had a "beautiful jazz-like voice." The collaboration was released on December 6, 2024.
Winter Ahead becomes BTS' Taehyung's fifth solo to debut in Billboard Hot 100 chart
Released on November 29, 2024, Winter Ahead has registered various milestones. For the week of December 10, BTS' Taehyung and Park Hyo-shin's winter ballad Winter Ahead debuted at number 99 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning the artists his fifth entry on the chart as a solo artist.
In terms of digital sales, Winter Ahead debuted last number one on both the Billboard Digital Song Sales and Holiday Digital Song Sales charts. The song has also become the first jazz song by an Asian act to chart on the Billboard Hot 100.
Winter Ahead falls under the jazz-pop genre, featuring an expansive instrumental arrangement, including saxophone, trumpet, and piano. The music accompanied by the soulful lyrics creates a cozy and romantic atmosphere.
The lyrics convey the significance of having a loved one or a companion amidst loneliness. The lyrics narrate that no matter how harsh a season may be, with a companion, everything seems like being in a paradise.
The music video of the song sparked intrigue among fans, who began theorizing various aspects of the MV to understand the true meaning behind the story.
The Christmas Tree singer is fulfilling his mandatory military service, and he is expected to return from the military in June 2025, which is six months from now.
