BTS Jin’s Spotify Chart Surge Sparks Controversy Over Alleged Manipulation
A post titled “BTS Jin’s Streaming Numbers Are So Bizarreㅋㅋ” on the Korean forum Pann quickly went viral, amassing nearly 60,000 views. The original poster (OP) shared screenshots of Jin’s Spotify chart placements, highlighting a sharp contrast between his Spotify success and apparent absence on Apple Music charts.
According to the screenshots:
- Jin ranked Top 1–2 on Spotify Korea. Yet had no visible ranking on Apple Music Korea
- In comparison, SEVENTEEN appeared consistently:
- Spotify Korea: #46
- Apple Music Korea: #32
- Global Spotify: #150
- Global Apple Music: #97
The OP questioned the discrepancy, writing, “Spotify shows him in the top tier, but there’s absolutely no trace of him on Apple Music. That’s just bizarre.”
Further scrutiny emerged over Jin’s sudden streaming spike starting May 20, just days after releasing three different versions of his album with slightly altered tracklists. Critics suggested the strategy was used to artificially inflate his daily stream count, which jumped to over 1 million per day despite a slower start.
“Releasing three versions of the same album back-to-back to boost numbers is shameless chart manipulation,” the post claimed.
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While some fans defended the spike as a natural result of organized streaming campaigns, the OP responded sarcastically:
“So fans just didn’t stream until the 20th? Suddenly everyone started on the same day??ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ”
As the Pann post questioning BTS Jin’s streaming numbers gained traction online, many fans and users jumped to his defense — calling out the original poster for making baseless claims and spreading negativity. Below are some of the top-voted responses pushing back against the controversy:
- “Why do you think that is? Because fans around the world are streaming him intensely on Spotify. It’s actually hard to get such even numbers across the board.”
- “Your obsession is what’s bizarre.”
- “Even if you try to compare, it’s really just BTS and BLACKPINK that pull these kinds of numbers. Other artists like Seojin with tons of remixes still don’t chart as well. Jin pulled over 5 million even when there were no remixes in the past. Recently, Jungkook dropped three versions too, and he charted out soon after. Just releasing multiple versions doesn’t guarantee a #1 — you still need solid fandom streaming. Someone even confirmed that Jin’s new song was playing at a small café in a French town. People bashing BTS just because it’s BTS are exhausting. The song is actually really well-made.”
- “Even on X, those antis are doing the same thingㅋㅋ Whether it’s one hit or more, nobody really cares — there’s no controversy anywhere else. These antis are the only ones creating drama out of thin air. Honestly, aside from BTS and BLACKPINK, no other idol group touches the top of Global Spotify. Not even SM stans care this much. This level of obsession just comes from jealousy that your fave isn’t charting. The ones with good numbers never pull this crap. Your fave flopping isn’t the fault of members who are doing well. Instead of dragging successful ones down, go stream harder. Hwaiting.”
Though Jin and his agency have not commented on the controversy, the ongoing debate highlights the growing scrutiny K-pop stars face in the streaming era — where every surge, dip, or discrepancy is dissected in real time by both fans and skeptics.
