Jimin has once again made history. His latest album, MUSE, released just 8 weeks ago, has surpassed 1 billion streams—solidifying his status as a top-tier solo artist. This remarkable achievement makes Jimin the first and only K-pop artist to have multiple albums cross the 1 billion streams mark, following the success of his debut solo EP FACE.
However, ARMY wasn’t celebrating the milestone as they usually would. Over the past few weeks, while MUSE was rapidly approaching the record, Yoongi’s two albums—one over four years old, the other over a year old—were also slowly inching toward the same achievement. But the focus in the fandom appeared to be entirely on Yoongi’s progress. After his DUI scandal, ARMY had rallied to show unconditional support for Yoongi by streaming his music, pushing him back onto the iTunes charts and the global artist rankings. What once seemed a future goal—having Yoongi’s albums reach 1 billion streams—suddenly felt within reach. However, a potential obstacle emerged: a K-pop artist pulling in over 12 million streams daily, was closing in on the record faster.
And, this K-pop artist being Jimin, also a BTS member, only made ARMY’s response felt more like rivalry than celebration. Fans continuously reminded others on platforms like X and other social media channels how close Yoongi was to breaking the record, with deadlines conveniently set just one day ahead of MUSE’s projected milestone. The plan seemed to be clear: keep Jimin’s name out of the conversation to prevent more people from streaming MUSE. And when they did mention him, which member they were inviting others to focus was painfully obvious.
When Jimin eventually broke the record, the true dynamics within the fandom came to light. Very few congratulated the WHO singer, while many openly shaded him, casting a shadow over what should have been a celebratory moment. There was no backlash against those undermining him, as there usually would be in defense of other members. Instead, the focus quickly shifted back to Yoongi once his albums caught up. Shady posts and misinformation spread across social media, often retweeted and liked by ARMY—simply because Jimin had reached the milestone first.
This jealousy toward Jimin within the ARMY fandom isn’t new. Over time, fans have frequently downplayed his accomplishments and talents, envy of his ability to attract attention which often leaves other members in his shadow. This dynamic has often resulted in Jimin receiving far less praise from ARMY, when they do spend some nice words on him, they are usually backhanded compliments, and even when he faces attacks from other K-pop fandoms, he is rarely defended by ARMY. Now, in BTS’s second chapter, where individual achievements are more visible, ARMY’s resentment and jealousy toward Jimin have only intensified.
Behind the bitterness and divisiveness in the fandom, there are Jungkook-biased ARMY and Jungkook solos themselves since they don’t even need to hide anymore in order to manipulate the fandom. Recently, they complained when a playlist meant to promote RM’s new song included what they considered to be too many WHO (80), even though last year, the same ARMY included over 120 Jungkook’s SEVEN in a Taehyung-centered playlist without any backlash.
Jungkook’s solo fans have been on a mission to tear down Jimin’s success, and what has put them on edge right now is the fear that Jimin will surpass Jungkook’s record for the fastest song to reach 1 billion streams. Even though the projects in place were meant to help Jimin beat Miley Cyrus’ streaming record, there was clear anxiety among Jungkook’s fans that WHO might accidentally break his record as well. Their behavior makes it nearly impossible for Jimin-biased fans to promote Jimin without facing backlash and manipulation from malicious ARMY and Jungkook’s solo fans, who love to play the victim.
With Jimin often seen as the last priority in the fandom, he consistently experiences the biggest drop in streams whenever a new release occurs. To avoid this drop now with RM’s new release, Jimin’s supporters decided to privately message others to rally support for streaming. However, DMing ARMY to ask for support for Jimin is like walking through a minefield. It’s only a matter of time before you message the wrong person, who then twists your attempt to support the member most overlooked by the fandom into manipulation, making it seem like Jimin is some sort of favorite. This led to today’s 1 million-stream decrease for WHO and BE MINE leaving the charts—the only BTS members’ songs to experience a drop.
This rivalry with Jimin extends to nearly every facet of his career. Fans often set lower expectations for his success, and when he exceeds them, they demand that every other member match his achievements. ARMY will even go so far as to defend antis wearing a little “7” over Jimin, treating him as though he belongs to another group altogether. This hostility has driven many Jimin fans to leave the fandom and become solos, but that decision has only backfired. No matter how polite or how much evidence Jimin solos provide, they are quickly dismissed simply because they are solos.
Meanwhile, Jungkook’s solos have remained within the fandom, actively working to manipulate ARMY’s perceptions from the inside. By echoing the same sentiments ARMY already holds, Jungkook solos have even managed to become welcomed in the community. They’ve cleverly positioned themselves to influence the narrative, ensuring that Jimin’s success is not just resented, but something to defeat.
Jimin’s biggest opp seems to be his own fandom.
