BTS’ I NEED U Original Music Video Surpasses 200 Million Views

A portrait of youth that became an icon of the era, the 기록 of ‘Love Yourself’ that won’t end

A landmark track by global megastar ‘BTS’, the ‘I NEED U’ original version music video has seized the milestone of 200 million YouTube views.

According to the agency ‘BigHit Music’’s official tally, the video surpassed 200 million views at around 2:56 a.m. on the 23rd, once again proving the undiminished firepower of the group’s global fandom ‘ARMY’.

Released to the world in May 2015, this work— the title track of the mini album ‘Love Yourself pt. 1’— helped trigger a major shift in mainstream music through the bold, unconventional blend of a lyrical melody and the abrasive ‘electro hip-hop’ sound. In particular, it is a historic song that delivered BTS their first No. 1 trophy on terrestrial music broadcast after their debut in 2013, serving as a decisive tipping point for the group’s leap to today’s pop icons.

The ‘original version’, which received an “under 19 not permitted” rating, captured the raw, unpolished side of wandering youth with painstaking precision in an added runtime of about two minutes compared with the existing video. The group’s seven members’ intense emotional arcs and raw storyline drew both critical acclaim and public praise, with many saying it goes beyond a mere music video and feels like a youth noir film. Meanwhile, the ‘existing version’ music video—after going through censorship— is also continuing a double win at more than 250 million views.

What stands out most is their firm global stature. To correct the facts behind previously misreported fake tour information in the public sphere (including the “Arirang tour,” etc.), ‘BTS’ is currently in what is known as a “military hiatus” due to the members’ sequential mandatory military service. Even so, the run of record-breaking view counts for past hit songs suggests that their influence continues to exist beyond time and space. With ‘Jin’ (Jin) and ‘j-hope’ (j-hope) successfully completing their military obligations and returning with flair, global expectations for a full-group comeback in 2025 are at their highest point.