BTS' 'IDOL' music video surpasses 1.4 billion YouTube views, blending gugak rhythms and African beats

The music video for BTS's hit song "IDOL" has surpassed 1.4 billion views on YouTube, the group's agency Big Hit Music said Thursday.

The video crossed the 1.4 billion-view mark at around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday. It is the fifth BTS music video to reach the milestone, following "Dynamite," "Boy With Luv," "DNA" and the "MIC DROP" remix.

"IDOL" is the title track of BTS's repackaged album "Love Yourself: Answer," released in August 2018.

The song blends South African beats with traditional Korean rhythms and vocal exclamations, earning it the label "Joseon EDM (electronic dance music)" upon release. The unlikely pairing of Korean interjections — "Eolssu jota, jihwaja jota, deonggi deo kungdeoreo" — and African rhythms gave the track a sound that was both distinctly Korean and globally appealing.

The song is also part of the setlist for BTS's new world tour "ARIRANG," the largest K-pop tour currently underway, which the group launched in April.

The "IDOL" music video showcases vivid visuals set against a tropical savanna, scenes inspired by the Bukcheongsajannori lion dance, and sets drawing on Euro-Asian architecture and traditional Korean aesthetics. The choreography weaves together the African dance style guaraguara and Korean traditional dance.

The video won Music Video of the Year at the 2018 E! People's Choice Awards in November 2018, which honors achievements in American music, film and television.