BTS streaming surge in Colombia highlights Latin America’s deepening connection to band

Spotify streams for K-pop mega band BTS jumped 300 percent in Colombia over the past three years, with the band's powerful messages helping fuel strong growth in Latin America, according to its agency, BigHit Music, on Thursday.

Spotify said the figure accounted for one-third of all K-pop plays in the South American country.

The band’s music has been streamed 250 million times from January to the end of August, according to statistics from entertainment data provider Luminate — the largest number for any Korean artist in Colombia, according to Billboard Colombia.

Experts say listeners are drawn to more than just the beat.

“The band’s message of loving oneself conveyed through its music not only inspires young people but also helps them form a personal bond with one another,” Prof. Constanza Jorquera at the politics department at Diego Portales University in Chile said.

Spotify streaming for the band’s music jumped 727 percent in Brazil since the band began its group-wide comeback in March, according to Billboard Brasil.

The band started its Latin American leg of its ongoing “Arirang” world tour on Oct. 2 in Bogota. The leg includes Colombia, Peru and Argentina and is set to end with performances in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Saturday.

After wrapping up its Latin American tour, the band is scheduled to start its Asian tour in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Nov. 19.

The band is scheduled to continue its world tour through March 2027.

BY LEE JI-WON [[email protected]]