BTS, Blackpink make K-pop history

South Korean boyband BTS visiting Elvis Duran & The Morning Show in New York last Friday.
South Korean boyband BTS visiting Elvis Duran & The Morning Show in New York last Friday. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

SEOUL • BTS and Blackpink fans are reportedly at war over K-pop bragging rights.

Over the weekend, both camps were able to claim major victories.

Fans of BTS exploded with joy when the boyband took 37 hours and 37 minutes to get 100 million YouTube views for their new song, Boy With Luv. The video was released last Friday.

The feat was made even sweeter because BTS broke the record set by archrivals Blackpink, whose Kill This Love video took 62 hours earlier this month.

But fans of the girl group could also revel in their idols' headlining performance last Friday at the prestigious Coachella festival in California.

Showcasing 13 songs in a set lasting more than 50 minutes, the quartet became the first female K-pop act to perform at Coachella.

Their set was also livestreamed on a big screen in New York's Times Square.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on April 15, 2019, with the headline BTS, Blackpink make K-pop history. Subscribe