On March 30, 2025, fans of BTS’ Jungkook expressed their discontent after discovering that the group’s name appeared on his One Billion Streams plaque from Spotify for the hit song “Left & Right.”Many believe that such an accolade should be exclusively credited to Jungkook, given it is a solo collaboration.
The track, which features Charlie Puth, has ignited a wave of criticism on social media. Fans assert that it is unjust to recognize BTS collectively for an achievement that stems from an individual artist’s effort.
BIGHIT Entertainment recently showcased Spotify’s One Billion Streams accolades on its Instagram stories, highlighting Jungkook’s achievements for “Standing Next to You”and “Left & Right.”This accomplishment adds to the momentum of his solo career, especially after receiving a similar plaque for “Seven”(feat. Latto) in 2023.
Notably, Jungkook achieved one billion streams for “Left & Right”in September 2024 and followed with “Standing Next to You”in November 2024. He proudly became the first Asian solo artist to have three songs cross the one billion streams threshold on Spotify. While fans celebrated his remarkable success, they were equally frustrated by the inclusion of BTS’ name on the “Left & Right”plaque.
The debate intensified as fans remembered a similar situation with his solo track “Dreamers”from the FIFA World Cup 2022, which also inaccurately credited BTS on Spotify.
Social media users voiced their frustrations, arguing that every artist deserves appropriate recognition for their work. An X user, @flowerlytk, tweeted:
“It’s jungkook who works hard. Jungkook was the one who recorded the song, not the group. The credit goes to Jungkook only. This is so disrespectful. He deserves respect.”
Others emphasized the need for fairness in the industry, condemning the misattribution of credit.
“BIGHIT /HYBE loves to disrespect the hard work of their artists and use them af!!! Stealing his credits and even stealing his stocks!!!! so shameless!!!”an X user wrote.
“I seriously can’t understand how the six members are making money from Left and Right and Dreamers when they have zero contributions in either song. His donations are really generous to everyone,”a fan added.
“Did BTS take part in the track? Their voices are there and I haven’t heard them for 3 years?,”another person commented.
“Crediting artists on a song they didn’t contribute anything whatsoever is unethical and undermines the integrity of the work — BTS should not be credited on Jungkook’s solo music,”a user mentioned.
Demands for transparency and fairness dominated the conversation, with calls for removing BTS’ association from “Left & Right”and “Dreamers.”Fans passionately argued that artists should receive recognition that reflects their individual efforts.
“Artists deserve respect & attributing someone else’s hard work to others is UNETHICAL and a blatant disrespect to the artist’s individuality and artistry. UNTAG BTS FROM LEFT AND RIGHT UNTAG BTS FROM DREAMERS,”a fan remarked.
“Just a straight and simple question… no hate, just wondering why BTS as a group is credited for Jungkook’s songs Dreamers and Left and Right. I really want to know why,”another user added.
“No offense to BTS. I respect them too. This is for fairness. JK deserves to own this award outside the group. Let us respect his hard work & give credit to whom it is rightfully due!,”an X user commented.
Jungkook’s Milestones in Music: Spotlight on “Left & Right”and Other Solo Works
“Left & Right”was launched on June 24, 2022, as a dynamic collaboration with Charlie Puth. The song made its debut at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the No. 5 spot on the Billboard Global 200, achieving impressive chart positions in several countries, including India, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
To date, it has accumulated over 1.02 billion streams on Spotify, firmly establishing Jungkook as the first Asian solo artist to boast three songs in the billion-stream category.
In addition to “Left & Right,”Jungkook’s “Standing Next to You”and “Seven”have also surpassed the billion mark on Spotify. His latest solo album, “Golden,”released on November 3, 2023, has further solidified his position as a leading solo artist, with “Seven”achieving over 2 billion streams.
As for “Standing Next to You,”it gained substantial acclaim, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieving top spots on UK charts.
Meanwhile, Jungkook is currently in the final stages of his military service, having enlisted in December 2023 and expected to complete his service by June 2025.