In the digital era of the entertainment industry, platforms such as Instagram, Spotify, and YouTube are no longer merely tools for communication; they have become “trump cards” that determine a K-pop idol’s status. Follower counts, streaming numbers, and view counts are widely regarded as direct metrics of brand value and global influence.

A social media account with millions of followers or a song amαѕѕing hundreds of millions of streams on digital platforms is not just a promotional channel, but a commercial αѕѕet worth tens of millions of dollars—one that brands and management companies carefully protect. In the long term, these figures directly impact an artist’s positioning, advertising opportunities, and even their overall career strategy.

Because of this near life-or-∂єαтн importance, most idols exercise extreme caution when it comes to their digital footprint. A single post may remain untouched for years, and even songs that no longer feel relevant are rarely removed. Altering or deleting content that is performing well is often considered “taboo,” as it risks disrupting growth momentum. Ultimately, these numbers act as mirrors reflecting social validation—the recognition and approval that nearly all stars relentlessly pursue.

However, since BTS began actively engaging with social media and digital music platforms, they have repeatedly created “ѕнσ¢кwaves” that left both the media and fans stunned—boldly deleting accounts and posts with enormous commercial value, or replacing older songs in their catalogs without hesitation.

Jungkook’s decision to delete his personal Instagram account in 2023, at the height of its popularity with over 52 million followers, stands as a prime example of this decisiveness. He removed it simply because he did not use it frequently and felt that the platform no longer suited him.

Similarly, in November 2024, Jin υиєχρє¢тє∂ly removed his viral song “Super Tuna,” originally released on Spotify in 2021. Despite having accumulated more than 136 million streams at the time, the track was taken down solely to be replaced with a longer version created for fans.

Meanwhile, most recently, Jimin cleared all of his previous posts—amounting to over 60 million views and 15 million likes—from his personal Instagram account after regaining access to it. There was no grand reason behind the move; he simply wanted to refresh his feed because he no longer found the old one visually appealing or fitting.

Beyond these three prominent cases, RM is also well known for constantly turning his Instagram into a shifting “archive,” readily deleting everything if he feels the posts are no longer interesting. SUGA, too, has a history of deleting an Instagram account with over 15 million followers.

These actions are not impulsive decisions, but rather clear demonstrations of the members’ complete autonomy over their own choices. This series of moves led ARMYs to realize a core truth: BTS are not addicted to fame or virtual praise on social media. They do what feels right to them—what brings them mental comfort and creative freedom. This proves that they are real artists, not trend-chasers, not individuals living for likes, and not figures defined by marketing metrics.

For BTS, music has always been the top priority, followed by the bond between the members themselves and their fans. They are willing to change, willing to delete old versions and replace them with better ones simply because they believe such changes will deliver a more complete emotional experience for ARMY. While no one is indifferent to numbers or achievements, for BTS, these have never been the number one priority.

BTS stand as a rare example of global artists who remain grounded through confidence, creative freedom, and unwavering loyalty to art itself. Prior to this topic, fans expressed the following viewpoints:

- They really couldn't care less, it's first music and each other then armys

- The love these boys have for us Army's is unmatchable y'allll!!! I'm so happy I found them

- Kinda very hot of them. I have a lot to learn from them about detachment and minimalism

- I’m so happy they feel confident to do this! Actions speak louder than words

- They couldn't care less about their "likes" on social media; that demonstrates their impact.

- LMAO they really out here deleting the internet like “music first, fame later”

- h3ck even their bts_twt is the only twitter account who can easily get 1M likes per tweet but they abandoned twitter

- I still feel a sharp pang to this day thinking about Jungkook deleting his Instagram account with 52 million followers, especially when he could’ve just temporarily deactivated it instead of deleting it outright

- Seriously, I still can’t get over the fact that Seokjin deleted an entire song from Spotify as if it were nothing.

- They genuinely give ZERO f**s about engagement, honestly. Absolutely no mercy when it comes to deleting photos (it hurts losing them) and even music — d*mn