A corridor fight carries 2.0 to an album milestone
BTS's music video for "2.0" passed 200 million YouTube views at around 9:30 p.m. Korean time on October 22, 2026, becoming the first video from the group's fifth studio album, "Arirang," to reach that total. Big Hit Music announced the achievement on October 23, about six months and 20 days after the video's April 2 release.
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The milestone belongs to an album track rather than the lead single. "SWIM," the album's title track, and "Hooligan" have each exceeded 100 million views. "2.0" was the second of five music videos released for the album's 14 tracks, yet it became the fastest among them to cross 200 million.
The video combines a recognizable reference to Korean cinema with a story about BTS entering another phase of its career. A narrow corridor sequence pays tribute to the famous hammer fight in director Park Chan-wook's 2003 thriller "Oldboy." Playful acting, a back scratcher and traditional Korean props interrupt the gritty atmosphere.
The achievement also arrives during the group's "Arirang" world tour. BTS is scheduled to perform at Estádio do Morumbi in São Paulo on October 28, 30 and 31, bringing the album's next major live dates less than a week after the view milestone.
How the release reached this point
"Arirang" arrived on March 20, with the "2.0" video following 13 days later on the official HYBE Labels YouTube channel. The song had already reached listeners through the album before its visual story appeared.
The release and chart dates show how the song's early commercial performance developed into a viewing milestone months later:
- March 20: BTS releases its fifth studio album, "Arirang," containing 14 tracks.
- April 2: The "2.0" music video premieres at midnight Korean time.
- April 4: "2.0" enters the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 50 on the chart bearing that date.
- October 22: The video passes 200 million views, around six months and 20 days after release.
- October 23: Big Hit Music announces the achievement.
Big Hit Music's announcement places "2.0" first within the album's video campaign. No date was given for when either "SWIM" or "Hooligan" might reach the same total.
Why the Oldboy reference stands out
Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" provides the video's central cinematic reference. Its famous corridor fight is recalled through a sequence presented as one continuous take, with the narrow space keeping the action concentrated around the performers.
A continuous take lets movement unfold without visible cuts interrupting the sequence. For a music video, that approach makes the timing of bodies, gestures and camera movement especially noticeable. The corridor becomes part of the choreography rather than simply a backdrop.
BTS adds humor to the tense setting. The members use unexpected objects, including a back scratcher, a taegeuk fan and a danso. A taegeuk fan carries the familiar Korean circular symbol, while a danso is a traditional Korean bamboo flute. Their presence puts everyday and cultural objects inside a scene shaped like a gritty action film.
The contrast gives the homage its own character. The setting recalls danger and confrontation, while the props and performances introduce a comic turn. Korean cinema and traditional objects appear together in a video built around a contemporary hip-hop and trap song.
From a shabby elevator to a penthouse
The video's larger journey begins in a shabby elevator within a derelict building and ends in a lavish penthouse. Its movement between those spaces gives a physical shape to the song's theme of change and growth.
The opening setting evokes the effort of building a career from the ground up. The penthouse presents a different position, suggesting a group that has reached a new stage after that work. Scenes of the members changing clothes in an elevator reinforce the idea of transition.
The choreography supports this progression through weighty movements, carefully controlled changes in pace and a clear narrative arc. The video's story is carried through bodies and locations as well as its lyrics.
"2.0" uses an irregular rhythmic pattern within hip-hop and trap. In simple terms, its beat does not always move with the even, predictable feel a listener might expect. The controlled shifts in the performance connect that musical restlessness with the video's changing spaces.
An album track with chart reach
"2.0" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 50 on the chart dated April 4 and stayed for three additional weeks, giving it a run of four weeks. In Britain, it reached No. 94 on the Official Singles Top 100.
The term B-side, used to describe the song, means an album track outside the main promotional single in this context. "SWIM" holds the lead role on "Arirang," while "2.0" has built a substantial audience through its own song and video.
The album's video figures reveal different kinds of prominence. "SWIM" leads the album's promotion, but "2.0" reached 200 million YouTube views first. With "SWIM" and "Hooligan" each above 100 million, those three videos together account for more than 400 million views.
BTS also reached a broader listening milestone earlier in October, when Big Hit Music announced that "Arirang" had passed 5 billion streams on Spotify. All 14 tracks had exceeded 200 million streams each, while "SWIM" was approaching 1 billion. YouTube views count video plays, while Spotify streams count audio plays on that service, giving separate measures of how audiences are engaging with the album.
What a new chapter means for BTS
BTS released "Arirang" after all seven members completed South Korea's mandatory military service and reunited for their first full group album in nearly four years. Against that history, the language of a new phase has a concrete meaning: seven musicians returning to collective work after time spent apart and developing individual careers.
The documentary "BTS: The Return" explored the creative decisions behind Arirang, including disagreements about musical direction, the lead single and the balance between Korean and English lyrics. Its account of the recording process gives context to the confidence expressed in "2.0." The finished song presents forward movement after a period in which the members had to decide what their return should sound like.
J-Hope, a member of BTS, described that transition during the group's March 21 comeback concert at Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square, following the release of Arirang:
BTS 2.0 is just getting started.
The music video turns that declaration into a visible journey. Its rough opening, comic interruptions and polished destination give the new chapter a beginning and an endpoint within one performance. The Korean film reference and traditional props also place recognizable cultural details inside that story of change.
The tour carries Arirang beyond the screen
São Paulo is the next destination identified in the group's schedule, with three performances at Estádio do Morumbi on October 28, 30 and 31. The concerts bring the album campaign into a stadium setting while its videos continue to accumulate views online.
Singapore will extend that campaign later in the year. The Singapore fan programme, announced by the Singapore Tourism Board and HYBE on October 19, runs from December 1 to 31 alongside four sold out National Stadium concerts on December 17, 19, 20 and 22.
The Singapore plans include music, art, light shows and themed experiences across the island. Thirteen landmarks are scheduled to turn red each night from December 8 to 22. The programme gives the album a presence beyond the concert venue, reaching locations around Marina Bay, the Singapore River and other visitor destinations.
For BTS, the October video record sits between the album's spring release and a continuing series of live events. "2.0" has now become the first "Arirang" video to reach 200 million views, adding a distinct visual success to an album already drawing large audiences through audio streaming and concerts.
Key Points
- Big Hit Music said "2.0" passed 200 million YouTube views on October 22, 2026, at around 9:30 p.m. Korean time.
- The video reached the milestone about six months and 20 days after its April 2 premiere, the fastest among videos from "Arirang."
- "SWIM" and "Hooligan" have each exceeded 100 million views.
- The video references Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy" and follows a journey from a shabby elevator to a penthouse.
- "2.0" entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 50, spent four weeks on the chart and reached No. 94 in Britain.
- BTS is scheduled to perform in São Paulo on October 28, 30 and 31, with Singapore concerts following in December.
