j-hope Collaborates with Pharrell at Louis Vuitton Fashion Show; BTS’s V Maintains 199 Consecutive Weeks at No. 1 in Japan Rankings

BTS members are actively performing on international stages. On the 21st (local time), j-hope participated in Louis Vuitton’s “2025 S/S Men’s Collection Show” held in Paris, collaborating with music producer and fashion icon Pharrell Williams. j-hope contributed his voice to Pharrell’s new song “LV Bag,” and together with rapper Don Toliver, they closed the fashion show with this track. Pharrell Williams also serves as Louis Vuitton’s men’s creative director and is a legendary artist who has won 13 Grammy Awards and created hits such as “Happy.” In a statement, j-hope said, “I was grateful to return to Paris and receive warm welcome from the ARMY, and it was an honor to work with Pharrell on this amazing song. I will also deliver a fantastic performance at the upcoming charity event, ‘Le Gala des Pieces Jaunes.’” Meanwhile, at the same show, SEVENTEEN shone on stage with Pharrell’s new song “Bad Influence.” SEVENTEEN stated in a statement, “We are happy and honored to work with an artist like Pharrell Williams, and we were able to showcase a new side of SEVENTEEN through this song.” BTS’s V enjoys overwhelming popularity in Japan. From January 13th to 19th, 2025, he topped the votes on the Japanese male idol ranking site NEHAN, extending his streak of No. 1 to 199 consecutive weeks. Additionally, on BIHAN’s “Actor Popularity Ranking” section, he has led for 47 consecutive weeks, and in the “Korean Actors Under 20” category, he has held the top spot for 195 consecutive weeks. On KPOP JUICE’s “K-Pop Idol Popularity Ranking” and K-board’s “K-Pop Idol Popularity Ranking,” he remains at No. 1 for 155 consecutive weeks. He also topped both the “Korean Drama Male Actor General Election” and “Handsome Man Election” throughout their respective periods. V’s influence extends even to Japanese pop culture. As more Japanese men try to imitate his hairstyle and fashion style, a small café run by a barista said to resemble him becomes extremely busy on weekends. This man appeared on an entertainment program on Asahi’s Ameba TV and drew attention by saying, “Since V is the best in the world, I aim to create the best café in the world.”