From Spotify to the Stadium: How BTS Solo Hits Took Over the 2026 WBC

The 2026 World Baseball Classic just proved that BTS does not need a stage to dominate a stadium. Two of the group's biggest solo tracks echoed through Tokyo Dome during the tournament's pool rounds, turning one of baseball's most prestigious events into an unexpected showcase of K-pop's global reach.

Jin's Running Wild Electrifies Korea vs. Taiwan

On March 8, as the Korean national team faced Taiwan at Tokyo Dome, the arena speakers blasted Jin's Running Wild to a packed crowd of roaring fans. The title track from his debut solo album HAPPY — released in November 2024, months after completing his military service — filled the dome with its signature soaring vocals and nostalgic melody, drawing cheers that had nothing to do with the scoreboard.

The moment was far from an anomaly. Running Wild has been steadily conquering global sports and broadcast stages since its release. Within just ten days of dropping, the song racked up over 1.7 million TikTok video posts, making it the second most-used Korean male solo track on the platform after Shaun's Way Back Home. In December 2024, it was featured during an NFL CBS primetime broadcast between the Buffalo Bills and the Detroit Lions. It even made multiple appearances during South Korea's 21st presidential election coverage in June 2025.

Jin's presence on international sports stages goes well beyond his music. During the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, he served as a torch bearer — an honor that prompted French magazine Paris Match to call him a true prince crowned 235 years after the French Revolution, the only foreigner highlighted among 31 notable torch carriers.

Jimin's Who Heats Up Japan vs. Australia

Two days later, on March 10, it was Jimin's turn to own the dome. His solo hit Who blared through the speakers during the Japan-versus-Australia pool game, its hip-hop R&B bounce and commanding vocals hitting differently inside a stadium packed with thousands of fans.

Who, the title track from Jimin's second solo album MUSE, has built an extraordinary resume across global sports venues. The song landed on Spotify's official Formula 1 Tracks playlist at the third spot shortly after its July 2024 release. It was later played at the Hungarian and Singapore Grand Prix, and F1's official Instagram account used it as the soundtrack for footage of Lewis Hamilton and other drivers arriving at circuits.

In January 2025, Italian sports outlet Sportmediaset used Who as background music for its football coverage. By March 2025, the track was pumping through the arena at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore. On streaming platforms, the numbers are just as commanding — Who hit number one on the Spotify Global chart a staggering 20 times and was crowned the most-streamed K-pop song of 2024.

A New Era for K-Pop in Global Sports

The back-to-back appearances at the WBC underscore a broader trend: BTS solo music is becoming the go-to soundtrack for high-energy international sporting events. From the NFL to Formula 1, from the Winter Olympics to baseball's biggest stage, these tracks are chosen not because of fandom campaigns but because their energy translates universally.

Jin's second mini album Echo further cemented this crossover appeal. Its title track Don't Say You Love Me was played during multiple figure skating events at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February, and it had previously topped the Spotify Global chart in May 2025 — making Jin the first Asian artist to reach number one with a 2025 release. With both Jin and Jimin's solo music now firmly embedded in the global sports landscape, the WBC moments feel less like coincidences and more like confirmation that BTS's influence has transcended music altogether.