BTS’s Jin Continues Global Impact: Music Featured at World Baseball Classic and Winter Olympics
BTS member Jin’s solo music continues to resonate on the international stage, appearing at prominent sporting events including the 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) and the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics. This underscores the artist’s widespread global appeal and solidifies his position as a ‘global pop icon.’
“Running Wild” Echoes at the World Baseball Classic
On March 8th, Jin’s title track “Running Wild” from his first solo album, HAPPY, was played during the 2026 WBC match between South Korea and Taiwan held at the Tokyo Dome in Japan. Fanplus and JinBase Indonesia reported that the song’s blend of Jin’s vocals and band-driven sound enhanced the atmosphere of the game, eliciting cheers from the crowd.
“Running Wild” previously gained significant attention after being featured in a CBS prime-time broadcast of an NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions in December 2024. Released in November 2024, the track quickly amassed over 1.7 million posts on TikTok within ten days, ranking as the second most-used Korean male solo song on the platform, following Shaun’s “Way Back Home.”
Olympic Recognition with “Don’t Say You Love Me”
Jin’s influence extended to the 2026 Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo Winter Olympics, which concluded last month. Following major figure skating events – the pairs free skate on February 9th, the men’s singles short program on February 11th, and the women’s singles short program on February 18th – Jin’s title track “Don’t Say You Love Me” from his second mini-album, Echo, was played in the venue. Aju Press reported that the song captivated sports fans worldwide.
“Don’t Say You Love Me,” released in May 2025, topped Spotify’s global chart on May 25, 2025, making Jin the first Asian artist to reach No. 1 on the platform’s global chart with a song released in that year.
Continued Global Presence
Jin’s global impact was further demonstrated in July 2024 when he participated as a torchbearer during the Paris Summer Olympics. French magazine Paris Match described him as “a true prince crowned 235 years after the French Revolution” although carrying the torch in front of the Louvre Museum.