BTS's V's "Winter Ahead" has gained great popularity by surpassing 530 million streams on Spotify. This song, a collaboration between V and Park Hyo-shin, exceeded 530 million streams on Spotify on November 20. Among V's solo songs, four have recorded over 500 million streams: "Love Me Again," "Slow Dancing," "FRI(END)S," and "Winter Ahead."

"Winter Ahead" was released on November 29, 2024, while V was serving in the military. Despite his military service, the song entered the US Billboard main singles chart, the "Hot 100," ranked number one on the "Holiday Digital Song Sales" chart, and debuted at number 62 on the "Holiday Top 100" chart. V became the first K-pop artist to chart three songs—"Christmas Tree," "White Christmas," and "Winter Ahead"—on the "Holiday Top 100," and all three songs reached number one on the "Holiday Digital Song Sales" chart. Because of this, he earned the nickname "Winter Boy."

"Winter Ahead" also entered the UK Official Charts singles chart, ranking number one on the "Single Downloads" chart and number two on the "Single Sales" chart. The song is a jazz piece that combines saxophone, trumpet, and dreamy prepared piano performances, creating a cozy atmosphere. Reflecting V's personal taste, the song received praise for its beautiful visuals and delicate expression of complex emotions in the music video.

The music video ranked number one on the "Music Video Trending Worldwide" chart and held the longest number one position for a K-pop artist on Tidal's "Global Top Video" chart, a high-quality global streaming platform. It also ranked number one on Tidal's top video charts in various countries, proving its global popularity.

Billboard selected "Winter Ahead" as one of the "27 Best Winter Songs for This Season." Billboard described the song as evoking the first day of the cold season, saying, "The harmony between the two feels like fresh snow crystals," and predicted, "The song's relevance will extend beyond December 25." Additionally, "Winter Ahead" ranked number one on Billboard's "Most Loved Songs by Fans in 2024," receiving great love from the public.

V's "Winter Ahead" is recognized not only for its achievements on music charts but also for its visual elements in the music video and the harmonious blend of V's personal emotions. The song captures the sentiment suitable for the winter season and serves as another testament to V's musical capabilities.