The single "IDOL" debuted at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the two versions combined sold 43,000 downloads in their first week of sale in the US. It is certified gold by the RIAA.
An alternative version of the song, which features Nicki Minaj, was also included as a bonus track with their third compilation album Love Yourself: Answer (2018).
After its release, the song inspired an Internet dance challenge known as the "Idol Challenge", in which people dance to the chorus of the song, to try out the song's choreography.
On August 29, 2018, the music video became the fastest to reach 100 million views on YouTube in 2018. The record was eventually broken in December 2018 by Ariana Grande, with the song "Thank U, Next".
YouTube's official tally saw the music video garner over 56 million views within 24 hours of its release.