(ATTN: UPDATES with 12 more songs from album entering Hot 100 in 5th para; RECASTS 6th para)
By Shim Sun-ah
Global sensation BTS has achieved their seventh No. 1 debut on both the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Hot 100 singles chart. This follows their No. 1 debut on the British Official Albums Chart Top 100 and No. 2 on the Official Singles Chart Top 100.
In the realm of Korean artists, only BTS, along with members Jimin and Jungkook as soloists, have previously topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Golden,” from the “KPop Demon Hunters” soundtrack, also achieved this feat, contributing to K-pop’s overall success.
This dual achievement marks BTS’ first simultaneous No. 1 on both charts in six years, since their album “Be” in 2020.
Out of the 14 tracks on the new album, 13 entered the Hot 100 chart this week, including “Swim.” The only exception was “No. 29,” which solely features the sound of the Divine Bell of King Seongdeok and contains no lyrics.
BTS began their journey in 2013 as an “underdog” idol group from a smaller agency. Each subsequent milestone has consistently added to K-pop’s rich history.
Since becoming the first K-pop group to top the Billboard 200 with “Love Yourself: Tear” in 2018, BTS has claimed seven No. 1 albums: “Love Yourself: Answer” (2018), “Map of the Soul: Persona” (2019), “Map of the Soul: 7” (2020), “Be” (2020), “Proof” (2022), and “Arirang” (2026).
On the singles chart, BTS secured K-pop’s first No. 1 with “Dynamite” in 2020, followed by “Savage Love” (2020), “Life Goes On” (2020), “Butter” (2021), “Permission to Dance” (2021), “My Universe” (2021), and now “Swim,” the lead track from “Arirang.” Notably, “Life Goes On” remains the only predominantly Korean-language song to ever top the Hot 100, while “Butter” held the top spot for an impressive 10 weeks.
BTS has also achieved three No. 1 albums, including “Arirang,” on the British Official Albums Chart Top 100.
Driven by their global musical appeal, BTS has won at the Billboard Music Awards for six consecutive years and the American Music Awards for five, earning the prestigious Artist of the Year award in 2021 – a historic first for a K-pop act. They have also garnered Grammy nominations for three consecutive years.
This recent comeback is especially noteworthy given the evolving industry landscape. Billboard has adjusted its chart methodology several times, leading some industry observers to suggest these changes could disadvantage fan-driven acts, particularly within K-pop.
In 2022, Billboard reduced the number of eligible weekly downloads per person from four to one. In the following year, they ceased including digital single sales from direct-to-consumer websites, commonly utilized by fan communities, in their chart calculations.
Furthermore, this year, Billboard discontinued including YouTube data in its Hot 100 and Billboard 200 rankings for the first time in 13 years, amidst a dispute between the two companies. This alteration is seen as potentially detrimental to K-pop acts, whose music videos often accumulate hundreds of millions of views.
Despite these challenges, including a hiatus for military service and the changing industry rules, BTS has once again conquered the charts.
A key factor in BTS’s continued success is their devoted global fanbase, known as ARMY.
The collective power of ARMY translates into streams, purchases, and social media engagement strong enough to rival Western pop stars with significant radio presence, an area traditionally considered a weaker point for K-pop.
While the precise size of BTS’s global fandom is difficult to determine, it is widely acknowledged as one of the largest, not only in K-pop but worldwide.
The group’s Weverse fan community boasts approximately 34.1 million members, and their official Instagram account has nearly 80 million followers – surpassing the entire population of South Korea.
