BTS just made history, again.
Fresh off of their performance at the 2020 MTV VMAs, the seven superstars earned their first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart this week with their hit single, “Dynamite.” The achievement marked the first-ever chart-topping debut by a South Korean act and the 43rd chart-topping debut overall.
It was clear from the start that the infectious disco-pop track, which saw the septet’s first full-English release, was headed for enormous commercial success. Its music video earned 101.1 million views on the first day alone, to put things in perspective. Still, the final standings blew predictions out of the water.
The Hot 100 chart blends U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data. According to Nielsen Music, for “Dynamite,” BTS garnered 33.9 million U.S. streams and 300,000 units sold in the week ending Aug. 27, as well as 11.6 million radio airplay audience impressions in the week ending Aug. 30 –catapulting them to the top spot.
BTS also earned No. 1 on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart this week, with about 265,000 copies sold – more units than every other title on the chart combined. It marked the biggest digital sales week since Taylor Swift‘s “Look What You Made Me Do” in September 2017.
Unlike many of their Western pop music counterparts, BTS earned the numbers without tricks like merch bundling. Instead, the feat can be attributed to BTS’ powerful and passionate fanbase, who regularly organize to organically buy and stream the band’s music to record highs. “Dynamite” was also a viral hit on TikTok, which has been the driving force behind many Hot 100 hits in the past year, and the track had two remixes to help boost sales.
BTS left thank you messages on social media and held a press conference after hearing about the achievement. “To be honest, we never imagined BTS reaching No. 1 on the Hot 100. It still feels like a dream,” member J-Hope told the press. “We started this because we love music, because we love dancing. … It’s such an honor for us. The energy and support we received from fans drove us and allowed us to keep going.”
The group earned congratulatory messages from all over the world after topping the chart, most notably from South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who wrote in a letter on Twitter, “It is a splendid feat that further raises pride in K-pop. The song “Dynamite,” which topped the list, is all the more meaningful as it has been composed to give a message of comfort and hope to people around the world who are struggling with COVID-19. It will bring huge consolation to Koreans suffering from the national crisis caused by COVID-19. I offer my heartfelt congratulations.”
With a chart-topping single and four chart-topping albums under their belt, the group now has their sights set on a Grammy. “We went to the Grammys at the beginning of the year and did a collaborative performance. Now I would like to do a single performance with just BTS on the Grammy awards stage,” member Suga said. “It would be great to receive an award, but that’s not going to become a reality just because we want it.”
BTS is set to perform “Dynamite” and other hits at the 2020 iHeartRadio Music Festival on Sept. 18. The band also confirmed that a new album is on the way, set to release before the year’s end.
