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| K-pop titan BTS debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with its latest single "Dynamite." Courtesy of Big Hit Entertainment |
By Dong Sun-hwa
Record-shattering is nothing new to K-pop juggernaut BTS, but debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart was a dream-come-true for the band. On Tuesday, the septet's uplifting disco pop track "Dynamite" ― dropped on Aug. 21 ― conquered Billboard's main singles chart, making BTS the first Korean act to reach the milestone.
BTS ― RM, Jin, Suga, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook ― secured No. 4 spot on the same chart in March with "ON," the lead track off its fourth studio album "Map of the Soul : 7." But only after six months, it soared to the highest position on the chart, which blends "all-genre U.S. streaming, radio airplay and sales data."
Billboard's K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin told The Korea Times Tuesday that BTS's musical feat stems from four major factors ― unveiling of additional formats of single and different versions of remixes, radio play and the act's "organic growth."
"Releasing of additional formats of the single ― including versions on vinyl and cassette tape ― was a strong and smart play to fans who like to own physical products," Benjamin said. "On top of that, releasing of different versions of remixes ― ranging from acoustic to EDM ― helped grow download sales and streaming by giving listeners more options."
The columnist added that radio has given the new song a big boost of support as well. Many say the single could have been frequently played on the radio in the U.S. because it was sung in English, but he also attributed the success to its disco-pop sound.
"It is the very climate especially in the west as established Top 40 artists like The Weeknd, Lady Gaga and many others are all embracing this sound," he said.
Benjamin underscored that one of the biggest rationales behind BTS's accomplishment was the band's organic growth, saying, "This wasn't a plan that came out of nowhere for an artist with no traction in America, but had been studied and focused on for years to make this great achievement even possible."
However, the Big Hit Entertainment singers' attainment relays a thought-provoking message, according to critic Jung Min-jae, who writes for music magazine "IZM."
"BTS's feat implies that establishing a presence in the U.S. market is still quite demanding, unless K-pop singers pop up with English content," Jung said. "The stars already had a solid fandom and general popularity, but most of its previous tracks such as ON could not be played on radio in the U.S. Dynamite at last jumped over that hurdle."
He expects the single to have a long run on the chart, given its performance on Spotify and radios.
"It fits well into the disco revival in the west and meets the taste of listeners there," he said.
