In the past, diehard fans would request their favorite songs on the radio to bump up those numbers. They have used bundle sales to prop up their position on the chart. "It is something other Western artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande have done for a long time. But that is simply how the charts work," she said. "I think there are some savvy music fans and industry professionals who believe that BTS followers are somehow juking the chart by shelling out money to make sure Butter or any other BTS single hits stay at No. Molanphy is also the host of the Hit Parade podcast and the writer of Slate Magazine's "Why is this song No.1" series. "As long as they're not cheating ― for example, artificially boosting streaming or sales totals with robotic replays or fake purchases ― it is totally fair for them to buy all of the remixes or buy a song on vinyl that they already have as a download," chart analyst and pop critic Chris Molanphy told The Korea Times. In fact, the fairness of these tactics has long been a hot talking point in the Korean music industry, too.Īsked about their perspectives on the issue, the U.S.-based experts mostly said they believe these fans are still playing fair. They insist the fans, who often get involved in mass-streaming or bulk-buying to help their singers secure the top spots, are preventing it from reflecting the actual popularity of different songs. criticizing the seven-member group and its global fandom ARMY for "skewing" the Billboard chart. There are, however, some voices in the U.S. The Hot 100 is finally, truly, global."īTS's "Butter" has dominated the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for nine non-consecutive weeks so far. Once, non-English-language artists could never top it, but now a Korean group has taken it over. On top of that, BTS's success has altered the way pop music fans think about the chart. 1 hit ― following Dynamite (2020), Savage Love (2020) and Life Goes On (2020) ― and no other acts have done that so quickly since the Jackson 5 in 1970. In fact, Butter is the group's fourth consecutive No. "BTS's latest accomplishment is proving that it is the biggest band on the planet. "For many, the Billboard charts are still the ultimate barometer for achievement and there is no more reputable way to show the success of an artist or what the biggest song in the U.S. "BTS's recent chart success is meaningful because it implies one of the victories that the group ― which consists of non-white, non-American performers ― and its global fans have achieved in the ideological battle against the white-dominated American entertainment industry," Stephanie Choi, an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of East Asian Studies at New York University College of Arts and Science, said in a recent Korea Times interview.īrooklyn-based music journalist Maria Sherman, who authored the 2020 book "Larger Than Life: a History of Boy Bands From NKOTB To BTS," pointed out that BTS's continued dominance is a testament to its "massiveness." The K-pop megastars have hit an apex in their career with this feat, but their accomplishment deserves more attention for many reasons, according to industry experts. The former, however, dethroned the latter only a week later and has since ruled the chart for nine non-consecutive weeks as of Monday (local time.) 1 song of 2021.įollowing its May 21 release, "Butter" reigned atop the chart for seven weeks in a row before yielding the spot to another BTS anthem, "Permission to Dance," dropped July 9. K-pop behemoth BTS has etched its name into history, with its summer banger "Butter" becoming the Billboard main singles chart's longest-running No. From left, V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope of K-pop titan BTS pose during a press conference in Seoul, May 21.
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