BTS fans around the world are rejoicing as the group has just made history, again, by debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The group’s new single ‘Dynamite’ sold 500k units, making it debut at Gold status, and earned the group’s biggest streaming week in the US with 33.9 million streams. The group also swept all four awards that they were nominated for during the 2020 VMAs.
‘Dynamite’ is no song to shrug off as accidental success. From the song’s catchy chorus to perfectly captured music video this song was made to succeed, which it did. Looking past the number one debut, BTS has become the first International band in history to debut at #1 on the Hot 100. You may be thinking, what about mega-groups such as One Direction, nope not even 1D could capture this type of debut energy.
Moving back to the VMAs, which were held virtually and prerecorded, BTS won four awards and performed ‘Dynamite’. The group took home Moonmen Awards for the categories Best Pop, Best Choreography, Best K-Pop, and Best Group. All of these awards were given for the group’s song ‘ON’. BTS are no strangers to the Top 10 as ‘On’ debuted at number four, and their album Map of the Soul: 7 debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 Album Chart.
The group’s performance was spectacular, as usual. The performance featured perfectly synched choreography, themed outfits, and uplifting energy that 2020 desperately needed. The outfits worn by the group reflected the official ‘Dynamite’ video. The video debuted with 101.1 million views in 24 hours, again making history being the most-watched video. The video also broke the peak concurrent record with 3 million-plus views.
Still questioning why BTS is at the popularity level they are? It is due to their massive and dedicated fanbase. The BTS Army has been planning for this comeback since the group ended their previous promotions. From creating streaming playlists to fund accounts for the single, the fanbase knew how to play into Billboards systems.
Even with the success, BTS and its fans are not slowing down, aiming directly for the Grammy awards. The group deserves a nomination, but still faces the internal racism of the music industry and the Recording Academy. But even the Academy cannot deny that this is BTS’s year. Apart from ‘Dynamite’, the group has released music well above the par of the rest of the industry. ‘Black Swan‘ is a prime example of what music should be like, not just something made directly for radio play and being played in a Target store’s loop.
BTS keeps raising the bar, and the music industry is just frozen. How is a group from a small label in South Korea is breaking every barrier they put in place? Even aside from breaking stigma in the music industry, BTS donated 1 million dollars to the Black Lives Matter organization. This donation shows how BTS wants to use their platform for good, and their fanbase quickly matched the million-dollar donation.
So what is next for BTS? If they are not nominated for major categories, like Artist of the Year or Album of the Year at least, then the industry better is prepared for the major backlash. I mean seriously, how many times are we going to see the same mediocre artist be nominated when BTS is right there.
BTS are no longer the underdogs, they are running this industry with no signs of stopping. And honestly, I am glad I stuck with these guys in 2016. Get ready world, whether you like it or not BTS is here to stay.