BTS just made music history (again) with the first-ever Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 sung primarily in a Korean language. Their newly minted K-pop hit “Life Goes On†landed in the top spot in its first week, securing RM, Suga, V, Jimin, Jin, J-Hope, and Jungkook their third No. 1 in a span of three months. Their first English-language track, “Dynamite,†peaked in September; then in October, they followed it up with a remix of Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo’s “Savage Love (Laxed — Siren Beat).†“Dynamite†earned them their first No. 1 and their first-ever Grammy nomination. They’re up for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2021 awards ceremony against “Exile†by Taylor Swift and Bon Iver; “Rain on Me†by Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande; “Intentions†by Justin Bieber and Quavo; and “Un DÃa†by J Balvin, Dua Lipa, Bad Bunny, and Tainy. BTS’s brand-new quarantine album Be also topped the Billboard 200 this week. That makes BTS and Taylor Swift the only two acts in history to debut a song and an album on the Hot 100 and the Billboard 200 simultaneously. Swift’s were, of course, for “cardigan†and folklore. What a year!
“Life Goes On†is the 19th No. 1 on the Hot 100 this year, putting 2020 in a tie with 2006 for the highest total of songs debuting at No. 1 in a year. This week, “Dynamite†rebounds from No. 14 to No. 3, just below last week’s No. 1, “Mood†by 24kGoldn featuring Iann Dior. Ariana Grande’s “Positions†switches to No. 4, and Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope†featuring Charlie Puth dips to No. 5. We started this year with a Mariah Carey No. 1, so clearly we won’t be going out with anything less than iconic.