How BTS conquered America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart with Dynamite – but could the K-pop boy band have done it without singing in English?
RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook already hit No 4 this year with On – the last single from album Map of the Soul: 7 – now by channelling the disco revival, The Weeknd and Lady Gaga the boy band became the first South Korean act to top America’s main singles chart
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
Billboard's K-pop columnist Jeff Benjamin told The Korea Times on September 1 that BTS' musical feat stems from four major factors – unveiling additional formats of the single and different versions of remixes, radio play and the act's “organic growth”.
“Releasing 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 different 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 as well. Many say the single could have been frequently played on the radio in the US because it was sung in English, but he also attributed the success to its disco-pop sound.