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Boy band hoped to keep challenging and achieve far more
K-pop boy band BTS has achieved another milestone with its song "Life Goes On," the lead single from the band's latest album "Be." "Life Goes On" made its debut at No. 1 on this week's U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, becoming the first song featuring predominantly Korean lyrics to top the Hot 100 in the chart's 62-year history. The song is also the first track sung mostly in a non-English language since "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi in 2017 to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
BTS celebrated the milestone of topping Billboard's main chart in September with "Dynamite," but the disco-pop single was an all-English song. In contrast, "Life Goes On" is a rare achievement in that the song with mainly Korean lyrics debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. music market where it is not easy for non-English language songs to win the hearts of listeners.
"Be" also debuted atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming BTS' fifth album to hit the top of the chart in the past two-and-a-half years. The group is the first act to do so since the Beatles in the 1960s. BTS also joins Taylor Swift as the only acts to simultaneously debut a new song and album at No. 1 on Billboard's primary charts. "Life Goes On" is more meaningful because the soft ballad shares words of comfort for people worn out from the coronavirus pandemic. BTS is certainly at the pinnacle of stardom and its fandom has reached another milestone in the U.S.
BTS is a vivid reminder that K-pop has become a trending topic in the global music market. The National Assembly passed a revision of the Military Service Act, Tuesday, paving the way for K-pop stars like BTS to postpone their military service until they turn 30 and focus wholly on music. Amazed by BTS' energy and accomplishment, we expect the septet to keep challenging pop music conventions and achieve far more.
