BTS's ‘Life Goes On’ is the First Korean-Lyric Song to Top Billboard Hot 100

By Alexa L. Nov 30, 2020

BTS's November release "Life Goes On" has just hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts! Continue reading to learn more.

On Monday, Nov. 30, Billboard announced their Billboard Hot 100 chart rankings for the week dated Dec. 5. To ARMYs pleasant surprise, BTS's title track from their latest "Be" album has topped the Billboard Hot 100. Their first all-English single, "Dynamite," also sits at number three on the list.

"Life Goes On" has just broken a record with this charting. The song is the first-ever predominantly Korean song to top the Hot 100 chart in Billboard history. According to Billboard and Nielsen Music/MRC Data, "Life Goes On" garnered 13.9 million streams and sold 150,000 units by the end of Nov. 26.

This is the third time BTS hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The group first hit number one with "Dynamite," making it their first number-one single and fourth top-10 ranking. "Dynamite" is the first song by an Asian act to hit number one in the United since ever since Kyu Sakamoto's "Sukiyaki," which charted in 1963.

They got their second number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) [BTS Remix]." The song was released on Oct. 17. The song was made in collaboration with Jason Derulo and Jawsh 685.

"Life Goes On" is the fastest song to hit number one on the charts since The Bee Gees in 1977 and The Beatles in 1964. It is also the first non-English song to top the Billboard Hot 100 since 2017. The last song to do so was Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee's "Despacito."

On top of that, BTS occupied the whole top six of the Billboard Digital Song Sales Chart. The songs that charted, from one to six, are "Life Goes On," "Blue & Grey," "Stay," "Telepath," "Dis-ease," and "Fly to My Room." Additionally, "Skit" charted at number nine.

Their fifth studio album, their album "Be," helped BTS break another record! Following the release of the album, "Be" hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart. With that, BTS is the first K-pop group to have five albums hit number one on the Billboard 200.

Congratulations on your success, BTS!

"Life Goes On" was released on Nov. 20 as the lead single of BTS's fifth studio album, "Be." Despite the success BTS saw with their previous, all-English single "Dynamite," the song (along with the rest of the album) is sung almost completely in Korean. Their label, Big Hit Entertainment, described the song as a healing song, saying that even in with the new normal brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, life goes on. It is meant to send a message of hope to fans.

The music video for the song was released the same day and was directed by BTS member Jungkook. The music video is the fifth-most viewed YouTube video in the first 24 hours, garnering over 71.6 million views. The YouTube record is still held on by "Dynamite," which garnered 101.1 million views in the first 24 hours.