With ‘Dynamite’,
BTS has become the first all-South Korean act to rule the top US singles chart,
industry tracker Billboard.

The seven-member boy band has also claimed their position by beating American
heavyweights including Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, and Taylor Swift at MTV Video
Music Awards.

The first
BTS single sung completely in English, ‘Dynamite’ was released August 21 and
tallied 33.9 million US streams in just a week, with 300,000 units sold.

In securing
the top spot, the song unseats Cardi B’s raunchy hit ‘WAP’ featuring fellow
rapper Megan Thee Stallion, a not-safe-for-work bop that held number one for
two consecutive weeks.

BTS’s
achievement comes after it reached the Billboard Hot 100’s fourth slot in March
with its song ‘On’.

Also read: BTS’ Dynamite breaks YouTube record of the most-watched video in a day

Three of
BTS’ albums have hit number one on Billboard’s album charts, but this is its
first Hot 100 top single.

Billboard’s all-genre
Hot 100 blends US streaming, radio airplay and digital sales data to rank the
top hits.

BTS is the
first all-South Korean group — comprised of J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jungkook, RM,
Suga and V — to reign over the chart.

South Korean
soloist PSY reached number two for seven weeks in the fall of 2012 with his
viral dance juggernaut ‘Gangnam Style’.

The first
Asian artist to top the chart was Japanese-born crooner Kyu Sakamoto, whose ‘Sukiyaki’
held the ranking for three weeks in June 1963.

K-pop — along
with K-drama soap operas — has been one of South Korea’s most successful
cultural exports.

A key
component of the ‘Korean Wave’ that has swept Asia and beyond over the last two
decades, the K-pop industry is estimated to be worth some $5 billion.