Loud and happy screams erupt in unison from the seven-member pop stars BTS when they hear they have notched their first No. 1 hit on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDREAM,\u201d yells band member RM. \u201cIt still doesn\u2019t feel real,\u201d adds SUGA, speaking in Korean through a translator. \u201cWe\u2019re really happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDynamite,\u201d the group\u2019s first all-English song, debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. music charts this week, making BTS the first Korean pop act to top the chart. The upbeat song even supplanted \u201cWAP,\u201d the raunchy smash hit by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, to claim the No. 1 position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNever expected it,\u201d RM tells The Associated Press of beating \u201cWAP\u201d for the top spot. \u201cNever! It\u2019s like the song of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But getting their first chart-topping track seemed inevitable for the K-pop boy band, who have continued to find major success in the U.S. in the last few years. They\u2019ve had four albums top Billboard\u2019s 200 albums chart, they\u2019ve achieved Top 10 successes on the Hot 100 with \u201cBoy With Luv,\u201d \u201cOn\u201d and \u201cFake Love,\u201d and in just minutes they\u2019ve sold out U.S. football stadiums that some pop stars need to join forces to perform at.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And even at U.S. awards shows, they\u2019ve gone from winning honors like \u201ctop social artist\u201d to being named best group and best pop act, beating out Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons, twenty one pilots, Jonas Brothers and others. At Sunday\u2019s MTV Video Music Awards, they won all four prizes they were nominated for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When asked if BTS \u2014 who released their debut single in 2013 \u2014 felt like they\u2019ve begun to earn more respect from the U.S., RM said: \u201cWe definitely feel that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think in the perspective of culture, I think it\u2019s really important to be familiar. So first, we think … that for many Americans (they were) not familiar with (us) \u2014 we look different, we (sing) different, we got some different choreography, music videos, like everything, even lifestyle. But I think as time goes by, we\u2019re doing these shows and songs and concerts and awards, I think quite a lot of people in the American music market is getting, like, kind of close (to us),\u201d he said. \u201cI think it\u2019s very good and that\u2019s what we wanted actually.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It could also be time for BTS\u2019 first Grammy nomination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we see (Western) artists … get nominated for Grammys, they would go: \u2018Yeah! Yeah!\u2019\u201d said j-hope, standing up from his chair and throwing a small punch in the air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLike Travis Scott,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe nomination is meaningful to even (famous) people like that and to imagine that we could be nominated for Grammy, again, it would be such an honor and a great feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards will be announced later this year. The show doesn\u2019t have a K-pop category, and while there is a best world music album award, there isn\u2019t a song category for world and international music. Those songs, then, would compete for best pop duo\/group performance \u2014 a highly competitive award reserved for big hits or collaborations featuring uber-popular performers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the success of \u201cDynamite\u201d could explode into a Grammy nomination for BTS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe sheer thought of a nomination is thrilling,\u201d said j-hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI mean, we hope. We hope so,\u201d said RM. \u201cNo one knows about the Grammys … but we\u2019re just doing our best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Though \u201cDynamite\u201d has charted new territory for BTS, the song wasn\u2019t even supposed to be released, RM explained. BTS had plans to tour but that changed due to the coronavirus: \u201cThe pandemic blew everything away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So they recorded \u201cDynamite\u201d to give their die-hard fans, the BTS Army, \u201chope, positive energy,\u201d RM said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd we think that it really touched their hearts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The group, which includes Jin, V, Jimin, and Jung Kook, says they\u2019re busy recording a new album. They feel they have a grown in the seven years they\u2019ve been a musical group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve matured musically, as well as in the way we think. We\u2019ve also developed a higher sense of responsibility. This has refined us and these developments are really being reflected in our music and our dance,\u201d j-hope said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The band members range from ages 23 to 27, and the youngest of clan, Jung Kook, celebrated his birthday this week with some special news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI received the news of our No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart on the day of my birthday, so it was really one celebration over another,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n