Two of the biggest songs in South Korea in the month of July are by BTS, which should come as no surprise to anybody who is paying attention to just how popular the band is. What is somewhat unexpected when looking at a ranking of the best-performing tunes in the nation last month is how many cuts enjoy sizable leaps into the top 10 after appearing much further down on last month’s list.
The Gaon Digital chart ranks the most-consumed songs in South Korea every week using a methodology that combines sales, streaming and what is called BGM, which stands for background music (usually used in various forms of media). There is also a monthly component that lists the most popular tracks in the previous months.
The monthly ranking for July is led by MSG Wannabe’s “Foolish Love,” which doesn’t debut at No. 1, but which experiences an especially large gain. The band, which was created on the TV program Hangout With Yoo as something of a joke (but which has turned out to be extremely successful), rockets to the top from No. 32 with what has turned out to be perhaps their biggest song yet. The group’s other current hit, “Only You,” advances 45 rungs to No. 6.
On the ranking of the most-consumed songs in South Korea in June, Aespa’s “Next Level” appeared in the runner-up rung, and this time around it doesn’t budge an inch.
The highest-ranking debut of the month comes from BTS, who see their single “Permission to Dance” open at No. 3 with what must be a very healthy sales sum. The tune was included on the band's Butter single album, and the only other track on that short set, the title cut, falls from No. 1 to No. 5.
In between BTS’s hit singles comes Lee Moo-jin’s “Traffic Light” at No. 4. Amazingly, that song improves by 50 spaces, entering not just the top 10 but the upper half of the ranking for the first time.
Heize’s “Happen” slips several spots and finds a home at No. 7, though it does manage another month inside the top 10, which only further highlights how huge the tune is in South Korea.
Brave Girls’ comeback single (of sorts) “Chi Mat Ba Ram” appears at No. 8, improving by as many spaces from where it ranked on the June list of the best-performing songs in the Asian nation.
Taeyeon’s “Weekend” joins BTS’s “Permission to Dance” as the only debuts inside the top 10, as both tracks were released at some point in July, but still managed to rack up enough streams and sales to rank as one of the most-consumed tracks in the country.
Down half a dozen spaces, but still inside the top 10, is Oh My Girl’s “Dun Dun Dance,” which settles in at No. 10 this month.
These were the 10 biggest songs in South Korea last month.
No. 1 - MSG Wannabe - “Foolish Love”
No. 2 - Aespa - “Next Level”
No. 3 - BTS - “Permission to Dance”
No. 4 - Lee Moo-jin - “Traffic Light”
No. 5 - BTS - “Butter”
No. 6 - MSG Wannabe - “Only You”
No. 7 - Heize - “Happen”
No. 8 - Brave Girls - “Chi Mat Ba Ram”
No. 9 - Taeyeon - “Weekend”
No. 10 - Oh My Girl - “Dun Dun Dance”
