As was predicted, BTS debuts their new full-length Map of the Soul: 7 at No. 1 in the U.K. this week, earning their second chart champion in the process. The set outperformed every other title in the country, and it likely did so by a very healthy margin. While it may have been a huge success on the albums ranking, the album didn’t produce a massive smash…though that doesn’t mean the group didn’t make history with their latest.
BTS’s new single “On” debuts on the U.K. songs ranking at No. 21 this week, and while that might not seem like a particularly lofty placement for a superstar act, it does tie the record as the fifth-highest-charting Korean-language song in U.K. history.
Leading the way among all Korean-language releases is Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” which broke barriers and opened the eyes and ears of millions in the early part of the last decade. The international viral sensation remains the only K-pop tune to rule the singles ranking in the U.K., as it went straight to No. 1 back in 2012.
There are only two other Korean tracks that have broken into the top 10 in the United Kingdom, and one comes from the same man who once controlled the list. Another inescapably viral smash, the always-stuck-in-your-head kids cut “Baby Shark” rose as high as No. 6, making it the second-highest-charting Korean-language tune. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” follow-up “Gentleman” peaked at No. 10 when it was released, making it one of three Korean songs to enter the top 10. Psy is still the only musician from the country to push a pair of tracks into the highest tier in the U.K.
BTS’s highest-charting single remains “Boy with Luv,” which features American pop singer Halsey. That tune stalled just shy of the uppermost arena, peaking at No. 13 in mid-2019. The Korean septet may not have beated their own record this time around, but they do match their second-highest placement. Previous single “Idol” once stepped up as high as No. 21, and now “On” has matched that position.
“On” probably won’t continue to climb on the charts in the coming weeks, though it’s not impossible. Most songs from the Korean band start fairly high and drift down, as they don’t receive continued support from major media outlets and radio programmers, which can typically help keep a track going strong when it comes to sales and streams. The new top 40 hit from BTS will likely spend the next several frames falling on the ranking, having already made history.
