Music
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Billboard‘s International Power Players list recognizes leaders who are driving the success of the music business in countries outside the United States. Among the leaders selected from various countries in the music industry, Amazon Music’s Keisuke Oishi was chosen for the first time in 2024. To commemorate this, Billboard Japan interviewed Oishi about his focus since being appointed to his current position in January 2023.
First off, could you tell us a little about your career?
Keisuke Oishi: The two key words in my career have been “IT” and “media.” Through the synergy of these two areas, I’ve been taking on the challenges of providing various innovations to customers.
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I joined Sony Corporation after graduating from university. At Sony, I worked in areas like supply chain management, finance, business administration, and business strategy for the PC/IT businesses. Then in 2014, I moved to Amazon, where I’ve been involved in the media business ever since. At Amazon, first I was responsible for the launching of digital video games in the retail division. In 2017, I was appointed head of the software business unit on top of video games. And two years later, I went on to be concurrently responsible for the packaged music business unit, so I’ve been involved in music since around 2019. Then, in January 2023, I was appointed Director and General Manager of Amazon Music Japan.
So you haven’t been in the music industry for your whole career.
Oishi: That’s right. But music has always been a very important part of my life, so it was a role I wanted to challenge one day. Amazon, on the other hand, is a company that places importance on what innovations can be made using technology while always keeping the customer first. That approach was the same before I got involved in music, and it remains the same today.
What have you been working on since January 2023?
Oishi: In my current position, I have three key tasks that I hope to contribute to the music industry, the artists, and our customers. The first is to expand the base of music listeners in Japan, and the second is to help customers enjoy music in new ways. Streaming services are for listening to music, but Amazon Music and Amazon have many points of contact that connect customers and artists. The third, and I think this is a challenge the entire Japanese music industry is facing, is to provide support for Japanese and other Asian artists as they expand their reach around the world.
There are various types of Amazon Music memberships, and you’ve made multiple improvements for those.
Oishi: We are always focused on creating the best experience for all Amazon Music customers. The level of streaming music penetration is still very low in Japan compared to the US and EU countries. But, looking at it another way that means it still has a lot of potential. According to LUMINATE’s data, music streaming has the highest levels of usage among Gen Z and Millennials. That means there’s room for growth among older generations. This is a challenge that the entire industry is facing. These are people who were once really into music, but due to work and lifestyle changes, they’ve disengaged. That’s true for my own generation, so I’ve been thinking about how we can make music a part of these people’s lives again. Our services aren’t limited to music streaming, but also CD and DVD purchasing and video streaming. We have a lot of different touch points like those, so we’re in an ideal position to deal with the challenge.
Secondly, I want to help customers enjoy music in new ways. Amazon is a collection of many different services, and since last year, we’ve been actively working to support artists when they come out with new releases. For instance, when a physical release is decided on, we set up a special sub-site and bolster our promotional efforts. When the interest of listeners shifts to streaming, we reinforce our promotion and marketing efforts in ways that are only possible with digital technology, like creating playlists that include interviews. We use that approach for roughly two or three months, building up connections between artists and customers. That’s something I think we’re uniquely positioned to do. This is one of the areas we’ve really enhanced over the past year.
Japan is one of the countries where both streaming and physical sales are growing, so it’s a great fit for Amazon.
Oishi: Exactly. Another example of that are our promotional campaigns which visualize the support fans provide to artists as they listen and share music and follow artists using our app. Users collect stamps using a stamp card-like feature, and when they collect all stamps, they can receive rewards. This feature was designed and developed by a team in Japan, but now it’s also being applied in other countries, in a few different ways.
And the live streaming of Fuji Rock Festival ’24, in July, was a combination of all three of the tasks I mentioned earlier.
It was streamed on Prime Video and Twitch, which generated a lot of buzz.
Oishi: I think the best way to enjoy a music festival is in person. However, there are a lot of people who can’t go, for one reason or another. I’d imagine there are also people who went in the past but can’t go now. To reach out to people like that, we streamed Fuji Rock Festival ’24 live on Prime Video and Twitch.
In addition to the live streaming of the event, we also created all kinds of touch points with customers, using every kind of approach—offline, online, digital, physical. For example, we ran an advertising campaign using Amazon Lockers and we sold original t-shirts. We tried to connect customers to music and artists through the Fuji Rock Festival in all kinds of ways.
Also, this year, we streamed Fuji Rock Festival ’24 worldwide. Every day, we think about how we can share wonderful Japanese artists with the rest of the world. One way we came up with for doing that is to stream the festival live, so that it could be viewed by music fans around the globe.
In addition to Japanese attendees, there were many people from other Asian countries at Fuji Rock. Which countries were people streaming it from?
Oishi: People viewed it in the US, Europe, and Latin America. Amazon Music has been streaming music festivals around the world, like Vive Latino in Mexico and Primavera Sound in Spain. Of those, Fuji Rock Festival ’24, which was live streamed on Prime Video and Twitch, was the most watched three-day music festival ever streamed live by Amazon Music.
That’s wonderful to hear. Are there plans to stream any other Japanese festivals?
Oishi: We also live streamed DEAD POP FESTiVAL 2024, YON FES, and Kyoto Daisakusen in August.
Last year, we enhanced our support for artist-led festivals and began streaming watch party-like events where viewers watch shows along with artists from Amazon Music Studio in Tokyo. Twitch supports comment sharing functionality, so artists can communicate and interact with fans. It’s very exciting. I believe that, over time, these connections between artists and fans will foster greater awareness of Amazon Music.
Speaking of sharing Japanese music with the rest of the world, Billboard Japan launched the “Global Japan Songs Excl. Japan” chart, which ranks Japanese songs being listened to worldwide excluding Japan. Being able to visualize what music is listened to is, I think, extremely important for Japanese artists making inroads overseas.
Oishi: I think the hit charts are really important for exposing people to new music. When I was a kid, I grew up checking the U.S. Billboard charts. I’d watch Billboard TOP40 on TV, and I even sent in postcards when I was little (laughs). When I was in junior high, I memorized around twenty years of annual charts. I’ve forgotten a lot since then, but I was a Billboard superfan, and Billboard charts were my window into foreign music. Now, overseas audiences may be discovering Japanese music through the charts, or through on-demand streaming, or through live streaming. I’m confident that if all of us in the music industry create these opportunities, we can provide greater opportunities for people to discover Japanese music.
—This interview by Seiji Isozaki and Naoko Takashima first appeared on Billboard Japan
Zach Bryan has released the new video for his song “Oak Island” (from his recent album The Great American Bar Scene), and the clip stars Academy Award-winning actor Casey Affleck and actor Jack Martin. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Of course, this isn’t the first of […]
On the second day of September, Charli XCX tweeted, “goodbye forever brat summer” — but it looks like she’s still got one last remix featuring Troye Sivan in the tank.
After keeping fans suspended in anticipation for weeks, the British alt-pop star finally shared a snippet of a “Talk Talk” remix with her Sweat Tour mate. In a video posted to X Monday (Sept. 9), the two stars dance around in a backstage area while lip-syncing along to the reimagined song, with Charli passing the camera off to Sivan when it comes time for his verse.
“OK, here’s the plan, I wanna fly you out to Amsterdam,” he sing-raps before detailing how he wants to get down and dirty with his love interest.
Based on the snippet, it seems as though Sivan’s verse picks up right where the original “Talk Talk” leaves off, with the “Rush” singer coming in right after Charli’s outro, where the song usually ends. Dua Lipa is also expected to appear on the track, although her voice isn’t audible in the new snippet; a few days after Charli reportedly shared a voice note from the “Levitating” artist on her private Brat Instagram account, Sivan’s “Rush” producers Zhone and Styalz Fuego said that they worked on the remix and tagged Dua on their Stories.
“Remember how I told you we were so back?” Fuego wrote, reposting Charli and Sivan’s snippet.
The original version of “Talk Talk” appears on Brat, which the singer dropped in June to critical acclaim. The project later peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, Charli’s highest peak on the chart to date.
The musician has spent the summer boosting the album with a series of remixes, with the “Talk Talk” revamp following Brat collaborations with Addison Rae, Robyn, Yung Lean, Lorde and Billie Eilish. Teaming up with Sivan was only natural given their plans to embark on a joint tour this year, something the duo spoke about in a recent interview with i-D.
“Our shows at the moment are very different from each other and both speak to different elements of pop,” Sivan told the publication. “I think that the collision of it is going to be cool.”
Listen to a snippet of the “Talk Talk” remix below.
Brothers Osborne‘s T.J. and John Osborne are set to lend their musical talents to one of Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris’s upcoming presidential campaign rallies, set for Thursday (Sept. 12) in Greensboro, N.C.
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The news was first reported by Rolling Stone, with Brothers Osborne’s T.J. Osborne telling the outlet, “We’ve been hearing ‘shut up and sing’ for years, so we’re taking that great sage advice and are lending our singing voices in support of Kamala Harris this Thursday in Greensboro, North Carolina.”
In 2018, the duo performed during a Democratic fundraiser for then-Tennessee gubernatorial hopeful Karl Dean. Last year, they performed during President Joe Biden’s Fourth of July concert at the White House.
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The duo has consistently incorporated their social views into their music — after T.J. Osborne came out as gay in 2021, the duo released the song “Younger Me,” which finds Osborne giving advice to younger generations of people who struggle with being accepted. Their video for “Stay a Little Longer,” released in 2015, features a range of couples, including gay couples, black couples and older couples. The 2017 video for the duo’s song “It Ain’t My Fault” featured robbers wearing masks of four U.S. Presidents –George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and Donald Trump (while others get away, the robber in the Trump mask is stopped when he is trapped against a wall).
Harris will face off against former president Trump tonight (Sept. 10) in their first Presidential debate, which will broadcast live on ABC at 9 p.m. ET. The debate, held at Philadelphia’s National Center, will be moderated by ABC News anchor David Muir and ABC News Prime anchor Lindsey Davis.
Other country artists have expressed their support for the presidential candidates in recent weeks, with The Chicks, Jason Isbell, Mickey Guyton and Maren Morris taking part in the Democratic National Convention. Meanwhile, Jason Aldean, Lee Greenwood, Chris Janson, Brian Kelley and Kid Rock were seen at the Republican National Convention.
When Beyoncé was not among the artists nominated for a CMA Award on Monday (Sept. 9), despite being the first Black woman to top Billboard’s Top Country Albums with Cowboy Carter and Hot Country Songs chart with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” it immediately raised questions about country music’s ongoing troubled relationship with Black artists, the CMA Awards’ nominating process and whether or not Beyoncé’s team had even submitted her music, given her complicated history with the country community and the CMA Awards.
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Let’s answer the last question first: It turns out they didn’t need to submit.
Unlike many other awards shows, labels, artists and their teams do not submit entries for the CMA Awards. Instead, the roughly 6,600 voting members each receive a write-in ballot to list their choices. Each member can make one nomination per award category. Therefore, Beyoncé’s label or team did not need to submit her to be eligible. The exception is the single of the year category, which is a pre-populated drop-down list of all qualifying top 10 singles from the country charts noted in the criteria. The write-in ballots are tabulated and the top 20 vote recipients in each category end up on the second ballot, with the exception of entertainer of the year, which consists of the Top 15 vote recipients.
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Additionally, all second-ballot candidates are reviewed by CMA, record label representatives, and the CMA Awards & Recognition committee to ensure that all they meet the criteria for each award. The award criteria is based on release dates, chart activity, and consumption peaks that occurred during the eligibility period (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). The second ballot is sent to the CMA voters, and each member can vote for up to 5 candidates in each category. CMA does not reveal the write-in ballot nominations or confirm whether any specific artist or work appeared on the second ballot.
Though Billboard has not yet viewed a full second-round ballot, Billboard viewed a screen shot for the second ballot for song of the year that does not include “Texas Hold ‘Em.”
Beyoncé’s exclusion “doesn’t surprise me,” says one Nashville executive, who wished to remain anonymous. “There was really only one single from the album that did anything. She really didn’t embrace the genre, unlike what Post Malone has done with his album.” “Texas Hold ‘Em” peaked at No. 33 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.
Post Malone received four nominations for “I Had Some Help,” his duet with Morgan Wallen, that was a four-week No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart and is featured on his Top 200 and Top Country Albums chart-topping album, F-1 Trillion. Post Malone infiltrated the local music scene, spending months in Nashville working with top songwriters, recording the album in Nashville and popping up at many venues to play live.
However, another Nashville executive, who also asked to remain anonymous, said they were “shocked” that Beyoncé’s work received no nominations, “given the credit to new Black creators and Linda Martell.” Cowboy Carter, in addition to Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, featured Martell, the first Black woman to play the Grand Ole Opry in 1969, and a number of rising Black artists, including Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Reyna Reynolds, Tiera Kennedy, Willie Jones and Shaboozey.
Shaboozey, who received two nominations for new artist of the year and single of the year for “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” took to Instagram and X to express his thanks for being nominated, but also thanked Beyoncé, posting “Thank you @Beyonce for opening a door for us, starting a conversation, and giving us one of the most innovative country albums of all time!”
Country artist Rissi Palmer, who also hosts Apple Music’s “Color Me Country” radio show, said what many others expressed on social media when she posted on X, “Well… these noms set a really interesting precedent. The message is extremely loud.” She later posted, “I think that a larger conversation should be had about the fact that no other Black woman or woman of color could even qualify for certain CMA awards, and why that is.” The single of the year category is the only category that requires reaching a certain chart position in order to be eligible. Earlier this year, the CMA Awards eliminated the requirement for song of the year.
In June, three months after the March 29 release of Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé provided a lengthy statement to The Hollywood Reporter about the project and its reception. “When you are breaking down barriers, not everyone is ready and open for a shift. But when I see Shaboozey tearing the charts up and all the beautiful female country singers flying to new heights, inspiring the world, that is exactly what motivates me,” she said. ““I’m honored to introduce so many people to the roots of so many genres. I’m so thrilled that my fans trusted me. The music industry gatekeepers are not happy about the idea of bending genres, especially coming from a Black artist and definitely not a woman.”
In 2016, Beyoncé’s performance of “Daddy Issues” at the CMA Awards with The Chicks (then still the Dixie Chicks), a number of commenters on social media supported the appearance, while others made unwelcoming comments.
In March, shortly before Cowboy Carter’s release, Beyoncé posted on Instagram that the album was “born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed… and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she said, although she did not specifically cite the CMA Awards appearance. “But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive.”
Beyoncé’s representative did not respond to a request for comment and the CMA declined to comment.
Mexican singer-songwriter Codiciado has postponed six of the 14 dates initially announced for his Ando Enfocado U.S. tour, reducing it to eight for the time being, Live Nation confirmed to Billboard Español.
The tour is still scheduled to kick off on September 27 at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York. However, performances in Charlotte, N.C. (Oct. 3), Miami (Oct. 4), Atlanta (Oct. 6), and the Texas cities of San Antonio (Oct. 11), Hidalgo (Oct. 12) and El Paso (Oct. 18) have been suspended.
Representatives from Live Nation expressed their ongoing commitment to the artist via email, describing Codiciado as “a great partner and a super-talented artist.” Live Nation added, “We are still in the planning stages for 2025, so we do not have anything about the tour that we can share yet.”
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The Tijuana-born artist returns to the U.S. stage after more than five years, a hiatus due to visa issues. The Ando Enfocado U.S. tour kicked off with five dates, the first of which took place on April 26 at the Hard Rock Live in Sacramento, California, where he broke attendance records for the venue, according to a press release.
Recently, Codiciado (real name Erick de Jesus Aragon Alcantar) was honored with a special proclamation by Mayor John McCann of Chula Vista, Calif. The award, presented at City Hall last Wednesday (Sept. 4), recognized his “outstanding career and invaluable artistic contributions to the San Diego community and beyond,” said a press release.
Codiciado and Mayor John McCann
Pedro Torres
The musician, who was Billboard‘s Latin Artist on the Rise in June, continues to make waves on stage. Last weekend, he performed at the Arre Festival in Mexico City, and next weekend he is poised to appear at Rumbazo 2024, the two-day Mexican Independence Day weekend fiesta taking place Sept. 13-14 in Las Vegas, where he will be one of the main artists on the bill.
See below for the updated schedule of the second leg of his Ando Enfocado U.S. tour:
Sept. 27 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ BK ParamountSept. 29 – Rosemont, Ill. @ Rosemont TheatreOct. 10 – Irving, Texas @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory Oct. 13 – Houston, Texas @ 713 Music Hall Oct. 20 – Palm Desert, Calif. @ Acrisure Arena Oct. 24 – San José, Calif. @ San Jose CivicOct. 25 – Inglewood, Calif. @ YouTube Theater Oct. 26 – Reno, Nev. @ Grand Sierra Resort*
*Not A Live Nation Date
After opening shows for Kenny Chesney this summer, Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records artist Megan Moroney has revealed that 2025 will see her spearheading her upcoming Am I Okay? Tour, which will launch March 20 in Montreal.
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The 25-show tour, which will run throughout the spring and summer, will go through August. The tour will visit cities including Boston, Houston, Toronto and Washington, D.C., as well as two shows in her homebase of Nashville. Notably, the tour will highlight Moroney’s debut performance at New York City’s historic Radio City Music Hall on March 26.
In an Instagram post announcing the tour, Moroney told fans, “I’m so excited to announce the AM I OKAY? TOUR!!! 💙 i get to play some of my bucket list venues & it’s going to be a very ✨blue✨ very magical year on the road. i’m already counting down the days until i get to see your faces & all of your ‘homemade tshirts & homemade signs’ :,) i know i’ve said it a lot but thank you for making all of my dreams come true – just over the mooooooon that i get to do this.”
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The setlist for the tour is certain to include tracks from Moroney’s latest album, Am I Okay?, which includes songs such as “No Caller ID,” “Man on the Moon,” “Indifferent” and “Heaven by Noon.” Leading up to the Am I Okay Tour?, Moroney is currently on her 15-show Georgia Girl Tour in the U.K. and Europe.
Additionally, Moroney earned multiple nominations at the 58th annual CMA Awards, including female vocalist of the year, new artist of the year and music video of the year (for her video for “I’m Not Pretty”). The 58th annual CMA Awards are slated for Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and will air on ABC.
General tickets for Moroney’s Am I Okay? Tour go on sale Friday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. local time on her website.
See the full dates for Moroney’s Am I Okay? Tour below:
Billboard launched its Bluegrass Albums chart in 2002, and for the past several years, Old Crow Medicine Show has held the record for the most No. 1 albums in the chart’s history. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news This week (on the Sept. 14-dated chart), the Steep […]
With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to a close, Billboard is spending the next few months counting down our staff picks for the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years. We’ve already named our Honorable Mentions and our No. 25, No. 24, No. 23, No. 22, No. 21 and No. 20 stars, and now we remember the century in BTS — the septet that took K-pop to new global heights, and set the standard for high-level hitmaking and fan devotion over the past decade of pop music.
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When you think of what it takes for a group to become pop stars, imagine having seven individual talents who can each do it all well: sing, rap, dance, and amass a love and fandom that even some of the biggest pop stars could only dream of. That’s what you have with BTS, who crashed through every door of what it takes to be a successful pop act and expanded that with a scope never quite seen before. The group has broken through ceilings for boy bands, K-pop and South Korean artists in general, all while creating a meaningful community that is continually inspired by BTS’ message of positivity, love and connection.
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The global senesations have amassed Beatles-sized success and have become the new blueprint for everything pop: When it comes to maintaining fan hysteria and consistent hitmaking, they are it. In the U.S. alone, the K-pop septet has notched six Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits and six Billboard 200 No. 1 albums. And as solo artists over the past few years, they’ve all individually created their own lane, and grabbed historic accolades of their own along the way.
BTS
Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
BTS
Steve Granitz/WireImage
It all started in 2013, when BTS (short for the Korean phrase Bangtan Sonyeondan, which translates to “Bulletproof Boy Scouts”) was created by Big Hit Entertainment. The group, comprised of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook, released the debut EP 2 Cool 4 Skool in June 2013.
In Korea, BTS was not instantly welcomed. In the band’s biography Beyond the Story, the members speak on the highly competitive genre, and being shunned by peers in the industry, and even by some fans of K-pop. But through the style of vlogging, BTS was able to great a more unique relationship with their fans. Want to hang out and cook along with BTS? You could. That was something that was far from the extremely polished K-pop norms.
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Though BTS was not the first K-pop group to find huge success at home and abroad — and won’t be the last — throughout the group’s journey to global superstardom, there were numerous things that made it special.
The massive fan group ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth) has been with the septet every step of the way. In the 2021 hit “Butter,” the group’s leader RM confidently says, “got ARMY right behind us when we say so.” BTS has over 75 million followers on Instagram and over 48 million followers on X (formerly Twitter). It has grown the group past what people normally see in boy band fandoms: ARMY boosts a diverse community of all ages, races, religions and beyond.
BTS
Cindy Ord/WireImage
One of the top qualities that makes BTS stand out as pop stars is the members’ ability to bend and blend genres. This is largely due to the group being comprised of different members cast in different roles — K-pop groups will often split different members into a rap line, vocal line, and dance line — giving everybody the ability to shine. They all have their own styles and voices, yet they all blend well together. This individual uniqueness has even led fans to celebrate their “bias” as they connect with their favorite member of the OT7 (One True 7).
Being trained in the K-pop methodology prepared all seven to be strong in all areas of performance. To get to know them as great singers, take note of V’s chilling vocals on “Spring Day,” Jimin’s sweet sensuality on “Serendipity,” Jin’s flawless belting on “Let Go,” or Jung Kook’s effortless falsetto on “Euphoria”. The group’s earliest music was also heavily influenced by hip-hop — and members Suga, RM, and J-Hope’s inspiration from the American hip-hop scene and the underground culture in Korea heavily shaped BTS’ sound. By 2018, Nicki Minaj was even joining the group for an iconic verse on the Love Yourself: Answer single “IDOL”.
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Of course, you can’t be a great pop star without top-notch visuals. From music videos to merchandise, everything BTS is produced to the highest quality. Take for example their song “ON”: The music video alone is a spectacle of massive dance numbers and sprawling sets. The group took that same performance to The Tonight Show in Grand Central Station and inside a stadium for the 2020 MAMA Awards. Everything BTS does is BIG. (And yes, all the BTS members are good looking: Jin is famously nicknamed by their fans as Worldwide Handsome.)
The group’s dance ability is also next-level. Choreography isn’t new to boy bands, as pop groups from the Jackson 5 to *NSYNC made it a key performance element. But look no further than BTS’ performance of “Black Swan” at the 2020 Melon Music Awards and you know what we are seeing is different here: Often members show off not just hip-hop dance skills, but aerial, ballet, and interpretive dancing. A quick dive into fan edits online and you will surely find several videos comparing the members to Michael Jackson and other greats.
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It was these performances, and a new lean into a more pop-friendly sound, that really introduced them to a mainstream American audience in the late ‘10s. They brought “Fake Love” to the Billboard Music Awards in 2018, one of their first major US awards show performances, with huge (and clearly audible) ARMY support in the crowd. “Boy With Luv” featuring Halsey, released the next year off Map of the Soul: Persona, was another catchy banger and became one of their biggest hits at the time, reaching the Hot 100’s top 10. They performed that track at the BBMAs in 2019, also receiving a rapturous reception.
Though there was no denying BTS’ massive success as the septet sold out stadiums across the world by 2019, there really was no preparation for what happened with “Dynamite” in 2020. The group’s first single released in all English can only be described as pop perfection. From the sticky-sweet lyrics to the colorfully choreographed music video, the song catapulted the already massively popular group to new levels of crossover American success. The song became BTS’ first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — and the first song ever by an all-South Korean musical act to reach that spot, with only Psy’s “Gangnam Style” (No. 2) getting close previously.
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BTS followed that up with even more chart-toppers, several while linking up with English-language pop acts– lending an assist to Jason Derulo for “Savage Love” and getting recruited by Coldplay for “My Universe,” which became another No. 1 for both groups. BTS even had a No. 1 co-written by Ed Sheeran – with a personal favorite, “Permission to Dance.” Which isn’t to say the septet actually needed help from any other hitmakers, though – as “Butter,” the delectable 10-week No. 1 that stands as the group’s longest-reigning Hot 100-topper to date, clearly demonstrated in summer 2021.
Songs like “Dynamite,” “Butter” and “My Universe” have been able to secure BTS five Grammy nominations. They were also invited to the stage at both the 2021 and 2022 Grammys, with highly anticipated performances that brought the awards some of their buzziest and best-received moments.
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The seven members have continued that success as solo artists while BTS has paused most group activity as its members participate in their mandatory South Korean military service. (Jin was the first member to enlist, doing so in Dec. 2022, and this June, also became the first to be discharged.) In 2022 J-Hope became the first South Korean artist to headline the main stage at a major U.S. music festival when he headlined Lollapalooza. In 2023 Suga took his solo show worldwide as he completed the Agust D Tour in support of his debut studio album D-Day. Jimin made history with the release of his first solo album, FACE, as the single “Like Crazy” became the first song by a Korean solo artist to top the Billboard Hot 100. Jung Kook performed at the World Cup and notched his own Hot 100 No. 1, with “Seven” featuring Latto. V, Jin and RM have also all released successful solo music.
Meanwhile, even as they’ve become global pop crossover stars, the BTS members have continued to stay true to their hip-hop roots – as seen as recently as RM’s new feature on Megan Thee Stallion’s “Never Play” this September. He’s also worked with Erykah Badu, Wale and Anderson .Paak, while in 2023, J-Hope teamed up with a rap icon in J. Cole for the single “On the Street.”
Jung Kook and Jimin
Courtesy of BIGHIT MUSIC
No K-pop group — or group in general — has been able to accomplish what Bangtan has this century. From creating a global community to expanding K-pop well outside of its genre and delivering seven successful pop star solo acts, BTS truly paved the way.
Read more about the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century here — and be sure to check back on Thursday when our No. 18 artist is revealed!
Up until this week, only five albums in the 68-year history of the Billboard 200 had spent 700 weeks or more on the chart. This week (on the chart dated Sept. 14), Eminem’s 2005 best-of compilation, Curtain Call: The Hits, joins the ranks as the sixth album to reach the milestone – and the first hip-hop set.
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Curtain Call: The Hits ranks at No. 198 with 8,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States Aug. 30-Sept. 5, according to Luminate.
Dating to when the chart became a regularly published weekly list in 1956, only five other albums have reached the 700-week milestone. Here’s a look at those five, along with the albums next in line:
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990 weeks, Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon
851, Bob Marley, Legend: The Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers
821, Journey, Journey’s Greatest Hits
758, Metallica, Metallica
710, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chronicle: The 20 Greatest Hits
692, Guns N’ Roses, Greatest Hits
692, Bruno Mars, Doo-Wops & Hooligans
686, Nirvana, Nevermind
642, Michael Jackson, Thriller
622, AC/DC, Back In Black
619, Kendrick Lamar, good kid, m.A.A.d city
611, Queen, Greatest Hits
610, Adele, 21
601, Drake, Take Care
(All except for Dark Side of the Moon are still charting this week)
Curtain Call: The Hits is Eminem’s first greatest hits album and includes songs from four of his first five studio albums: The Slim Shady LP (1999), The Marshall Mathers LP (2000), The Eminem Show (2002), the 8 Mile soundtrack (2002) and Encore (2004). (The set doesn’t include any songs from his 1996 debut album Infinite, which he released before he signed to Interscope Records.)
After The Slim Shady LP peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 1999, The Marshall Mathers LP debuted at No. 1 and became his first of 11 leaders, including his most recent project, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), in July. That run includes Curtain Call, which spent two weeks on top.
How come Curtain Call spent more weeks on the chart than any of Eminem’s classic studio projects? That’s due to a Billboard 200 chart rule that came into effect in 2009. In December of that year, Billboard allowed catalog albums back on the chart (after barring them since 1991).
When streaming began to impact the chart in 2014, Billboard instituted rules about where songs that appear on multiple albums should be assigned (say, a song that appears on both a studio album and a greatest hits album). Since then, songs are assigned to whichever album by that artist sells the most (by traditional album sales) in a given week. So, Curtain Call has been able to spend an historic amount of weeks on the chart because, A) catalog albums are now allowed to chart each week, and B) the album includes many of Eminem’s big early hits (“Lose Yourself,” “My Name Is,” “Without Me,” “Stan,” etc.) which, as a collection, are counting more towards this album week-to-week than to the original studio albums on which they appear.