On Saturday, Mar. 6, Billboard tweeted their "Greatest Pop Star" list from 1999 to 2020. To people's surprise, BTS snagged the 2020 title, officially becoming Billboard's "Greatest Pop Star of 2020"!
Keep on reading to learn more.
BTS is Billboard's "Greatest Pop Star of 2020"
The South Korean boy group BTS is officially Billboard's "Greatest Pop Star of 2020," joining the list of legendary singers who have won the crown in the past. Past artists who were granted the title include Ariana Grande, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Adele. Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lil Wayne, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Usher, Eminem, and Jeniffer Lopez.
BTS is the first boy group to snag the title since NSYNC in 2000. Overall, they are the seventh group/duo to be named Billboard's "Greatest Pop Star," effectively joining the ranks of Bon Jovi, Nirvana, Boyz II Men, TLC, Backstreet Boys, and, as previously mentioned, NSYNC.
BTS is also the only Asian act to have ever made the list.
The Reason BTS was Named Billboard's "Greatest Pop Star of 2020"
Billboard applauded BTS as the group that has spearheaded K-pop's breakthrough into the Western market and praised them for all of their achievements. At the start of 2020, BTS dropped their fourth studio album, "Map of the Soul: 7," with the title track "ON." The album is BTS's fourth number-one on the Billboard 200 and was praised by critics for the boy group's musical diversity and maturity in terms of songwriting. Despite the success of "Map of the Soul: 7," BTS remained off the United States radio airwaves.
That didn't stop BTS from trying, though. Not only did they release a remix of "ON" featuring Western pop star Sia, but they also embarked on numerous late-night TV appearances. "ON" became BTS's first song to enter the top 5 of the Billboard Hot 100 charts, debuting at number 4.
By the time the lockdown came in (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), fans were worried they wouldn't see much of BTS in 2020. That proved to be an unnecessary worry. Not only did BTS dominate the virtual space with their online concert "Bang Bang Con," which drew in $19 million, and with their commencement speech at YouTube's "Dear Class of 2020," the boys were also active in acts of charity. They donated to the Black Lives Matter movement and to Crew Nation.
August rolled around, and BTS dropped their first-ever English single, "Dynamite." The song became the group's official breakthrough into the United States, debuting at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and making its way to radio stations and TikTok trends. "Dynamite" earned BTS their first-ever Grammy nomination, scoring a nomination for "Best Pop Duo/Group Performance," making BTS the first-ever K-pop group to be nominated for a Grammy.
BTS saw their second number-one hit single with their remix of Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo's "Savage Love," released in October. In Nov., BTS dropped their fifth studio album, "BE," with the melancholic title track "Life Goes On." Both the album and the song debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 charts, respectively. "Life Goes On" is the first primarily Korean song to hit number one on the charts, making it the highest-charting Korean song. The group beat PSY's record of peaking at number 2 with "Gangnam Style" in 2012.
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With each release, BTS made it harder for the public to ignore the group's stardom and K-pop in general. With BTS, K-pop is finally being recognized as a worldwide genre.
Congratulations, BTS!
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Written by Alexa Lewis
