A deputy editor at Billboard is being criticized after making a controversial statement that discredits BTS and their weeks at No.1 on Hot 100, stating that their position is reliant on sales alone.
Recently, Billboard released an article that features five senior staff discussing Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow's recent release, "Industry Baby," which made its debut at No. 2 on their weekly ranking of popular songs, Hot 100.
Keep on reading to know more.
Billboard's Deputy Editor Andrew Unterberger Criticized for Controversial Statement on BTS' Hot 100 No.1
What caught the attention of fans is a statement made by Billboard's deputy editor, Andrew Unterberger, when they were discussing "Industry Baby" being Lil Nas X's debut on the chart this year.
On the No. 2 debut of "Industry Baby," Andrew Unterberger mentioned K-Pop superstars BTS, who is currently sitting at No.1 on Hot 100 for nine non-consecutive weeks with their song "Butter," and 10 overall weeks in a row with their recent release "Permission to Dance."
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BTS' No.1 position on Hot 100 overtook Olivia Rodrigo's record for "Driver's License," who recorded eight weeks at No. 1, becoming the longest-running No.1 song in 2021. This also marks the first time an Asian act has achieved this feat.
However, Andrew Unterberger's statement seems to discredit BTS' historical achievement, implying that their Hot 100 No.1 is reliant on their sales alone, and that the No. 2 position on the chart is "basically the No. 1."
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"As long as BTS is going to sell as many copies as they need to stay on top each week, No. 2 debuts are basically the new No. 1 debuts," said Andrew Unterberger.
Andrew Unterberger is not only a deputy editor at Billboard, but his works are also featured on GQ, iHeartRadio, The Hollywood Reporter, MSN Canada, and more. His statement may reflect Billboard's current position on the value of BTS' No.1 on Hot 100 with "Butter."
His statement also pointed out that fans of BTS - collectively known as ARMY - will continue to consume strong digital sales to keep the seven-member group at the top unless a new release will be strong enough to take the position.
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Although Lil Nas X's "Industry Baby" accumulated 40.6 million streams and 10,900 digital sales in the week of August 7, as compared to BTS' "Butter" only having 8.1 million streams and 112,900 digital sales, a big percentage to calculate the positions on the Hot 100 chart is from sales.
Fans have criticized the Billboard deputy editor for his remarks, stating that he is racist and ignorant, and only credits the success of Western artists. Some have also stated that Western music charts believe selling and streaming music is "inorganic," and that payola, advertisements, and incentives are "organic."
What are your thoughts on Andrew Unterberger's statement?
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Written by Robyn Joan
