Highlights
- BTS continued their Billboard dominance as SWIM held the No. 1 position on the Billboard Excl. US chart, for a sixth consecutive week.
- Blackpink’s Jennie also sustained her chart momentum with Dracula remaining strong across multiple Billboard rankings, including the Hot 100.
- Rookie act CORTIS also made a breakthrough with GREENGREEN debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200, while also ranking at No. 5 on Artist 100.
The global music landscape remains a battlefield where endurance and explosive debuts meet. With BTS and Blackpink’s Jennie maintaining their iron grip on Billboard charts, newcomers like CORTIS too have made a high-stakes entry as they climb towards the top. As per the latest Billboard chart data compiled by Luminate, this week’s narrative tells the story of K-pop’s utter dominance in the US market, which is resulting in a strategic new surge of the genre and its artists.
BTS’ ARIRANG and lead single SWIM continue their Billboard chart run in this week's rankings (dated May 23). [Image credit: Billboard.]
BTS Extends Their Global Chart Reign
BTS continues to set the milestone for global pop, as their lead song SWIM, from their fifth studio album ARIRANG. The song notably marked its sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart, driven by 46.9 million streams and 3,000-unit sales in markets outside the US. The track also maintains a strong position at No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200, while the album itself proves its commercial gravity by holding steady at No. 8 on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Blackpink Jennie’s Dracula Keeps Billboard Grip
Alongside BTS’ success, Blackpink member Jennie’s collaborative project with Tame Impala, Dracula, has also proven itself to be a musical juggernaut. The song has replicated its No. 10 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Notably, the Billboard Hot 100 blends US streaming, radio airplay, and sales data while excluding direct-to-consumer digital singles.
Dracula has also maintained its 19-week run at No.1 on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, while remaining atop the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs list for the third week. In the Global 200 tally, the song has peaked at No. 4, closing the gap between mainstream and alternative pop.
CORTIS Scores Breakout Billboard Surge
The most notable disruption this week, however, comes from CORTIS, who earned their first top 10 achievement on Billboard with their EP GREENGREEN. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart, surpassing BTS, which held the eighth spot.
CORTIS’ arrival was powered by 87,000 equivalent album units, heavily weighted by 81,500 pure sales, making it the group's strongest performance to date. The group has also ranked at No. 5 on the Artist 100 chart. A closer look at this particular tally, alongside the Top Album Sales chart, reveals a calculated physical strategy. Notably, this strategy involves 20 variants across CD and vinyl formats, driven by randomized collectibles like photocards.
Following their No. 15 debut on the Billboard 200 last year with COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES, CORTIS continues its meteoric rise. Also, after a tangible surge this year, the group has hit No. 30 on the Billboard Pop Airplay chart with REDRED, the lead single from their latest venture, GREENGREEN.
K-pop’s New Era of Chart Power
These Billboard chart rankings depict the complex trajectory of modern consumption, where multi-format data is utilized. Although BTS and Blackpink Jennie represent sustained dominance as established icons, CORTIS’ rise comes as a, breaking into the top tiers of the industry, powered by high-engagement physical and digital media, resulting in strategic chart placement.
