Music Critic Reveals Real Reason BTS’s “Dynamite” Took #1 On Billboard

Not only is “Dynamite” BTS‘s first-ever English track, but it’s also the song that shot the group to the top of Billboard‘s Hot 100 Chart—within its first week of release.

For years, music critic Kim Young Dae has become an expert on BTS through his study of them, even publishing a book on the group and receiving certification from actual ARMYS. With his knowledge as a professional, he spoke up about the real reason the track managed to snag the number one spot on Billboard’s chart.

On BTS making history as only the third group to make such a stellar debut on the chart, Young Dae revealed there was one point that everyone dismisses when wondering how they achieved it: “That it was possible because it was BTS.” That has a deeper meaning than people think, according to Young Dae.

It wasn’t the track itself that caused it to reach number one; it was BTS’s track record of dropping quality releases that continuously perform well. Just as BTS slowly became successful after each round of promotions following “I Need U”, all the releases that made it onto Billboard before “Dynamite” has led to its success.

The song itself is, of course, a good song. It’s disco music that different generations can resonate with, but the important factor is trust that BTS accumulated in the US market. The intimacy and small successes that BTS has been accumulating gained a momentum to push the band to the top.

— Kim Young Dae

Although it may work for many artists to achieve some success from merely going viral, BTS’s years of hard work and gaining support are what skyrocketed them to the top. “It’s not that the song itself simply went viral on the internet to become number one on Billboard. It was about time.”

Watch music critic and BTS exper Kim Young Dae specifically break down the why of BTS reaching achievements because they’re BTS.