BTS Are the First Artists to Replace Themselves at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Since Drake
BTS released their new English-language single “Permission to Dance” on July 9. The song was also released as an additional track on a physical CD of BTS’ single “Butter.” On July 19, Billboard announced that “Permission to Dance” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, officially dethroning “Butter” in the top spot. By replacing their own song at No. 1 on the chart, BTS became the first act to accomplish this feat since Drake.
BTS’ song ‘Permission to Dance’ debuted at No. 1 on the Hot 100
“Permission to Dance” was written by Ed Sheeran, Steve Mac, Johnny McDaid, and Jenna Andrews. Mac, Stephen Kirk, and Andrews produced the single. In addition to releasing the song as a digital single and additional track on the “Butter” CD, BTS also dropped a music video for “Permission to Dance” on July 9.
Even though “Permission to Dance” did not receive the same radio promotion as “Butter” and was considered to be a gift for BTS fans, the song debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Billboard reports that the song “drew 15.9 million U.S. streams and 1.1 million radio airplay audience impressions and sold 140,100 downloads (via its original and instrumental digital versions, each on sale for 69 cents) in the week ending July 15, according to MRC Data.”
BTS achieved records set by Drake and Michael Jackson with ‘Permission to Dance’
“Permission to Dance” is BTS’ fifth No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 and is the septet’s fourth song to debut at No. 1. BTS’ No. 1 hits are “Dynamite,” “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)” with Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo, “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” and “Permission to Dance.” Out of these songs, “Dynamite,” “Life Goes On,” “Butter” and “Permission to Dance” debuted at the top of the Hot 100.
According to Billboard, BTS achieved five No. 1 songs on the Billboard chart “over a span of 10 months and two weeks. That’s the quickest accumulation of five leaders since Michael Jackson tallied five, all from his album Bad, over nine months and two weeks in 1987-88: ‘I Just Can’t Stop Loving You,’ with Siedah Garrett, ‘Bad,’ ‘The Way You Make Me Feel,’ ‘Man in the Mirror’ and ‘Dirty Diana.'”
BTS also achieved a milestone that was most recently set by Drake. After “Permission to Dance” replaced “Butter” at No. 1 on the Hot 100, Billboard reports that BTS became the first artists to replace themselves at No. 1 “since Drake, whose ‘In My Feelings’ ended the eight-week reign of ‘Nice for What’ on the July 21, 2018 chart.”
BTS’ song ‘Butter’ remained in the top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100
Before “Permission to Dance,” BTS also achieved the 54th song in history to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the 1,125th No. 1 on the chart with “Butter.”
According to Billboard, “Permission to Dance” became “the 1,126th No. 1 in the Hot 100’s 62-year history, and the 55th to enter on top.”
“Butter” is BTS’ second English-language single, and the band released the song on May 21. With “Permission to Dance” at No. 1, “Butter” dropped to No. 7 on the chart after spending seven weeks at No. 1. The song also fell to No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales Chart.
