BTS's fifth studio album title track "SWIM" has reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, the main U.S. singles chart.
Billboard announced through a chart preview article on Friday that "SWIM" topped the Hot 100, beating out Ella Langley's "Choosin' Texas" and Olivia Dean's "Man I Need."
This marks the seventh time BTS has reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.
The group first claimed the top spot as the first K-pop act to do so with "Dynamite" (three weeks) in 2020, followed by "Savage Love" (2020, one week), "Life Goes On" (2020, one week), "Butter" (2021, 10 weeks), "Permission To Dance" (2021, one week), and "My Universe" (2021, one week).
BTS also reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with their fifth studio album "Arirang" the previous day. By topping both the main singles and album charts, the group demonstrated its enduring dominance on the U.S. Billboard charts.
The Hot 100 is considered the most prestigious among Billboard's numerous charts. Rankings are calculated by combining U.S. streaming data, radio airplay scores, and sales data.
The only Korean artists to reach No. 1 on the chart are BTS and its members Jimin and Jungkook.
In the broader K-pop genre, the Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters" original soundtrack "Golden" also reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 last year.
"SWIM" is an alternative pop track about the determination to keep swimming forward through life's waves without stopping. The song features the vibrancy of old-school drums layered with lo-fi synthesizers, powerful bass, and warm electric guitar. RM led the songwriting, authentically expressing "an attitude of loving life."
The track previously reached No. 2 on the U.K. Official Singles Chart Top 100 on May 27, the group's highest-ever position on that chart.
BTS said through their agency BigHit Music, "After a long wait of three years and nine months, we are deeply honored to achieve 'Billboard No. 1' with this album. We sincerely thank all ARMY members who always send us generous love and support, as well as everyone who listened to our music and shared their hearts with us." The group added, "While preparing the new album, we thought deeply about how to capture universal emotions that many people could relate to. The title track 'SWIM,' which represents this effort, is a song about pushing forward to the end even through difficulties." They continued, "We hope this song has offered a small dose of courage and comfort to many people beyond borders. We are grateful for the unwavering trust and support over the years, and we will continue to repay it with music made with all our sincerity."