First K-pop Act To Reach No.1 On The the US Artist 100 (Record By BTS)

The Official Award Of A Certificate

The Billboard Artist 100, a gauge of an act’s influence across albums, tracks, streams, airplay, and social media, had never seen a K-pop group at its peak before BTS. Their ascent was powered by Love Yourself: Tear, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 135,000 units, a then-unprecedented feat for K-pop. “Fake Love” simultaneously cracked the Hot 100 at No. 10, amplifying their cross-platform dominance. This leap from No. 4 to No. 1 in their 85th chart week outshone global heavyweights like Drake and Post Malone, signaling BTS’s arrival as a universal force.

Feat:

This record was more than numbersit was a cultural turning point. BTS, with their raw lyricism and ARMY’s unmatched fervor, didn’t just break a barrier; they obliterated it, paving the way for acts like BLACKPINK and Stray Kids to follow. By 2025, KRL’s documentation of this first, verified by Billboard and echoed on X, stood as a testament to a moment when K-pop transcended borders. BTS’s 2018 triumph proved that a South Korean group could lead the world’s biggest music market, setting a legacy that continues to inspire. Keep following KRL for more iconic K-pop records
In a landmark achievement that reshaped K-pop’s global narrative, BTS became the first K-pop act to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 chart on June 2, 2018. Driven by their blockbuster album Love Yourself: Tear and the Top 10 hit “Fake Love,” the seven-member group soared to the pinnacle of artist popularity in the US, a milestone later immortalized by the K-pop Records Library (KRL) as of April 12, 2025.