How boy bands like BTS and NCT 127 are leading K-pop’s US invasion
- NCT 127’s new album made its debut this week at No 5 on the US Billboard 200, making them the fourth K-pop boy band to score a top-five hit on the chart
- The past 12 months represent the highest-charting year for K-pop on Billboard
Since K-pop outfit BTS first hit No 1 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart in 2018, other K-pop boy bands have also made it into the top five, expanding the horizons for South Korean pop in the global music market.
This week, boy band NCT 127’s new album, NCT 127 Neo-Zone, made its debut at No 5 on the chart. That made them the fourth K-pop band to score a top-five album in the US.
Also this week, BTS’ latest album, Map of the Soul: 7, ranked eighth on the Billboard 200 after topping the chart two weeks earlier. Another BTS album, Love Yourself: Answer, re-entered the chart at No 164. It’s rare for two K-pop albums to be in the top 10 on the competitive Billboard 200 chart at the same time.
The past 12 months represent the highest-charting year for K-pop on Billboard.
In October last year, boy band SuperM became the second K-pop band to top the Billboard 200 with their debut album, SuperM: The 1st Mini Album, led by lead track Jopping.
