Psy and Suga on the set of the music video for their single “That That.”
Rapper Future rules the Hot 100 this week, as he appears in 18 spots on the 100-rung ranking of the most-consumed songs in America. 16 of them come from his new No. 1 album I Never Liked You, including the immediate hit “Wait for U,” which debuts atop the list, bringing Drake and Tems along for the ride. While the hip-hop powerhouse is certainly in charge of the Hot 100 this time around (in charge of many Billboard lists, to be frank), two South Korean artists make history further down on the same chart.
Psy returns to the Hot 100 after more than half a decade away, and he’s not alone. Joining Psy on his new single “That That” is Suga, best known as one of the even members of the boy band BTS. The two artists came together to create the smash, and fans of the two have sent it right to the most important songs ranking in the largest music market in the world.
This week, “That That” debuts at No. 80 on the Hot 100, giving both artists another placement on the tally to include in their already-impressive discographies. It remains relatively rare for solo South Korean musicians to find their way to the competitive ranking, but both Psy and Suga have done so before, and this latest win helps them both make history, though in different ways.
Psy has now charted on the Hot 100 with five songs, and “That That” helps him further his lead as the South Korean artist with the most appearances on the tally. He first made his name known in the U.S. with “Gangnam Style,” which introduced millions of people all around the world to K-pop. That smash rose all the way to No. 2, and it remains the highest-charting tune by a K-pop solo star, even though it’s now been nearly a decade since it peaked. In the years that followed that initial and unprecedented success, Psy went on to score more hits, including “Gentleman” (No. 5), “Hangover” with Snoop Dogg (No. 26) and “Daddy” with fellow K-pop star CL (No. 96).
For his part, Suga has reached the Hot 100 three times on his own, including “That That.” He snagged his first solo placement in 2020 with “Daechwita,” which stalled at No. 76. That hit was credited to Agust D, a moniker he sometimes uses when working without his BTS bandmates. Late in 2021, he returned under his own name (Suga), joining the late Juice WRLD on the single “Girl of My Dreams.” That cut ended up being the highest-charting hit from the rapper’s posthumous album Fighting Demons, and it peaked at No. 29.
With a third Hot 100 hit, Suga breaks out of a tie with both CL and Lisa (known primarily as one of the four singers in the K-pop girl group Blackpink) and becomes the South Korean solo artist with the second-most placements on the chart, behind only Psy. When looking at all South Korean musical acts, the ranking changes slightly. BTS has reached the ranking with 23 different songs, while Blackpink has placed seven cuts on the tally throughout their years together.
“That That” narrowly missed out on becoming the No. 1 bestselling song in America this week, though it does manage to start off at No. 2 on the Digital Song Sales ranking. The thousands of fans who purchased the collaboration helped it rise as high as it has on the Hot 100, as sales are one of the three types of consumption that factor into the ranking, along with radio play and streams.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2022/05/09/bts-member-suga-and-psy-make-hot-100-history-with-their-new-single/