Jung Kook’s Global Reign Is Over…For Now

After months in charge of one of Billboard’s most competitive charts, Jung Kook has finally been forced out of the No. 1 spot. This might be disappointing to some fans, but they need not worry: the BTS superstar may soon reclaim his throne.

This week, Jung Kook and Latto’s single “Seven” dips from No. 1 to second place on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, the weekly ranking of the most-consumed songs in the world minus all consumption activity from America. The joint smash had been holding court in first place for months, but now there’s a new ruler. Doja Cat rises to the highest rung with her single “Paint the Town Red” which until now had been held back by Jung Kook and his partner.

As Cat earns her first champion on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, Jung Kook and Latto fall from the peak after nine weeks in charge. The two artists now claim one of the third-longest-running No. 1 hits of all time on the tally. “Seven” is tied with a trio of other smashes–Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” and Gayle’s “ABCDEFU”—with nine weeks at No. 1 each. Ahead of those blockbusters are two others, Harry Styles’s “As It Was” and Miley Cyrus’s “Flowers,” with 13 weeks on top apiece.

For several weeks, “Seven” ruled both the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. and the Billboard Global 200. First it lost its grip on the latter ranking, which includes all streaming and sales data from every nation, and now the former.

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It might be difficult for “Seven” to recapture the highest rung on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart now that it’s vacated the space, just as as it wasn’t able to return to the summit on the Billboard Global 200, but Jung Kook and his fans might not need to worry. Whether or not “Seven” returns to the highest space isn’t of paramount importance, though it’s not impossible if the interest in “Paint the Town Red” wanes. He’s already announced something new, and it could also be massive.

Jung Kook teased his forthcoming single “3D” during his performance at the Global Citizen Festival this past weekend. Then, shortly after the show, the BTS singer’s label revealed all the details about the cut, including the fact that it’s slated to arrive on Friday, September 29.

When “Seven” was first made available, fans of both Jung Kook and BTS rushed to support the tune. They bought and streamed it right to No. 1 on a variety of Billboard charts, including the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart. Their response, and continued love of the song, proved powerful enough to make it a historic win. There’s plenty of reason to believe that they will replicate that success again, potentially making “3D” another massive hit from the outset.

So, while Jung Kook and Latto may no longer claim the biggest song in the world, either on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart or its even-more-encompassing Billboard Global 200–the man behind the hit might not need to wait very long before he’s back at No. 1.

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