Photo: Mok Jung Wook for TIME

BTS Launch ‘Permission To Dance’ Challenge As Single Goes #1

July 20, 2021

With their third English-language single, “Permission to Dance,” K-pop boyband BTS continue their reign atop the Billboard Hot 100 pop charts and launch their international dance challenge.

With the “Permission …’ release, BTS have become the first act to replace themselves at #1 on the Hot 100 since Drake achieved the feat in 2018 substituting ‘Nice for What’ with ‘In My Feelings’ on the July 21 of that year.

According Billboard, “… Dance” earned 15.9 million U.S. streams and 1.1 million radio airplay audience impressions following its July 9 release and the single recognized 140,100 original and instrumental digital versions downloads throughout the week ending July 15.

The Korean pop sensation’s fourth solo single to top the Hot 100 charts on Columbia Records, following “Butter,” “Dynamite'” and “Life Goes On,” BTS had also reached #1 with the remix of ‘Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat)’ by Jason Derulo and Jawsh 685. For seven consecutive weeks, just a week short of Olivia’ Rodrigo’s eight-week record with “Drivers License,” “Butter” is the second longest chart-topping song of 2021.

As part of their “two-day takeover event” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, BTS performed ‘Permission To Dance’ on television for the first time last week.