Red lettering for Type codes denotes events affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
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Event
Details
L
O
Jan
2
Return of group on hiatus announced
Big Bang, Coachella's April scheduled line-up includes them; the first official news of the group's return since military service for four members and Seungri's 2019 exit from the group.[5]
BTS was the top tweeted music account overall and a BTS video of Jungkook dancing to Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" was the top tweet overall. 6.1 billion K-pop related tweets in 2019 (fifteen percent increase from 2018) emanated from these 15 countries: Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, U.S., Philippines, Brazil, Malaysia, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Canada, France, Great Britain, India, and Turkey.[7][8]
BTS, album Love Yourself: Answer (released on November 21, 2018) and single "Idol" receive platinum (1 million units) certification. Singles "Mic Drop" and "Boy with Luv" previously received platinum.[9]
US
B
Jan
23
K-pop executive on 2020 Billboard Power List
Bang Si-hyuk, CEO/Executive Producer of Big Hit Entertainment, (selected in the "Management" section, list is organized by sector, then listed alphabetically). Accomplishments cited included BTS' charting (1st group since The Beatles to have three #1 albums on the Billboard 200 in less than a year) and record revenue reports ($172 million for first half of 2019); along with diversifying the company: premiering a new group TXT (topped World Albums chart), acquiring Source Music and launching the mobile game BTS World.[10]
US
B
Jan
23
K-pop executive on 2020 Billboard Impact List
Lee Soo-man, Executive Producer of SM Entertainment, (22 noted industry honorees, in addition to the Billboard Power List, listed alphabetically). Accomplishments cited included: launching new supergroupSuperM, years in entertainment (since 1970s), partnering with Capitol Music Group and with Global Citizen (serving as executive director for the 2020 Global Citizen Festival's scheduled Seoul date in September).[11]
After 11 confirmed cases were reported in South Korea, acts started adjusting live schedules in Southeast Asia, followed by international scheduling.[15][16]Billboard compiled a continual "updating" list on February 26 of COVID-19 pandemic postponed and cancelled concerts from January to present; including some for K-pop artists: BTS, Seventeen, Taeyeon, GFriend, Got7, Twice, NCT Dream, Stray Kids, Momoland, Ha Sung-woon, rock band No Brain.[17]
BTS, #1 all-time artists with most non-consecutive weeks, 164 (chart dated February 8), 173 total weeks on chart since October 2016, Justin Bieber (record holder since March 2011) is behind at 163 weeks at #1. Also, at #1 for consecutive weeks since the chart dated July 29, 2017, "the first act in the Social 50’s nine-year history to rule for 100 straight weeks, 150 straight weeks and for an entire calendar year (2018 and 2019)".[18]
After nearly 1000 cases and 10 deaths in South Korea, postponements and cancellations continued: in the U.S. the Overpass Music Festival in Orange County, California and the Korea Times Music Festival where K-pop performances were lined up; in South Korea and Asia, several group's concerts (including Seoul dates for BTS), and the Korean Music Awards and The Fact Music Awards.[16][25][26]
#4, BTS, "On" (chart dated March 7), along with "Boy with Luv" feat. Halsey #8 (April 27, 2019) and "Fake Love" #10 (June 2, 2018); join soloist Psy's two top ten chartings.[30]
It is the twentieth non-English language song in the top ten for the chart's one hundred years' history and BTS are the only artists with three songs and Psy the only with two.[31]
#1, BTS, (chart dated March 7), the return makes a total of six weeks at #1, last charting at #1 on May 25, 2019; a top record for duo/group, and second to Taylor Swift's 37 weeks since the chart began in 2014.[32]
#5, NCT 127's Neo Zone (chart dated March 21), after BTS (four #1s), SuperM (one #1), Monsta X (one #5); combined with BTS (Map of the Soul:7, currently at #8) to make two K-pop albums in the top 10 for the same chart date.[37][38]
US
C
Mar
25– present
Online events during COVID-19
K-pop artists were included on a Billboard continual "updating" list of livestreams and virtual concerts to watch from March to present:[39] March 25, Golden Child's concert on YouTube.[39] March 30, BTS perform "Boy with Luv" on The Late Late Show with James Corden's Homefest fundraising special (Facebook, Instagram and TV) from their practice room.[40] April 18, SuperM joins Together at Home, a televised and online benefit concert for the COVID-19 pandemic organized by Lady Gaga, the World Health Organization and Global Citizen. SuperM is included in the six-hour live stream line-up prior to the TV show.[41] April 18 and 19, BTS, Bang Bang Con, livestream concert on YouTube.[42] April 25, SuperM, Beyond Live, virtual livestream concert on V Live.[43] and Golden Child's concert on YouTube.
O
C
Apr
7
Group posts concert video of last year's Coachella performance
Blackpink's April 12, 2019 performance of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" on YouTube; they were the first K-pop girl group performers at Coachella which is normally held in April, but rescheduled for October 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[44]
O
CH
Apr
11
Fans propel old album and singles to charts
BTS, 2 Cool 4 Skool, the group's debut album release on June 12, 2013, #12 World Albums (chart dated April 11). ARMY fans played a social media April Fools' Day joke touting the upcoming debut of a "new" boy band called BTS and revisited the group's debut music. Their debut single on the album, "No More Dream" jumped to #2 (prior peak #14) on the World Digital Song Sales chart and five more of its singles entered the chart for the first time: "Like" (#10), ""Intro: 2 Cool 4 Skool" (#18, featuring DJ Friz), "Interlude" (#22), "Skit: Circle Room Talk" (#23), and "Outro: Circle Room Cypher" (#24).[45][46]
US
C
Apr
28
BTS postpones entire world tour
Map of the Soul Tour, after original Seoul dates starting on April 11 and subsequent North America dates were postponed, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[47][48]
O
B
May
1
Artists in Billboard's top weekly items
"13 Best Things That Happened in Music This Week", J-Hope's livestream performance of Toosie Slide and Lisa's high-booted legs from a performance video in memes.[49]
BTS, Favorite Music Group award (also nominated for Favorite Global Music Star award, which Taylor Swift won), Nickelodeon’s Kids’ Choice Awards 2020: Celebrate Together, first remote awards' show for COVID-19.[50][51][52]
K-pop fandoms clogged U.S. police apps and took over racist hashtags like “whitelivesmatter” and “WhiteOutWednesday” with K-pop memes.[56][57]
O
O
June
6–7
2 million dollar donation to Black Lives Matter
BTS and Big Hit Entertainment donated 1 million dollars, which was reported on June 6, and ARMY fandom matched the donation by June 7 with another million for BLM and other organizations for racial inequality.[56][58][59]
O
O
Jun
16
Death of K-pop group member at 28-years-old
Kim Jeong-hwan (Yohan), a member of TST, joined the group in 2017.[60]
Blackpink, "How You Like That" (released June 26), 1.66 million concurrent views; and top overall 24-hour music video debut with 86.3 million views.[62]
O
F
Jul
8
Group in top subscribed YouTube channels
Blackpink, #6 in YouTube's history, over 40 million subscribers, second female act and first non-English-speaking act; following Justin Bieber, Marshmello, Ed Sheeran, Eminem and Ariana Grande.[63]
O
F
Jul
9
Billboard K-pop cover wins award
ASME Readers' Choice Award for best entertainment and celebrity cover, "Blackpink Meets the Red, White and Blue" (March 2, 2019).[64][65]
BTS, "Dynamite" (released August 21), more than 3 million concurrent views; and top overall 24-hour music video debut with 101.1 million views.[68][69]
1st group performance at MTV VMA show and 2nd time winners
BTS, 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, performed "Dynamite" in front of a green screen from South Korea with New York City locations in the background and won all four awards they were nominated for: "Best Group" (Blackpink and Monsta X were also nominated in this category) and for their song "On" won "Best Pop", "Best Choreography", and "Best K-pop". Blackpink's "How You Like That" won "Song of the Summer".[71][72]
US
CH
Aug
31
1st #1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart
BTS, #1, "Dynamite" (chart dated September 5), released at midnight on August 21. To date, they also have four #1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, the highest record at #1 for 194 weeks on the Social 50 chart and four #1 songs on the Digital Song Sales chart. "Dynamite" had the highest weekly digital sales for a group since Prince and The Revolution's 1984 "Purple Rain" (May 14, 2016).
Hot 100 chart statistics include:
Their fourth single in the top ten with a total of twelve on the chart
Top K-pop act, besting Psy's #2 "Gangnam Style" (seven weeks in October - November 2012)
BTS, "Dynamite" (posted August 21), more than 6.5 million comments (to date) and beating their own record with "DNA" (over 6.2 million to date) and Psy's "Gangnam Style" (over 5 million to date).[69]
O
CH
Sep
8
1st girl group in top 20 on Billboard Hot 100 chart
Blackpink and Selena Gomez, #13, "Ice Cream" debut (chart dated September 12), released on August 28. Also debuted at #2 on the Digital Song Sales chart, #8 on Streaming Songs, and #32 and the group's first time on Mainstream Top 40.[74]