BTS on gaining respect in the US after new single tops the charts: ‘It still doesn’t feel real’

'Dynamite', BTS's first all-English song, debuted at No 1 on the US music charts this week, making the group the first Korean pop act to top the chart. AP

Loud and happy screams erupt in unison from the seven-member pop stars BTS when they hear they have notched their first No 1 hit on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Dream,” yells band member RM. “It still doesn’t feel real,” adds Suga, speaking in Korean through a translator. “We’re really happy.”

Dynamite, the group's first all-English song, debuted at No 1 on the US music charts this week, making BTS the first Korean pop act to top the chart. The upbeat song even supplanted WAP, the smash hit by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, to claim the No 1 position.

"Never expected it," RM says of beating WAP for the top spot. "Never! It's like the song of the year."

But getting their first chart-topping track seemed inevitable for the K-pop boy band, who have continued to find major success in the US in the past few years. They've had four albums top Billboard's 200 albums chart, they've achieved Top 10 successes on the Hot 100 with Boy With Luv, On and Fake Love, and in just minutes they've sold out US football stadiums that some pop stars need to join forces to perform at.

And even at US awards shows, they've gone from winning honours such as "top social artist" to being named best group and best pop act, beating out Maroon 5, Imagine Dragons, Twenty One pilots, Jonas Brothers and others. At Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards, they won all four prizes they were nominated for.

When asked if BTS — who released their debut single in 2013 — felt like they've begun to earn more respect from the US, RM says: "We definitely feel that."

"I think in the perspective of culture, I think it's really important to be familiar. So first, we think ... that many Americans [were] not familiar with [us] — we look different, we [sing] different, we got some different choreography, music videos, like everything, even lifestyle. But I think as time goes by, we're doing these shows and songs and concerts and awards, I think quite a lot of people in the American music market is getting, like, kind of close [to us]," he says. "I think it's very good and that's what we wanted actually."

It could also be time for BTS's first Grammy nomination.

"When we see [western] artists ... get nominated for Grammys, they would go: 'Yeah! Yeah!'" says J-hope, standing up from his chair and throwing a small punch in the air.

"Like Travis Scott," he continues. "The nomination is meaningful to even [famous] people like that and to imagine that we could be nominated for Grammy, again, it would be such an honour and a great feeling."

Nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards will be announced later this year. The show doesn’t have a K-pop category, and while there is a best world music album award, there isn’t a song category for world and international music. Those songs, then, would compete for best pop duo / group performance – a highly competitive award reserved for big hits or collaborations featuring uber-popular performers.

We've matured musically, as well as in the way we think. We've also developed a higher sense of responsibility. This has refined us and these developments are really being reflected in our music and our dance

But the success of Dynamite could explode into a Grammy nomination for BTS.

"The sheer thought of a nomination is thrilling," says J-hope.

"I mean, we hope. We hope so," adds RM. "No one knows about the Grammys ... but we're just doing our best."

Though Dynamite has charted new territory for BTS, the song wasn't even supposed to be released, RM explains. BTS had plans to tour but that changed due to the coronavirus: "The pandemic blew everything away."

So they recorded Dynamite to give their die-hard fans, the BTS Army, "hope, positive energy," RM reveals.

“And we think that it really touched their hearts.”

The group, which includes Jin, V, Jimin and Jungkook, says they're busy recording a new album. They feel they have grown in the seven years they've been a musical group.

"We've matured musically, as well as in the way we think. We've also developed a higher sense of responsibility. This has refined us and these developments are really being reflected in our music and our dance," J-hope says.

The band members range from ages 23 to 27, and the youngest of clan, Jungkook, celebrated his birthday this week with some special news.

"I received the news of our No 1 on the Hot 100 chart on the day of my birthday, so it was really one celebration over another," he says. "It was incredible."

Scroll through the gallery below to see BTS through the years: 

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  BTS through the years: the K-pop band at the Korean Culture Convention (K-Con), held at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena on August 10, 2014. AFP

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  Members of BTS arrive on the red carpet for K-Con 2014. AFP

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  BTS on the red carpet for the Asia Artist Awards in Seoul on November 16, 2016. AFP

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  Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and JungKook of BTS at Music Choice in New York City on March 22, 2017. Getty

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  BTS perform Fake Love at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on May 20, 2018. AP

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  BTS accept the Top Social Artist award at the Billboard Music Awards on May 20, 2018. Reuters

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  BTS attend the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, 2018. AP

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  BTS perform during a Korean cultural event in Paris as part of the South Korean president's official visit to France on October 14, 2018. AFP

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  BTS on the red carpet at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in Hong Kong on December 14, 2018. AP

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  BTS at the Seoul Music Awards on January 15, 2019. Getty

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  BTS present the award for Best R&B Album during the 61st Grammy Awards on February 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. AFP

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  BTS perform on Saturday Night Live on April 11, 2019. Getty

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  BTS before rehearsals for KBS 2TV's Music Bank in Yeouido, Seoul, on April 19, 2019. Getty

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  BTS perform at concert to promote 18th Fina World Championships at a stadium in Gwangju, South Korea on April 28, 2019. EPA

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  BTS and Halsey performing Boy With Luv at the Billboard Music Awards on May 1, 2019. Reuters

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  BTS attend Youth Day at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul on September 19, 2020. Reuters

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  BTS present a purple gift box to President Moon Jae-in during the inaugural Youth Day event in Seoul on September 19, 2020. EPA

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  BTS on the red carpet during the annual Mama Awards at Nagoya Dome in Nagoya, Japan, on December 4, 2019. Reuters

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  BTS at the 34st annual Golden Disk Awards ceremony in Seoul on January 4, 2020. EPA

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  BTS arrive at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles on January 26, 2020. AP

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  BTS visit the Today Show at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on February 21, 2020. AFP

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  BTS give an address as part of the YouTube Originals Dear Class of 2020 speeches. YouTube Originals

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  BTS performing as part of the YouTube Originals Dear Class of 2020 speeches. YouTube Originals

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  BTS perform 'Dynamite' during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020. Reuters

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  BTS accept the award for Best Pop Video for 'On' during the MTV Video Music Awards on August 30, 2020. AP

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  BTS arrives to security check-in at the United Nations headquarters during the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 20, 2021. AFP

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  V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope of BTS arrive at the 2021 American Music Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 21, 2021. Reuters

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  BTS accepts the award for artist of the year at the American Music Awards in 2021 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. AP

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  Jin, Suga, V, Jungkook, RM, Jimin, and J-Hope of BTS hold their award for the Favourite Pop Song, Favourite Duo or Group and Artist of the Year awards during the 2021 American Music Awards. Reuters

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  BTS pose on red carpet of iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert in California on December 3, 2021. Reuters

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  BTS perform at Jamsil Olympic Park in southern Seoul, South Korea on March 10, 2022. EPA

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  BTS pose on red carpet of 64th Annual Grammy Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 3, 2022. Reuters

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  BTS perform Butter during 64th Annual Grammy Awards show in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 3, 2022. Reuters

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  BTS Permission to Dance concert in Las Vegas on April 10, 2022. Photo: Big Hit Music

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  Members of BTS join Karine Jean-Pierre, White House press secretary, centre, during a news conference at the White House in Washington DC on May 31, 2022. Photo: Oliver Contreras / Sipa / Bloomberg