Jimin’s “Like Crazy” blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking his first leader – and the first for a member of superstar South Korean pop group BTS. He’s also the first South Korean solo artist to lead the list.
The Hot 100 start for “Like Crazy” was largely driven by sales, with five versions available during the chart’s tracking week. The song was released March 24 on Jimin’s debut solo set FACE, which enters at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data. All charts (dated April 8, 2023) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Here’s a look at the Hot 100 coronation for “Like Crazy,” released on BigHit Music / Geffen / Interscope Records. The song begins as the 1,148th No. 1 since the chart originated in August 1958. It’s the 66th title to premiere at the summit.
Streams, airplay & sales: “Like Crazy” sold 254,000 song downloads and CD singles combined and drew 10 million streams and 64,000 radio airplay audience impressions in its first week (March 24-30).
The song’s original version, sung in Korean, and its English version were released March 24, while its “Deep House” and “UK Garage” mixes and an instrumental version arrived March 26, with all available in BTS’ webstore and at wide retail for 69 cents each, while a CD single of the original mix was on sale in BTS’ webstore for $1.99. (All versions roll up into one listing on Billboard’s charts.)
The sales sum for “Like Crazy” is the highest in a single week since Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” sold 328,000 (Nov. 19, 2022), sparked by seven remixes released that tracking week.
“Like Crazy” debuts at No. 1 on the Digital Song Sales chart, where its Jimin’s third leader, and No. 35 on Streaming Songs, where he makes his first appearance. (Its airplay audience is the lowest for a Hot 100 No. 1 this decade, although it’s not being actively promoted to radio; still, it has received a handful of early plays on Radio Songs reporters KIIS Los Angeles, KJYO Oklahoma City, Okla., KYLD San Francisco and WSNX Grand Rapids, Mich., all of which also contribute to the Pop Airplay chart and are owned by iHeartMedia, as well as Dance/Mix Show Airplay chart panelist KNHC Seattle.)
Jimin & BTS have each hit No. 1: Jimin achieves the first Hot 100 No. 1, and No. 1 debut, for a BTS member solo, with the group – which announced a break last June – having notched six leaders, five of which debuted at No. 1.
Here’s a rundown:
Jimin, “Like Crazy,” one week at No. 1 (to-date), April 8, 2023
Coldplay & BTS, “My Universe,” one to-date, Oct. 9, 2021
BTS, “Permission To Dance,” one, July 24, 2021
BTS, “Butter,” 10, June 5, 2021
BTS, “Life Goes On,” one, Dec. 5, 2020
Jawsh 685 x Jason Derulo x BTS, “Savage Love (Laxed – Siren Beat),” one, Oct. 17, 2020
“Dynamite,” three weeks at No. 1, beginning Sept. 5, 2020
Jimin makes history as the first soloist to score a solo Hot 100 debut breaking out of a group that has also debuted at No. 1 on the chart. (Travis Scott has begun atop the list solo and as part of the collaboratively credited The Scotts; in addition to his own “Highest in the Room,” in October 2019, and “Franchise,” featuring Young Thug and M.I.A., in October 2020, his and Kid Cudi’s “The Scotts,” billed on the chart as by The Scotts, Travis Scott and Kid Cudi [born Scott Mescudi], opened at No. 1 in May 2020.)
Jimin and BTS, thus, join the ranks of soloists and groups each with Hot 100 No. 1s, a list most recently bolstered, before this week, when Beyoncé reigned with “Break My Soul” for two weeks last August; Destiny’s Child, with her as a member, tallied four No. 1s.
First South Korean soloist to top Hot 100: After BTS became the first all-South Korean group to lead the Hot 100, with “Dynamite,” Jimin becomes the first South Korean soloist to hit No. 1. Previously among South Korean solo artists, PSY reached a No. 2 best with “Gangnam Style” for seven weeks in 2012.
The history of Asian acts atop the Hot 100 dates back to the chart’s early years, as Japanese-born Kyu Sakamoto became the first to lead, with “Sukiyaki” for three weeks in 1963. In 2010, Far*East Movement reigned with “Like a G6,” with the act’s lineup at the time including two members of Korean heritage.
BTS members solo on the Hot 100: Jimin scores not only the first Hot 100 No. 1 by a BTS member solo, but the first top 10, or even top 20, hit on the chart. Plus, of the four solo top 40 hits by the group’s members, Jimin has two.
Here’s a recap of all 15 Hot 100 entries so far by BTS members apart from the group, ranked by peak position. All seven of the act’s members have reached the chart with solo songs: J-Hope, Jimin, Jin, Jung Kook, RM, Suga and V.
Peak Pos., Date, Artist, Title:
No. 1 (one week to-date), April 8, 2023, Jimin, “Like Crazy”
No. 22, July 9, 2022, Charlie Puth feat. Jung Kook, “Left and Right”
No. 29, Dec. 25, 2021, Juice WRLD & Suga, “Girl of My Dreams”
No. 30, April 1, 2023, Jimin, “Set Me Free, Pt. 2”
No. 51, Nov. 12, 2022, Jin, “The Astronaut”
No. 60, March 18, 2023, J-Hope with J. Cole, “On the Street”
No. 76, Jan. 28, 2023, TAEYANG feat. Jimin, “Vibe”
No. 76, June 6, 2020, Agust D (Suga’s alternate billing), “Daechwita”
No. 79, Jan. 8, 2022, V, “Christmas Tree”
No. 80, May 14, 2022, PSY feat. Suga, “That That”
No. 81; Oct. 12, 2019, J-Hope feat. Becky G, “Chicken Noodle Soup”
No. 82; July 16, 2022, J-Hope, “More”
No. 83; Dec. 17, 2022, RM with Youjeen, “Wild Flower”
No. 95; Feb. 26, 2022, Jung Kook, “Stay Alive”
No. 96; July 30, 2022, J-Hope, “Arson”
Jimin & RM atop the Hot 100 as writers: Notably, both Jimin and RM of BTS are among the seven credited co-writers of “Like Crazy.”
Jimin earns his first Hot 100 No. 1 as a writer, while RM rings ups his fourth, following credits on BTS’ “My Universe,” “Butter” and “Life Goes On.”
A lot to ‘Like’: “Like Crazy” is the 21st Hot 100 No. 1 with the word “like” in its title. “Walk Like a Man,” by The 4 Seasons, became the first, in 1963, while, until this week, “Girls Like You,” by Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B, was the most recent, in 2018.
This might sound ‘Crazy’ …: “Like Crazy” is the sixth Hot 100 No. 1 with “crazy” in its title:
“Like Crazy,” Jimin, 2023
“Crazy in Love,” Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z, 2003
“She Drives Me Crazy,” Fine Young Cannibals, 1989
“Crazy for You,” Madonna, 1985
“Let’s Go Crazy,” Prince and the Revolution, 1984
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” Queen, 1980
(Honorable mention: Crazy Town ruled the Hot 100 with “Butterfly” in 2001.)
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” drops to No. 2 on the Hot 100 after eight weeks at No. 1, starting upon its debut in January. It logs a seventh week atop the Radio Songs chart (106.9 million in audience, down 1%); rebounds 7-2 on Digital Song Sales (10,000, down 10%), which it led for five weeks; and holds at No. 4 on Streaming Songs (22.9 million, down 7%), following four frames on top.
Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” slips 2-3 on the Hot 100, three weeks after it hit No. 1, as it tops Streaming Songs for a fourth week (35.8 million, essentially even week-over-week). It leads the Hot Country Songs chart, which uses the same methodology as the Hot 100, for an eighth week, as parent album One Thing at a Time controls the Billboard 200 for a fourth week.
SZA’s “Kill Bill” descends 3-4 on the Hot 100, following seven weeks at its No. 2 high. It tops the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs charts for a 15th week each.
Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage’s “Creepin’” retreats 4-5 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 3; The Weeknd and Ariana Grande’s “Die for You” dips 5-6, four weeks after it reigned; and PinkPantheress and Ice Spice’s “Boy’s a Liar, Pt. 2” backtracks 6-7, after hitting No. 3.
Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” holds at its No. 8 Hot 100 high. It tops the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart for a 31st week, extending the longest domination since the survey began a year ago (in partnership with music festival and global brand Afro Nation).
Rounding out the Hot 100’s top 10, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” falls 7-9, following a personal-best eight weeks at No. 1 in November-January, and Coi Leray’s “Players” places at No. 10, a week after entering the tier at No. 9. “Players” leads the multi-metric Hot Rap Songs chart for a third week.
Again, for all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram and all charts (dated April 8), including the Hot 100 in its entirety, will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (April 4).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
