Lil Nas X’s ‘Road’ sets new records
K-Pop’s BTS goes on holiday
NEW YORK, Aug 13, (Agencies): Lil Nas X is galloping his way to two new records on the Billboard charts thanks to the massive success of “Old Town Road”.
The song that beat out Mariah Carey and “Despacito” to become the longest-running No. 1 hit in the history of the Hot 100 chart has now set records on Billboard’s Hot R&B/HipHop songs and Hot rap songs charts, respectively.
“Old Town Road”, which features Billy Ray Cyrus and is spending its 19th week at No. 1, surpasses the record set by Drake’s “One Dance” on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart. Drake’s track spent 18 weeks at No. 1.
On the Hot rap songs chart, where Lil Nas X’s county-rap tune is also spending its 19th week on top, the 20-year-old beats the record set by Drake’s “Hotline Bling”, Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” and Missy Elliott’s “Hot Boyz”. The latter three songs each spent 18 weeks at No. 1.
Last month Lil Nas X’s viral song became the most successful No. 1 song of all-time when it reached its 17th week at No. 1 on the all-genre Hot 100 chart, surpassing the 16-week record held by Carey and Boyz II Men’s “One Sweet Day” and Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber’s “Despacito”.
“Old Town Road” is now spending its 19th week on top of the Hot 100 chart.
Lil Nas X’s song, which has achieved most of its success through audio streaming, was originally a solo song but he added Cyrus to the track. The song also has remix versions featuring Diplo, Young Thug, Mason Ramsey and BTS, and Billboard counts the original song and its remixes as one when calculating chart position, thus helping “Old Town Road” stay on top.
South Korean boy band, BTS, will take their first long holiday in six years after a series of global hits, their managers said, asking fans to respect the band’s privacy if they see them in “a chance encounter”.
The band, which has led a wave of Korean pop music, crowned their global reach with three No. 1 albums on the Billboard chart in less than a year, a 2019 Grammy nomination and concerts from Los Angeles to Paris.
The seven members will take their first extended vacation since the band’s debut in 2013, managers Big Hit Entertainment said on Sunday.
“This period of rest will be an opportunity for the members of BTS, who have relentless(ly) driven themselves toward their goal since their debut, to recharge and prepare to present themselves anew as musicians and creators,” it said.
Big Hit did not say how long BTS will be on holiday. The band’s website said their next world tour concert is in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Oct 11.
“Should you have a chance encounter with a member of BTS while they are on vacation, we ask that you show consideration for their need to rest and enjoy their private time off,” Big Hit said.
“BTS will return refreshed and recharged to return all the love you have and continue to show them,” it added.
BTS broke into the US market in 2017, the first Korean group to win a Billboard music award.
The band was nominated for their album “Love Yourself: Tear” at the 2019 Grammy Awards and made their first appearance at the ceremony in February.
Fans wished the band a happy vacation.
“BTS finally getting the long break they deserve,” said @strawbbykoo on Twitter.