After her new collaboration with High4 lifts 2-1, IU becomes Billboard's official K-Pop chart queen. Plus, K-pop highlights on other charts.
With the K-pop industry still in mourning over the Sewol Ferry Disaster, the slight movement on the K-Pop Hot 100 ends up making chart history: Twenty-year-old starlet sweetheart IU racks up her fifth K-pop chart-topper, giving her the most No. 1s on the chart.
"Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms," a collaboration between IU and newbie boy band High4, lifts from No. 2 to No. 1 in its third week on the chart, replacing two-week chart-topper "200%" by Akdong Musician. It's also the first No. 1 for High4. And while it's rare to see a previously-unknown act's debut single top the charts, it's perhaps not unexpected when you team up with a chart monster like IU.
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With her latest No. 1, IU passes girl group SISTAR, indie band Busker Busker and male soloist K.Will, who have four top rankings apiece. The K-Pop Hot 100 was introduced in September 2011, so it's likely IU could have racked up even more before then as she was a bonafide superstar by the time "You and I" topped the chart in December of that year.
Meanwhile, IU also extends her reign for most weeks at No. 1 -- another record she holds -- to 14.
Let's look back at her five number ones in chronological order:
Dec. 17, 2011 - "You and I" (Five Weeks at No. 1)
May 26, 2012 - "Every End of the Day" (Four Weeks at No. 1)
Oct. 26, 2013 - "The Red Shoes" (Two Weeks at No. 1)
Jan. 4, 2014 - "Friday" (Two Weeks at No. 1)
May 10, 2014 - "Not Spring, Love or Cherry Blossoms" High4 With IU (One Week at No. 1, to date)
K-Pop on Other Billboard Charts:
--Hot Dance/Electronic Songs: Skrillex's "Dirty Vibe" with Diplo, G-Dragon and CL rises to No. 30, from No. 42, in its sixth week on the chart.
--Dance/Electronic Streaming Songs: PSY's "Gangnam Style" holds at No. 2 after 47 weeks on the chart.
--Japan Hot 100: CNBLUE's "Truth" (below) debuts at No. 7.
--Streaming Songs: PSY's "Gangnam Style" falls one spot to No. 9 after 58 weeks on the chart.
--World Digital Songs (Highlights - Full Chart Available to Subscribers): Akdong Musician's "200%" falls to No. 18, from No. 14, in its third week on the chart. BIGBANG's "Fantastic Baby" returns to the chart at No. 24 for its 97th non-consecutive week on the ranking.