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< BTS stays at No. 1 on the charts — and thwarts Ye in the process

April 9, 202612:11 PM ET

BTS stays at No. 1 on the charts — and thwarts Ye in the process

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JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

Last week, the new album by the K-pop boy band BTS debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts. This week, it faces stiff competition. Stephen Thompson of NPR Music has more.

STEPHEN THOMPSON, BYLINE: BTS's first record in nearly four years had no trouble topping last week's Billboard albums chart, thanks in part to sales of more than half a million copies. "Arirang" is the seventh BTS album to hit No. 1. The other six BTS chart-toppers each posted just one week at the top. But this week, "Arirang" sits atop the album's chart again, thanks in part to another 114,000 copies sold. Its first single, "Swim," is also having a strong week, though it slips to No. 2 on this week's Hot 100 singles chart.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SWIM")

BTS: (Singing) Yeah. Swim, swim. Water falling off your skin. Swim, swim.

THOMPSON: Sales continue to fuel "Arirang's" chart boom and helped the album do just enough to hold off a strong debut from a familiar and controversial voice. Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, debuts at No. 2 with his long delayed new album, "Bully."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "KING")

YE: (Rapping) This that feeling we need more of. The hating just brought me more love.

THOMPSON: In recent years, Ye's career has suffered self-inflicted damage, most notably from a string of antisemitic remarks online. And the run up to "Bully's" release was marked by delays and further controversies. But if this week's charts are any indication, there is still public interest in Ye's work. "Bully" put up strong streaming numbers in its first week - enough that it gave BTS a run for its money. Plus, the success of "Bully" on streaming has had a downstream effect on this week's singles chart. Sixteen of "Bully's" 18 tracks land on the latest Hot 100, led by his Travis Scott collaboration, "Father," at No. 21.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FATHER")

YE: (Rapping) Bye-bye to my old self. Old self. Wake up to the new me. It's a new me.

THOMPSON: Where Ye fell short was in album sales. Even with many different physical versions available for purchase, "Bully" sold only 56,000 copies in its first week. That suggests that a large portion of Ye's current audience is more curious than dedicated enough to buy his music in advance. Stephen Thompson, NPR Music.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

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