BTS - Lights/Boy With Luv

I. Introduction

"Lights/Boy With Luv" is the tenth Japanese single by BTS. It was released on July 3, 2019.

The physical album comes in four versions: a regular CD edition, three limited CD+DVD editions (A, B, C), and a fan club edition (ARMY edition).

II. Background & Release

Following the release of the band's sixth extended play Map of the Soul: Persona in April 2019, BTS announced that their tenth Japanese-language single "Lights" would be released alongside the Japanese versions of the band's previously released Korean-language singles "Idol" (2018) and "Boy with Luv" (2019). The record marked BTS's first original Japanese single in two years since "Crystal Snow" (2017). It was also the band's first Japanese single in four years to receive a music video, after "For You" (2015).

III. Tracklist

IV. Spotify Playlist

V. Videos

Teaser

Official MV

VI. Reception

"Lights" was a commercial success in Japan. The single topped the Oricon Daily Singles Chart on its first day of release, selling 467,107 copies. By doing so, BTS achieved the highest sales in a single day by a foreign artist in the country, surpassing the record set by their previous Japanese single album, "Fake Love / Airplane Pt. 2", of 327,342 copies. The band also recorded the highest sales figures in a week, surpassing another self record of 454,829 copies.

During the tracking period of July 1–3, 2019, the single recorded 636,345 copies sold, achieving higher sales than "Fake Love / Airplane Pt. 2" by over 100,000 units. On July 3, 2019, pre-orders for the single crossed 1,000,000 copies, marking the first time a Korean artist achieved a million shipments for a single in Japan, and breaking a 24-year-old record previously held solely by Celine Dion, with her 1995 single "To Love You More". The single remained at number one on the daily chart for seven consecutive days, selling 637,000 physical copies in its first week. "Lights" peaked at number one on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart for the chart issue dated July 1–7, 2019, and became the best-selling physical single of July 2019 in Japan, selling 769,454 copies. For the year end chart, it was the sixth best-selling single in the country.

"Lights" debuted at number 81 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for the chart issue date of July 8, 2019. The following week, it rose up 80 places to number one on the chart. The single remained in the top five of the chart at number two, on the issue date of July 22, 2019.

On August 8, 2019, "Lights" received a million certification from the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ), denoting shipments of 1,000,000 copies, making BTS the first male foreign artist to achieve this. The band also became the first male act in 11 years to earn a million award in the country since Masafumi Akikawa's 2007 single, "A Thousand Winds"; it was the first time the band attained the certification since their debut.

"Lights" debuted at number one on the US World Digital Songs chart on the issue date of July 20, 2019, becoming the band's 14th number one on the chart. Elsewhere, the song entered the record charts in Scotland at number 73 on the Scottish Singles Chart, and appeared at number 10 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart, an extension to the New Zealand Top 40 chart.