Top 7 foreign songs that are popular in the USA

It’s difficult to imagine the USA music scene without an occasional foreign song or a music video that makes it to the prestigious TOP 40 list on Spotify. The Internet and social networks have enabled pretty much anyone to take part in the global music scene, so being able to make it to the top is not unachievable, even for foreigners.

Join us as we take a peek at some of the most popular foreign songs that have marked the past few years of the USA music scene. For some of these, you may even need to find a translation company online to better understand the lyrics. Now, here is our list of the top seven foreign songs that are popular in the USA.

‘On’ by BTS

‘On’ by BTS was released in February 2020 and soon became a global hit. Also, the Korean boy band released a remix with Sia a month later. “On” is unique because it’s the first song released on TikTok, 12 hours before the official release.

‘Despacito’ by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee

‘Despacito’ swept the globe in a single summer. The song was released in 2017 and has made it to the top international lists in a matter of months. The ‘official’ song of the summer was even named one of the 100 best songs of the century by Rolling Stone. Also, “Despacito” is a Latin pop song that has increased interest in reggaeton parties worldwide.

‘Permission to Dance’ by BTS

BTS seems to be the most popular foreign band in the USA right now. With three entries in our Top 7 foreign song list, they are unique for sure. “Permission to Dance” by BTS was released in 2021 and was the first song by the K-Pop band to reach heights by means of YouTube only.

‘Gangnam Style’ by PSY

First things first, “Gangnam Style” by PSY is a great k-pop/dance-pop song released back in 2012. The song has some rock elements, as many notice, and is a great example of how rock music aids in learning languages. In a matter of months after its release, “Gangnam Style” has reached planetary fame and recognition. Today, it boasts more than four billion views on YouTube. This puts it at the very top of our most popular foreign songs in the USA.

‘Crystal Dolphin’ by Engelwood

‘Crystal Dolphin’ by Engelwood is a future funk/electronic dance song that peaked during 2020. The music video features a boy and an Asian-style mermaid as they realize they belong to different worlds. A number of remixes soon appeared, so the original song lost in popularity, and it now counts only 30 million views on YouTube.

‘Boy With Luv’ by BTS

‘Boy With Luv’ by BTS is another super-popular K-Pop song by the boy band. The song was released in 2019 and has hit 100 million views in less than two days. On the first day of the release, it reached a record of 74 million views on YouTube. The music video itself was a huge success, featuring BTS members dressed in black and white with perfectly staged choreography.

‘Feliz Navidad’ by Jose Feliciano

‘Feliz Navidad’ by Jose Feliciano is the oldest song on our list, as it was released back in 1970 for the first time. Recorded on an outdated medium, the tape, the song took over 40 years to regain its lost popularity as it was the song that marked 2019/2020 winter.

Top 7 foreign songs that are popular in the USA

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Photo by James Stamler via Unsplash

Final Thoughts

The number of international songs popular in the USA seems to be on a slight rise in the past few years. The foreign songs have a lot of competition, though, as the USA music scene keeps getting richer. However, there are a few hits every year that deserve their international status and are hitting the USA charts.

About the author

Melony Hart loves traveling in her spare time. The small towns in Italy are her favorite destination. She loves reading, especially classical poetry, and hopes to inspire others to take up this wonderful hobby.


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