ATEEZ makes Billboard Hot 100 debut with Lemon Drop, but here's why group is facing 'fraudulent' accusation from netizens

Pink Villa

24-06-2025

ATEEZ achieved a historic feat by breaking into the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the first time. They debuted on the singles chart with their latest release Lemon Drop and the news was shared by their agency KQ Entertainment on June 24. The achievement sparked congratulatory messages from ATINYs (ATEEZ's fanbase). However, the celebration was not without controversy, as some individuals accused the group of securing the feat with illegitimate means.
ATEEZ makes Billboard Hot 100 debut
Lemon Drop, ATEEZ 's title track from their 12th mini-album GOLDEN HOUR : Part. 3, debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was revealed through the latest chart data release on June 23. The song achieved 1,220,112 streams on Spotify and its music video exceeded 24 million views within just 10 days of its release. The numbers might be one of their career bests.
With that, ATEEZ became the third K-pop boy group, following BTS and Stray Kids to enter the chart. They are also now the only artists belonging to a management label outside the 'Big 4' to have attained the milestone. ATEEZ previously secured No. 2 rank on the Billboard 200 with the album as well, making GOLDEN HOUR : Part. 3 one of their most successful releases.
But a group of people have been criticizing their achievements. Read to know why.
Why is ATEEZ's Billboard Hot 100 charting being accused of fraud?
ATEEZ is being called out for lack by a group of individuals for making it to the Billboard Hot 100 list with lower presence on major global streaming platforms like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music and iTunes, than some of their K-pop industry competitors. An X-user even accused the boy band of releasing "random physical CDs with member's faces on it at target to rack up sales", while some others called them "fraudulent."
However, a bunch of dedicated fans swiftly rallied to explain that in case of ATEEZ, their physical album sales were much better than their online streaming performance, which resulted in the Hot 100 charting. They also jotted down the rankings the group held with GOLDEN HOUR : Part. 3 in several streaming platforms as means to justify the charting as legitimate.