BTS is showing remarkable influence in the global music market ahead of its full-group comeback.
BTS will release a new album next spring and embark on a large-scale world tour. Ahead of the comeback, they are actively communicating with ARMY (fandom name) around the world through various channels, including the global superfan platform Weverse. On the 16th, they held a practice room live broadcast on Weverse, and at that time RM said he recently obtained his driver's license.
This small personal update immediately affected music charts. A track from his second solo album Right Place, Wrong Person, "Nuts," reached No. 1 on the iTunes "Top Songs" chart in a total of 45 countries/regions, including Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, as of 6 a.m. on the 18th. Lyrics saying "He a pro ridah, hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo rider / Must be an A1 guider" coincided with news about RM and attracted fans' attention. Because of that, a track from the album released in May last year returned to the top of the charts about one year and seven months later.
Also drawing attention was the "#BTSInMaCity" campaign that fans voluntarily carried out on social media last November. Hoping that BTS's 2026 world tour would be held in their cities, fans streamed "Ma City," a track from the mini album "The Most Beautiful Moment in Life pt.2," and shared photos of local scenery on social media. The campaign expanded worldwide and stirred the music charts. The song reached No. 1 on iTunes "Top Songs" charts in 16 countries/regions, including Finland, Singapore and Luxembourg. It also re-entered the top of Billboard's "World Digital Song Sales" chart (Nov. 22) for the first time in about 10 years. "Ma City" is a song expressing the members' affection for the cities where they were born and raised.
BTS's impact was also confirmed on the latest Billboard charts (Dec. 20). "Anpanman," a track from the full-length album Love Yourself 轉: Tear, reached No. 1 on the "World Digital Song Sales" chart about seven years and seven months after its release. The song hit No. 1 on iTunes "Top Songs" charts in a total of 75 countries/regions, including the United States and the United Kingdom, as of 6 a.m. on the 18th. On the U.K. Official Charts, it reached No. 12 on the official single downloads chart and No. 24 on the official single sales chart, sparking a craze. "Anpanman" uses the character Anpanman—known as a hero who gives his head to the hungry and who lacks superpowers but can stay close for a long time—as its subject. Analysts say fans' collective support, eager for a friendly-hero–like BTS comeback, drove the song's resurgence.
BTS's popularity and the high expectations for the new release are evident in objective measures. Attention is focused on the new records and history the seven members will write with their 2026 activities.<
[Photo] BigHit Music
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