The group BTS's 'Arirang' (ARIRANG) has topped the U.S. 'Billboard 200' for a third consecutive week.
On April 13, according to a chart preview article posted on the official website of U.S. music publication Billboard, BTS's fifth studio album 'Arirang' rose to No. 1 on the main album chart, the 'Billboard 200' (for the April 18 issue). It is the first time a group album has spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on this chart since Mumford & Sons' 'Babel,' released in 2012. At that time, 'Babel' spent a total of five weeks at No. 1. Also, BTS is the only Korean artist to hold the No. 1 spot on the 'Billboard 200' for a third week. They are extending their own record for the longest chart run by a Korean artist as they continue their rapid ascent.
According to Billboard, 'Arirang' recorded 124,000 album units on this week's chart. Of those, 71,000 were pure album sales (physical and digital purchases). SEA units (streaming equivalent albums) accounted for 50,000, and the remainder were TEA units (track equivalent albums).
In addition, 'Arirang' is still holding the top spot after setting various new records on Billboard in its debut week. This indicates that the album has moved beyond a temporary craze into long-term success. Earlier, 'Arirang' became the highest-performing group album on the Billboard 200 since Billboard introduced unit counts in December 2014, topping the chart (for the April 4 issue). First-week pure album sales (physical and digital purchases) were counted at 532,000, marking the highest weekly sales for a group album in more than a decade.
'Arirang' remains near the top of charts worldwide in its third week. It topped Spotify's latest weekly chart (tracking period: April 3–April 9), 'Weekly Top Albums,' for a third consecutive week, and it reclaimed the top spot on Germany's official music chart, 'Top 100 Albums' (for the April 10 issue). In Japan, it ranked No. 2 on Oricon's 'Weekly Digital Album Ranking' and 'Weekly Combined Album Ranking,' and No. 3 on the 'Weekly Album Ranking.' It reached No. 2 on France's Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) 'Top Albums' and No. 2 on Australia's ARIA 'Top 50 Albums,' proving its global strength.
This momentum has extended into the world tour. BTS held 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN GOYANG' at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex on April 9 and April 11–12, attracting 132,000 spectators. They will continue to meet audiences in Tokyo, North America, Europe, South America and other parts of Asia. The world tour will take place across 85 shows in 34 cities. It is the largest number of shows for a single tour by a Korean artist, and expectations are rising that BTS will write a new chapter in live performance history.
[Photo] BigHit Music (HYBE)
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