BTS once again pierced the heart of the global music market. According to a Billboard preview article on the 13th (local time), BTS's fifth studio album "Arirang" held the No. 1 spot on the main album chart Billboard 200 for the April 18 issue.
This is an astounding record that goes beyond simply reaching No. 1. It has been a full 14 years since a group album stayed atop this chart for three consecutive weeks, since Mumford & Sons' "Babel" in 2012. Among Korean singers, BTS is the only one to achieve this, and they are breaking their own record for the longest-charting Korean artist week after week.
This week "Arirang" recorded 124,000 album units, showing an overwhelming figure. Notably, pure album sales remain at 71,000 units. After recording 532,000 copies in its first week, the highest group album sales in more than a decade, its momentum has not cooled in the third week. Supported by 50,000 SEA (streaming-equivalent album) units and others, "Arirang" has proven it is not a fleeting hit but has entered a long-term, widespread run.
For artists with large fandoms, it is common for sales to concentrate in the first week of release and then drop sharply in the second and third weeks. But "Arirang" maintained steady results in its third week. In particular, the solidity of SEA units, which convert streaming numbers, proves that their music has deeply embedded itself in the daily lives of listeners worldwide. Especially significant is that the title track of this fifth studio album, "Arirang," goes beyond merely borrowing a Korean folk song; it engraved BTS's identity and the roots of K-culture on the global stage.
Across global charts, the "BTS reign" continues. ◇ Spotify: occupied No. 1 on the "weekly top albums" for three consecutive weeks ▲ Europe: reclaimed the top spot on Germany's official Top 100 albums chart, reached No. 2 in France (SNEP) ▲ Asia and Oceania: No. 2 on Japan's Oricon weekly combined albums, No. 2 in Australia (ARIA) — they swept the top ranks of major national charts. This demonstrates that BTS's musical prowess, transcending language and borders, has completely dominated global streaming and album markets.
The music chart results immediately translated into explosive concert enthusiasm. BTS successfully raised the curtain on the world tour "ARIRANG," held from the 9th to the 12th at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex. Drawing 132,000 spectators in only three shows, they now embark on a grand tour starting in Tokyo and covering North America, Europe, South America and Asia.
This tour will run a record 85 shows in 34 cities, the most by a Korean artist for a single tour. The scale of the global fandom proven by their Billboard domination is expected to be reinforced worldwide through live performances.
Having drawn 130,000 people with just three main stadium shows in Goyang, the tour is expected to attract more than 3 million spectators worldwide. The resulting economic ripple effects — ticket revenue, merchandise sales and tourism inducement for host cities — are projected to reach trillions of won. The economic value of the BTS brand is widely seen as having reached its peak again in 2026.
[Photo] BigHit Music
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