BTS's fifth studio album Arirang (ARIRANG) is continuing its long-running success in the United States.
According to a chart preview article Billboard released on its official website on the 20th, BTS's Arirang landed at No. 3 on the latest main albums chart, the Billboard 200 (dated April 25). After holding the No. 1 spot for three consecutive weeks immediately following its release on the 20th of last month, it comfortably remained in the top three in its fourth week as well, showcasing its formidable album power.
Billboard's tally shows that the album units they earned this week—combining physical album sales, streaming (SEA) and downloads (TEA)—amount to 78,000. Notably, reaching No. 3 in its fourth week is the group's best-ever result, easily surpassing the No. 8 set by the 2019 album MAP OF THE SOUL : PERSONA. This indicates broad support from the general public beyond the concentrated power of the core fandom, and it also signals that the BTS 2.0 they have proclaimed is becoming a reality.
The dazzling chart performance has been directly reflected in the heat of their massive world tour. Having successfully launched with a total audience of 132,000 at Goyang Sports Complex main stadium on the 9th and the 11th–12th, they drew 110,000 over two days at Tokyo Dome on the 17th and 18th, concluding the performances there to great success.
The highlight of the Tokyo Dome shows was undoubtedly the stage for the new song Body to Body. Set to the melody of the traditional Korean folk song "Arirang" used in this track, the local audience erupted in a massive singalong all at once, creating a thrilling moment that will go down in concert history.
BTS's next destination is the Americas. They will officially kick off the North American leg at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on the upcoming 25th–26th and the 28th. The BTS WORLD TOUR "ARIRANG," spanning 34 cities worldwide and an astounding 85 shows, boasts an unprecedented scale for a single K-pop tour.
Meanwhile, BTS achieved a total of 14 music show wins with the title track SWIM. In addition, on the April 19 broadcast of SBS's Inkigayo, the album track 2.0 beat other No. 1 contenders to claim the top spot.
[photo] Big Hit Music (HYBE)
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