The group BTS's fifth studio album "Arirang (ARIRANG)" has been recognized in the U.K., the birthplace of pop, as one of the biggest successful albums of the first half of this year. Along with this, following the footsteps of their European tour, local music charts are all reversing course, showing megaton-level impact.
According to the U.K. Official Chart's "The Official biggest albums of 2026 so far," released on the 16th (local time), BTS's "Arirang" proudly ranked 20th. Among artists who released new albums this year and entered that chart are only six acts worldwide, including BTS, Drake, Harry Styles, and Olivia Rodrigo. It is especially meaningful because it outperformed legendary albums by the king of pop Michael Jackson's "THRILLER" (21st) and bands such as Oasis and Queen.
"Arirang" went straight to No. 1 on the U.K. Official Albums Top 100 in its first week of release and has remained in the top ranks since. Fueled by the excitement of the recent Tottenham Hotspur Stadium world tour concert, it also ranked 35th on the latest chart (July 17-23), setting the major record of 17 consecutive weeks on the chart. The Official Chart said "'Arirang' is the best-performing K-pop project on the U.K. Official Chart to date in 2026," the organization said.
BTS's dominance continues on Spotify, the world's largest music platform, and on major European national charts. "Arirang" held No. 2 for five consecutive weeks on Spotify's Weekly Top Albums Global and holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 this year (nine times in total). Including the title track "SWIM," a total of five songs were positioned on the weekly song charts. Also, following the ripple effect of the July 11-12 Munich shows in Germany, the album climbed to No. 4 on the German official music chart (Offizielle Deutsche Charts) and No. 67 on the singles chart, stirring European charts along the tour route.
A surprise gift for global fans also struck the charts. Additional tracks, including the Korean version of the song "NORMAL" released on the 17th, swept to No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in 69 countries/regions worldwide, including the U.S., U.K., Germany and Brazil, as of 9 a.m. on the 18th. Critics say the seven members' candid confessions, calmly expressing the emptiness and fear behind the dazzling spotlight, truly pierced the hearts of listeners around the world.
Meanwhile, having once again stamped the "BTS syndrome" across Europe, BTS will stage a spectacular finale to their European tour at Stade de France in Paris on the 17th and 18th. They will then move to the U.S. and perform at the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup™ final at MetLife Stadium in New York/New Jersey on the 19th, joining megastars such as Madonna and Justin Bieber to color the global celebration in gold.
[Photo] BigHit Music (HYBE)
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