BTS’ fifth album has topped the Billboard 200 albums chart for the second consecutive week, becoming the first K-pop album to achieve the feat.
According to a chart preview released by Billboard on Sunday, “Arirang” remained at No. 1 on the main albums chart, surpassing new releases including Ye’s “Bully,” which debuted at No. 2, and Melanie Martinez’s “Hades” at No. 3.
BTS’ latest achievement marks the group’s seventh No. 1 album on the Billboard 200.
The Billboard 200 ranks albums based on a combination of physical album sales, streaming equivalent albums and track equivalent albums.
During the latest tracking week, “Arirang” recorded 187,000 album-equivalent units, down 71 percent from the previous week. Of the total, 114,000 came from physical album sales, allowing the album to retain the top spot on the Billboard 200 for a second week. Streaming activity accounted for 65,000 units, while digital track sales contributed to 8,000 units.
“Arirang” posted 641,000 album-equivalent units in its debut week. According to Billboard, this was the highest figure recorded for any group since it began calculating chart performance using album units in December 2014, and the biggest weekly total for any artist in 2026.
The album features 14 tracks, including the lead track “Swim,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week and is projected to remain within the top 10 on the upcoming chart.
Released on March 20, BTS’ new album ended its three-year hiatus from full-group activities. It explores their identity as a group that began its musical journey in Korea, and the universal emotions the members have encountered throughout the years.
According to industry observers, the album’s strong performance reflects a broader shift in K-pop’s global strategy. The songs combine collaboration with producers such as Diplo and Ryan Tedder with distinctly Korean cultural elements: the melody of the Korean folk song “Arirang” in “Body to Body,” the resonant bell sound of the Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok in “No. 29,” and RM’s reference to independence activist Kim Koo in the lyrics to “Aliens.”
This approach appears to be part of BTS' push toward the mainstream, reaching beyond its core fandom, Army, to attract a wider audience. Data appears to support this transition. According to Spotify, the number of new listeners discovering BTS surged by more than 690 percent when “Arirang” was released.
“The increase in new listeners can be interpreted as a model of transition from one that was more catered toward BTS’ fandom to one driven by wider cultural consumption,” explained culture critic Kim Heon-sik to The Korea Herald.
“As K-pop continues to evolve, ‘Arirang’ could serve as a blueprint for future releases — one that combines global collaboration, cultural authenticity and expanded audience reach.”
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
