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| BTS / Photo courtesy of BigHit Music |
[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong] BTS has reached another career high. The staggering sales of their fifth studio album ARIRANG prove that the group’s global popularity and impact remain undiminished after a 3-year, 9-month hiatus.
According to sales tracker Hanteo Chart on the 27th, Arirang — released on the 20th — posted first-week sales of 4,169,464 copies, setting a new group record. That figure far surpasses the 3,370,000 first-week sales of their 2020 album MAP OF THE SOUL : 7. The new release became a million-seller within about 10 minutes of its debut and moved 3,980,000 copies on its first day alone, making it the top-selling album released in 2026 by a single-day total. The numbers underscore the explosive demand from fans around the world who had been waiting for BTS.
The album’s performance on global streaming platforms has been equally dominant. On Apple Music, as of the 21st Arirang topped album charts in 102 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Germany and Mexico. By the 27th, it had claimed No. 1 in 115 territories worldwide, confirming the Arirang phenomenon. On its first day, the album logged the highest number of plays among all BTS albums and made the group the most-streamed artist on Apple Music that day. Title track “SWIM” spent six consecutive days at No. 1 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart (March 20–25).
The group’s impact in Japan has been equally remarkable. Arirang debuted at No. 1 on Oricon’s weekly combined album ranking dated March 30, marking BTS’s seventh chart-topper on that list. It posted the highest weekly sales among foreign artists this year and swept Oricon’s major charts — topping both the Weekly Album Ranking and the Weekly Digital Album Ranking to secure a triple crown.
Executive produced by Bang Si-hyuk, the album digs deeply into BTS’s identity and the universal emotions encountered in life. The title track “SWIM” offers a message of empathy and comfort, urging listeners to keep swimming forward through life’s waves.
Meanwhile, on the 24th BTS hosted a special event, Spotify X BTS: SWIMSIDE, on the Pier 17 rooftop in New York, where they met local fans. Attendees sang along to album track “Body to Body” while waiting, and when the passage that incorporates the folk song “Arirang” played, the crowd joined in unison, creating a viral moment. In Seoul, the BTS THE CITY ARIRANG SEOUL project is underway, transforming the city into a hub for cultural and artistic experiences and staging a festival enjoyed by both fans and residents.
[Sports Today reporter Lim Si-ryeong ent@stoo.com]
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