BTS's 'Arirang' scores biggest group sales week in 10 years
What's the story
BTS has made history by debuting their latest album, Arirang, at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. This achievement marks the South Korean septet's seventh top rank on this prestigious list. The album sold over half a million units (physical and digital), with an impressive debut of 641K equivalent album units, including 532K in pure sales (physical and digital albums).
Record-breaking debut
'Arirang' breaks K-Pop US debut records
Arirang has not only topped the Billboard 200 chart but also set a new record for the biggest K-Pop album debut in US history. The album surpassed BTS's own record set by their 2020 release, Map of the Soul: 7. Additionally, it marks the biggest sales week for an album by a group in over a decade.
Past successes
BTS has 6 prior No.1 albums
BTS has a history of success on the Billboard 200 chart, with six other albums also reaching No. 1. These include Proof (2022), Be (2020), Map of the Soul: 7 (2020), Map of the Soul: Persona (2019), Love Yourself: Answer (2018), and Love Yourself: Tear (2018). Arirang's chart-topping debut adds to this impressive list of achievements for the group.
Streaming success
'Arirang' earns 110 million streams on 1st day
In addition to its chart-topping debut, Arirang also broke streaming records on Spotify. The album garnered 110 million streams on its first day of release globally, with 14 songs charting. This made it the biggest album debut of 2026 so far. The title track, Swim, has also dominated the Global Spotify chart for nine consecutive days since its release.