▲ BTS performs at its comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, March 26 (Yonhap) -- K-pop supergroup BTS is aiming for the top of major music charts in the United States and Britain with its fifth studio album “Arirang,” industry sources said Thursday.

 

According to industry watchers, the album is widely expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 next week. It would mark the group’s seventh chart-topping album, driven by strong physical sales fueled by pent-up demand from fans during a hiatus of three years and nine months.

 

The album’s lead track “Swim” is also projected to debut at or near the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Several U.S.-based chart prediction social media accounts forecast the song to enter at No. 1 or No. 2, although the final ranking may change with one day remaining in the tracking period.

 

Since its debut, BTS has scored six No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, including “Dynamite,” “Savage Love,” “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” and “My Universe.”

 

“Swim” is also expected to land in the top tier of the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100. BTS’ previous highest ranking on the chart was No. 3, achieved by both “Dynamite” and “Butter.”

 

The Official Charts Company said in a recent forecast article that BTS is aiming for its first No. 1 single in the U.K. with “Swim,” adding the track is likely to become the group’s highest-charting single there.

 

According to data from Spotify cited by BigHit Music, “Swim” recorded 14.64 million streams on its first day of release.

 

The figure is about 1.3 times higher than “Butter” and 1.9 times higher than “Dynamite,” although some analysts note that Spotify’s global user base has grown significantly since those songs were released in 2020 and 2021.

 

Following the release of “Arirang,” the number of first-time listeners of BTS on Spotify surged 690 percent, while the album was added to personal playlists more than 11.7 million times.

 

▲ BTS performs at its comeback concert at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on March 21, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

 

Streaming of the new album also jumped 120 percent immediately after the group’s comeback performance held at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21. The encore song “Mikrokosmos,” originally released in 2019, saw its domestic streams rise 250 percent from the previous day.

 

BigHit Music said the figures indicate BTS is expanding its presence beyond its core fandom to reach a broader global audience with the new album.K-pop supergroup BTS is aiming for the top of major music charts in the United States and Britain with its fifth studio album “Arirang,” industry sources said Thursday.

 

According to industry watchers, the album is widely expected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 next week. It would mark the group’s seventh chart-topping album, driven by strong physical sales fueled by pent-up demand from fans during a hiatus of three years and nine months.

 

The album’s lead track “Swim” is also projected to debut at or near the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Several U.S.-based chart prediction social media accounts forecast the song to enter at No. 1 or No. 2, although the final ranking may change with one day remaining in the tracking period.

 

Since its debut, BTS has scored six No. 1 hits on the Hot 100, including “Dynamite,” “Savage Love,” “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” and “My Universe.”

 

“Swim” is also expected to land in the top tier of the UK Official Singles Chart Top 100. BTS’ previous highest ranking on the chart was No. 3, achieved by both “Dynamite” and “Butter.”

 

The Official Charts Company said in a recent forecast article that BTS is aiming for its first No. 1 single in the U.K. with “Swim,” adding the track is likely to become the group’s highest-charting single there.

 

According to data from Spotify cited by BigHit Music, “Swim” recorded 14.64 million streams on its first day of release.

 

The figure is about 1.3 times higher than “Butter” and 1.9 times higher than “Dynamite,” although some analysts note that Spotify’s global user base has grown significantly since those songs were released in 2020 and 2021.

 

Following the release of “Arirang,” the number of first-time listeners of BTS on Spotify surged 690 percent, while the album was added to personal playlists more than 11.7 million times.

 

Streaming of the new album also jumped 120 percent immediately after the group’s comeback performance held at Gwanghwamun Square on March 21. The encore song “Mikrokosmos,” originally released in 2019, saw its domestic streams rise 250 percent from the previous day.

 

BigHit Music said the figures indicate BTS is expanding its presence beyond its core fandom to reach a broader global audience with the new album.

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]