(LEAD) BTS' 'Arirang' sells record 4.17 mln copies in debut week

▲ This photo, provided by BigHit Music and Netflix, shows K-pop supergroup BTS performing at a concert in central Seoul on March 21, 2026, to mark the release of its fifth studio album, "Arirang." (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ K-pop boy group BTS is seen in this photo provided by BigHit Music. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) BTS-music charts

(LEAD) BTS' 'Arirang' sells record 4.17 mln copies in debut week

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with first-week sales record; ADDS photo)

By Shim Sun-ah

SEOUL, March 27 (Yonhap) -- K-pop megastars BTS' latest album, "Arirang," sold about 4.17 million copies in its first week, data from music sales tracker Hanteo Chart showed Friday.

Released last Friday, the album broke the group's own record for first-week sales, exceeding its previous mark of 3.37 million copies set by "Map of the Soul: 7" in 2020.

In the K-pop industry, first-week sales are considered an important measure of an artist's popularity and fandom size.

"Arirang" sold 1 million copies within about 10 minutes of its release and 3.98 million on the first day alone, the highest first-day sales of any album released in 2026, according to the group's agency BigHit Music.

On Apple Music, "Arirang" has topped album charts in 115 countries and regions around the world. The album also recorded the highest first-day streaming numbers of any BTS release, making the group the most-streamed artist on Apple Music last Friday.

The lead track "Swim" has stayed at No. 1 on Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global chart for six consecutive days, from March 20 to 25.

In Japan, "Arirang" debuted atop Oricon's weekly combined album chart dated March 30, becoming BTS' seventh No. 1 album on the chart and the best-selling release by an overseas artist this year. The album also led Oricon's weekly physical and digital album rankings, completing a sweep of the chart's major categories.

Produced under the direction of Hybe Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, "Arirang" explores BTS' identity as a group that began in Korea and universal emotions the members have encountered throughout their lives. "Swim" is an upbeat alternative pop song about navigating life's challenges, with lyrics co-written by BTS front man RM.

The K-pop septet staged a free concert for tens of thousands of fans at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on Saturday before flying to the United States, where it held a Spotify event in New York on Monday and appeared on NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on Wednesday.

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