BTS has extended its 22-week run across major global music charts, including the U.K. Official Charts, with its fifth studio album, ‘Arirang.’ The achievement goes beyond a brief burst of attention, reflecting sustained music consumption over an extended period.
According to an announcement Thursday from Big Hit Music, BTS’ ‘Arirang’ landed at No. 68 on the latest U.K. Official Albums Chart Top 100, dated Aug. 21-27. The album has remained on the chart for 22 consecutive weeks since its release in March, setting a new record for the group’s longest run. The result ranks among the strongest performances by new releases from global artists this year and shows that the album has maintained steady market demand for more than five months.
The album performed evenly across both physical sales and streaming metrics. It ranked No. 32 on the Official Physical Albums chart, No. 30 on the Official Scottish Albums chart, No. 34 on the Official Albums Sales chart and No. 95 on the Official Albums Streaming chart, appealing to local music fans across a range of listening and purchasing habits.
‘SWIM’ and ‘NORMAL’ gain momentum as BTS world tour heats up
The album is also surging on Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform. ‘Arirang’ rose to No. 2 on Spotify’s Weekly Top Albums Global chart, holding firmly within the top three for all 22 weeks since its release. Lead single ‘SWIM’ remained in the top 10 at No. 9, while ‘NORMAL,’ an album track that recently received a Korean-language release and music video, reached No. 61 and logged its fifth consecutive week on the chart.
The results point to the formation of a broad listening habit in which audiences return to the album’s tracks as a whole, rather than concentrating on a single lead single for a one-time burst of consumption. They indicate that the album has moved fully beyond the fandom-driven attention of its early weeks into a phase of sustained mainstream listening.
BTS is currently connecting with fans around the world through the ‘BTS WORLD TOUR ARIRANG,’ the largest tour by a Korean act based on a single tour, with 88 shows across 34 cities. Amid a virtuous cycle spanning album sales, streaming and large-scale performances, ‘Arirang’ is providing powerful momentum for BTS’ future global activities.
