BTS 'Arirang', One of the Most Successful Albums in the UK This Year [Official]

*This content was translated by AI.

The fifth full-length album 'Arirang' by the group BTS was selected as one of the most successful albums in the UK during the first half of this year.

On the 16th (local time), the Official Charts Company released its list titled "The Official Biggest Albums of 2026 So Far." This ranking is based on cumulative sales from physical CDs, digital downloads, and audio and video streaming from January through the present.

In this chart, BTS's 'Arirang' secured the 20th position. Michael Jackson's legendary album 'Thriller', which has seen renewed popularity following the release of his biographical film 'Michael', ranked 21st, just behind 'Arirang'.

Other albums by globally renowned artists such as the legendary British rock band Oasis and Queen also filled the top 40. Only six acts, including BTS, Drake, Harry Styles, and Olivia Rodrigo, entered this chart with new releases issued this year.

Furthermore, according to Big Hit Music on the 18th, BTS's 'Arirang' debuted at number one on the UK Official Albums Top 100 for the week of March 27 to April 2, its first week after release. It has consistently remained within the top 40, and recently surged in ranking due to the impact of their world tour concerts held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. In last week's chart (July 10–16), it climbed an impressive 16 positions from Jeonju to reach 21st place. The Official Charts Company highlighted that "this marks 'Arirang', BTS's comeback album, as the K-pop project with the best performance on the UK Official Charts so far in 2026."

'Arirang' also demonstrated enduring popularity on the latest UK Official chart (July 17–23). It ranked 35th on this week's Official Albums Top 100, marking its 17th consecutive week on the chart. The album also appeared on the Official Streaming Albums (42nd) and Official Vinyl Albums (25th) charts. On the Official Album Sales and Official Physical Albums charts, it secured 19th and 20th positions respectively. The title track 'SWIM' re-entered the physical singles chart at 62nd place.

On Spotify, a global audio and music streaming platform, 'Arirang's achievements are even more impressive. It has held the second position on the Weekly Top Albums Global for five consecutive weeks. BTS alternated between first and second place on this chart over 17 weeks, reaching the top spot nine times in total — the highest number of #1s achieved by any artist this year. 'SWIM' climbed to eighth place on the Weekly Top Songs Global this week. The album tracks 'Body to Body', '2.0', and 'Hooligan' also maintained their positions for 17 consecutive weeks. Additionally, the new single 'Come Over', released last month on the 12th, joined the chart for its fifth week, bringing BTS's total to five songs on Spotify's Weekly Songs chart.

Meanwhile, BTS once again dominated global charts by releasing additional tracks on the 17th, including a Korean version of the album track 'Normal'. As of 9 a.m. on the 18th, the Korean version of 'Normal' topped iTunes' Top Songs in 69 countries and regions, including the United States, the UK, Germany, and Brazil. The seven members conveyed emotions of emptiness and fear that lie beneath the spotlight with calm yet powerful delivery, earning positive reactions.

BTS's tour activities have become a powerful catalyst driving reverse trends in music and album charts across Europe. 'Arirang' ranked fourth on Germany's official music chart (Offizielle Deutsche Charts) Top 100 Albums (as of July 17), climbing five positions from Jeonju and maintaining its presence in the top ranks for 17 consecutive weeks. 'SWIM' rebounded 21 places to reach 67th on the Top 100 Singles chart, reflecting the energy from their performances in Munich held on the 11th and 12th. As BTS continues their tour route across Europe, music and album charts throughout the continent are rising in tandem.

BTS will conclude their European tour with shows at Paris's Stade de France on the 17th and 18th. They will then head to the United States, where they are scheduled to perform alongside pop stars Madonna, Shakira, and Justin Bieber during the halftime show of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean Cup™ final at New York New Jersey Stadium on the 19th.

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*This content was translated by AI.