BTS Officially Reunites, Enters Billboard Top 10 with Live Album

The world’s largest K-POP group, BTS, has officially reunited after all of its members completed their military service. Amid long-awaited anticipation from fans, the group is marking the beginning of a new era by announcing the resumption of its activities. On July 1, BTS revealed plans for a new album release in 2026 and a world tour through an online live stream. This is the first officially confirmed schedule since all members finished their mandatory military service, sparking great excitement among fans. The fandom “ARMY” has already started saving money for tour tickets. The group’s youngest member, Jin, held solo performances at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, in July and August, offering live shows to local fans. Fans valued the opportunity to see the members in person after such a long time, expressing enthusiasm by saying, “We’re already excited just to have this chance now that their military service is over.” BTS’s album performance is also noteworthy. The live album “Permission to Dance on Stage – Live,” released on July 18, reached position 10 on the Billboard 200 chart on August 2. It became the third live album—after Taylor Swift and Metallica since 2020—to enter the top tier of the chart without including any new songs. The album recorded sales of 36,000 physical copies, 5,000 Streaming Equivalents Album (SEA) units, and 2,000 Track Equivalents Album (TEA) units. This live album features 12 performances from the “Permission to Dance on Stage” world tour held in Seoul, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas between 2021 and 2022, delivered in a hybrid format that included both live audience members and online viewers. To date, BTS has had 16 albums chart on the Billboard 200, with 6 of them reaching number one—examples include the “Proof” anthology and “Map of the Soul: 7.” With this live album reaching position 10, the group now has a total of 8 entries on the Billboard 200 Top 10 list. Additionally, BTS is the first Korean pop artist to receive Grammy recognition, having been nominated for 5 Grammys and winning 12 Billboard Music Awards.