BTS’s “Arirang” Tops Billboard and Spotify Simultaneously…641,000 Units Mark Highest Launch of the Year

BTS’s fifth studio album, “Arirang,” has claimed the top spots on both the U.S. Billboard 200 and Spotify, the world’s largest music streaming platform. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 with 641,000 equivalent units, setting the highest first-week sales figure for any album this year.

Breaking down the sales figures, 532,000 were physical copies sold, including 208,000 vinyl records, and when streaming data is added, the total reaches 641,000 units. This marks the highest first-week record for a group album in over 10 years, surpassing even the achievement of One Direction’s “Midnight Memories” in 2013. Even world-renowned artists like Drake, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar failed to reach this figure in their first weeks.

On Spotify, “Arirang” topped the Global charts for “Weekly Top Album,” “Weekly Top Song,” and “Weekly Top Artist.” It also retained first place in the Global “Daily Top Artist” and “Daily Top Song” charts for two consecutive weeks. During its first week alone, it recorded nearly 100 million on-demand streams.

The title track, “Swim,” became BTS’s seventh number one on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the group’s first Hot 100 victory since 2021. As a single, 154,000 copies were sold, and it ranked second on the streaming chart and 18th on the radio charts, demonstrating strong momentum across various platforms. “Swim” also topped the YouTube Music weekly rankings in terms of views.

These achievements serve as a signal of BTS’s return after a three-year and nine-month hiatus. The members began their mandatory military service in South Korea in mid-2022 and completed it by the end of 2023. The long wait of their fandom, ARMY, who focused on individual projects during this time, has finally been rewarded. Since its release on March 20, “Arirang” has achieved the first-ever streak of its tracks from number one to ten on global charts (excluding the U.S.), and it continues to maintain this strong performance. BTS is set to launch a global world tour starting in April, beginning in South Korea and continuing through North America.