BTS’ “Swim” Ranks No. 1 on Billboard... Strong Support from Fandom

“Swim,” the title track from BTS’s fifth studio album *ARIRANG*, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the first week following its release, all 10 tracks from the album entered the chart, demonstrating the group’s strength after a long hiatus.

The No. 1 position for “Swim” was driven primarily by overwhelming song sales and downloads from their fans. In the first week, song sales accounted for over 40% of the total score, while streaming contributed around 10%. This figure differs significantly from other pop songs in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, where song sales typically make up only 1–2% and streaming accounts for 20–50%.

This performance contrasts with that of their previous global hits. “Dynamite” held the No. 1 spot for two consecutive weeks, and “Butter” stayed at No. 1 for seven weeks. In contrast, “Swim” dropped to No. 2 in the following week. While “Dynamite” and “Butter” remained on the chart for 32 weeks and 20 weeks respectively, “Swim” is characterized by strong fan-driven chart performance.

K-pop’s expansion into global markets takes various forms. Rosé’s “APT.” reached only No. 3 as its highest position, but she became the first K-pop singer to top the Billboard Pop Streaming chart. It also set a record for the longest consecutive appearance on the Hot 100 at 45 weeks. *KPop Demon Hunters*’ “Golden” debuted at No. 81 before holding the No. 1 spot for seven weeks, establishing a record for the longest duration at the top among animated series soundtracks. It currently remains at No. 7 after 41 weeks.

By having all 10 tracks from *ARIRANG* enter the chart in the first week of release, BTS showed that its influence in the global music market remains strong.