BTS has taken over the U.S. Billboard charts.
According to the latest charts released by Billboard, a leading U.S. music publication, on March 31st, BTS's fifth studio album 'ARIRANG' has made a significant impact. The title track 'SWIM' has claimed the top spot on the main song chart, the 'Hot 100'. Out of the 14 tracks on the album, excluding the interlude track 'No. 29' which features the sound of the Sacred Bell of King Seongdeok, all 13 vocal tracks have charted. Seven of these tracks have made it into the top 50, with 'SWIM' at number 1, followed by 'Body To Body' (25th), 'Hooligan' (35th), 'FYA' (36th), 'Normal' (41st), 'Aliens' (47th), and '2.0' (50th).
The album showcases a variety of genres, including Hyper Jersey Club, Soul Pop Rock, and Alternative Hip Hop. The fact that all vocal tracks have entered the 'Hot 100' is a testament to BTS's ability to satisfy a wide range of musical tastes.
The group's achievements on the 'Global' charts are also noteworthy. The title track 'SWIM' has topped both the 'Global 200' and 'Global (Excluding U.S.)' charts, marking the group's eighth number-one hit on each. Notably, BTS has swept the top 13 positions on the 'Global (Excluding U.S.)' chart, surpassing previous records set by Taylor Swift in October 2025 and Bad Bunny in February. BTS is the first artist in Billboard history to dominate the top positions of this chart.
According to data from U.S. entertainment industry research firm Luminate, 'SWIM' achieved 108 million streams and 221,000 sales, securing the number one spot on the 'Global 200'. This success extended to the album's tracks, with nine songs, including the title track, entering the 'Top 10' simultaneously. This is the highest number of 'Top 10' entries in a week since Taylor Swift in May 2024. BTS has now accumulated 20 songs in the 'Global 200' top 10 and 21 songs in the 'Global (Excluding U.S.)' top 10, the most for any group worldwide.
'ARIRANG' also claimed the top spot on the main album chart, the 'Billboard 200' (April 4th edition), with 641,000 album units sold, marking the highest weekly sales for a group album in over a decade. This is the first time BTS has simultaneously topped both the 'Billboard 200' and 'Hot 100' since their mini-album 'BE' and its title track 'Life Goes On' in 2020, approximately six years ago. Additionally, BTS has dominated this week's 'Artist 100', 'Digital Song Sales', 'World Digital Song Sales', 'Top Album Sales', 'Top Streaming Albums', and 'Vinyl Albums' charts.
By Ji-won Kim, TenAsia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr