MUSIC
BTS Achieves Platinum Success in France and Japan with Latest Album 'ARIRANG'
According to the official website of the French National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (SNEP) on the 27th, BTS's fifth studio album 'ARIRANG' has been certified 'Platinum' in the album category. This certification is awarded to albums that achieve sales equivalent to 100,000 units, combining physical album sales, downloads, and streaming conversions.
With this, BTS now holds their fourth 'Platinum' certified album in the album category, following 'MAP OF THE SOUL: 7', 'Proof', and 'LOVE YOURSELF: ANSWER'. Notably, 'ARIRANG' received a 'Gold' certification just six days after its release and achieved 'Platinum' status in about a month. Previously, 'MAP OF THE SOUL: 7' and 'Proof' received the same certification after 14 months.
BTS has also garnered significant attention in Japan. According to the Recording Industry Association of Japan on the 28th, their 2018 Japanese studio album 'FACE YOURSELF' track 'Let Go' surpassed 100 million cumulative streams in March, earning a 'Platinum' certification in the streaming category. This marks their 17th 'Platinum' certification, setting a new record for the most certifications by a K-pop artist. The association awards certifications monthly based on cumulative streams: Gold (over 50 million), Platinum (over 100 million), and Diamond (over 500 million). The new release surpassed 750,000 cumulative shipments as of March, earning a 'Triple Platinum' certification, just 11 days after its release on March 20.
On the 25th (local time), BTS kicked off their North American tour with the first performance of 'BTS WORLD TOUR 'ARIRANG' IN NORTH AMERICA' at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The tour will cover 12 cities, including Mexico City, Las Vegas, and Chicago, with a total of 31 shows. All tickets have sold out. After completing three shows in Tampa, BTS will continue their tour at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso on May 2-3.
Kim Ji-won, TenAsia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr
