After more than 4 years of hiatus, the BTS group has successfully made a strong comeback. On Monday, the 7 members topped the charts in the United States as well as around the world.
In their title “2.0”, they set the tone for their highly anticipated return: “Have you had your fun, mate? Because I’m here to reclaim what’s mine.” These words now have a special flavor. After almost 4 years of absence due to their mandatory military service, the seven BTS members have perfectly succeeded in their comeback. A week after the release of their album, “ARIRANG” has already surpassed over 700 million streams on Spotify. A record for a project released in 2026, surpassing the very popular Harry Styles’ album. The first of many revelations last Monday.
Billboard has just released its various rankings. And one thing is for sure, the fans – the ARMY – have reasons to rejoice. Firstly, “ARIRANG” sold nearly 4 million copies in one day, marking the biggest week for a group in over a decade. Not surprisingly, the album that bears the name of a traditional Korean song topped the Billboard 200 (the U.S. album sales chart). And that’s not all, as BTS also managed to place “Swim”, their single, at the top of the highly competitive and almost untouchable U.S. Top 100, accumulating streaming records as well as sales.
And if this success seems almost unattainable for many artists, BTS can pride themselves on achieving this result with 6 of their other past hits, including the classics “Dynamite” and “Butter”. As a comparison, BTS is only the fifth group in history to have so many number 1 hits in the United States, behind the Rolling Stones, the Bee Gees, the Supremes, and the Beatles. Quite an achievement. In a statement published on Tuesday, the members explained how these rankings are “a great honor”. “We deeply thank the ARMY, who have always shown us unwavering love and support, as well as everyone who has listened to our music and shared their feelings with us. Thank you for your constant faith and support, and we will continue to make music sincerely,” they expressed.
The C.O.A.T?
Since the United States is the leading producer of music and their artists often benefit from global media coverage, other rankings are sometimes ignored. However, they signify a global cultural impact beyond borders. In the Billboard Global 200 (which measures songs by combining results in the U.S. and the rest of the world), “ARIRANG” dominates the top 9 positions. In the Global 200 excluding the U.S., the album performs even better by placing its 13 songs in the top 13. No artist has ever achieved such a result in history.
In France, it took only a week for the project to become Gold certified and reach number 1 on SNEP. They also achieved this in China, Japan, South Korea, England, Germany, and even Australia.
We could continue this list by talking about results on various streaming platforms or the over 18 million people who watched BTS’s live concert on Netflix. But an acronym we just invented seems more fitting. Has the South Korean group just pulled off the first C.O.A.T in history – a “Come-Back Of All Time” that was not guaranteed.
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Overall, BTS’s comeback has been met with immense success and admiration, breaking records and reaching new heights in the music industry worldwide.
