“Seeing foreigners singing along to the chorus of ‘ARIRANG’ will be incredibly iconic.” Bang Si Hyuk’s prediction is now coming true. BTS is taking the world by storm with their new album “ARIRANG,” proving their unstoppable global influence.
With their fifth album ARIRANG, entirely produced by Bang Si Hyuk, BTS is once again leading the global spread of Korean culture.
Their comeback show alone had tremendous significance. On March 21, BTS held “BTS THE RETURN LIVE: ARIRANG” at Gwanghwamun Square, transforming a simple throwback stage into a cultural statement. By naming the album after Korea’s most iconic folk song and performing in one of the nation’s most symbolic venues, BTS created a historic moment, capturing both Gwanghwamun and all seven members in one powerful frame.
The choice of location was reportedly Bang Si Hyuk’s idea. HYBE Music Group APAC CEO Yoo Dong Joo explained during a press conference that the decision reflects BTS’s identity and journey. “We thought deeply about what defines BTS and what only BTS can do. After nearly four years, this comeback represents both their past and future. Producer Bang Si Hyuk emphasized that BTS, who have risen from Korea to global stardom, should start again from the most symbolic place in Korea.”
BTS continued their global momentum on March 24 with a special event, “Spotify held at Pier 17 Rooftop in New York. The group’s expectant fans were seen singing along to the song “Body to Body” and when the ARIRANG sample played, the crowd erupted into huge chants, attracting widespread attention.
Previously, Bang Si Hyuk predicted that when they performed in front of tens of thousands of fans, more than half of them foreigners would sing along with ARIRANG. That vision has now come true, demonstrating the global power of Korean cultural elements incorporated into BTS’ music.
BTS also appeared Tonight’s show with Jimmy Fallon on March 26 and 27, where they gave host Jimmy Fallon traditional Korean slippers and performed at the Guggenheim Museum with cushions instead of chairs, subtly introducing Korean cultural aesthetics to a global audience.
The results speak for themselves. According to Hanteo Chart, ARIRANG, released on March 20, surpassed 4.16 million copies in its first week, setting a new personal record for BTS. The album sold one million copies within just 10 minutes of release and sold 3.98 million copies in its first day alone, the highest single-day sales for any album released in 2026.
Globally, the momentum continues. On Apple Music, the album topped charts in 115 countries and regions, including the United States, Japan, Germany and Mexico. It also recorded the most first-day streams in BTS’ history, making them the most streamed artists on the platform that day.
According to Billboard’s preview chart released on March 30, ARIRANG debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking BTS’s seventh chart-topping album.
In Japan, the album topped the combined Oricon weekly album chart, becoming BTS’ seventh No. 1 and also recording the highest weekly sales among foreign artists this year. It also dominated several charts, including the Weekly Albums Chart, the Weekly Digital Albums Chart, and the Western Music Albums Chart.
The album’s success extends across Europe and beyond. It topped the UK Official Albums Chart’s Top 100, France’s SNEP Top Albums, Australia’s ARIA Top 50 Albums & Vinyl Charts, and Germany’s Official Albums Charts. Notably, BTS became the first group in chart history to simultaneously top both the album and singles charts in Germany.
Nationwide, BTS has taken first place on major Korean music shows, including Show Sample, M Countdown, Music BankAND Inkigayo without even making appearances on the broadcast.
Sources: Daum
