BTS have become the first K-pop act to secure the number one spot on the US Billboard 200 albums chart for two consecutive weeks, per upi.com.
The group’s fifth studio album, Arirang, maintained its position at the top of the rankings for the week ending April 2, fending off competition from new releases by Ye and Melanie Martinez.
According to data from Billboard, Arirang earned 187,000 equivalent album units during its second week of release. While this represents a 71% decline from its 641,000-unit debut–the highest opening week recorded in 2026–it was sufficient to retain the lead. The total was driven by 114,000 traditional album sales and 65,000 streaming equivalent units.
The achievement marks a significant milestone for the genre. While previous K-pop releases and the soundtrack for the film KPop Demon Hunters have reached the summit, none had managed a successive stay at number one until now. Arirang, which was released on March 20, is a 14-track project exploring the group’s Korean identity and universal themes.
This latest success brings the group’s total to seven number-one albums on the Billboard 200. The streak began with Love Yourself: Tear and has continued through subsequent releases including Map of the Soul: 7 and the anthology album Proof. The current campaign has seen simultaneous success on the singles chart, with the lead track Swim debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
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The sustained performance of Arirang underscores the evolving commercial profile of K-pop in the United States, transitioning from high-velocity debut weeks driven by pre-orders to sustained domestic consumption across digital and physical platforms.
•Featured image: BTS member Jung Kook performs on the “Good Morning America” 2023 Summer Concert Series in New York City/John Angelillo/UPI
