BTS Proves Successful Comeback on Billboard Charts... “Highest Weekly LP Sales in 35 Years,” Various Records Also Set

Courtesy of Big Hit Music [Financial News] The popularity of BTS, who have made a comeback after about four years, is unstoppable. BTS has once again topped the U. S. 'Billboard 200' with their new album 'Arirang'.
They also demonstrated their mass appeal by setting various new records on Billboard. According to a chart preview article posted on the official website of the U. S. music media outlet Billboard on the 30th, BTS's 5th studio album 'Arirang' took first place on the main album chart 'Billboard 200' (dated April 4).
The media reported, "'Arirang' entered the chart with 641,000 album units. This is the best weekly performance for a group album since the unit counting system was introduced in December 2014. " “Of these, 532,000 copies represent pure album sales (physical and digital purchases). In this category as well, BTS recorded the highest weekly sales for a group album in over a decade.
The SEA unit (sales converted from streaming counts) reached 95,000, achieving the highest weekly streaming performance among all their works,” the report explained. Previous-week sales of ‘Arirang’ were driven by physical albums. Physical sales reached 516,000 copies.
Of these, 208,000 vinyl records (analog records like LPs) were sold, setting a new personal record for the group’s highest weekly sales. This is the highest weekly vinyl sales by a group since Luminate began tracking in 1991. In addition to this, ‘Arirang’ went straight to number one on ‘Top Album Sales’ and ‘Top Streaming Album’.
Courtesy of Big Hit Music [Financial News] The popularity of BTS, who have made a comeback after about four years, is unstoppable. BTS has once again topped the U. S. 'Billboard 200' with their new album 'Arirang'.Courtesy of Big Hit Music [Financial News] The popularity of BTS, who have made a comeback after about four years, is unstoppable. BTS has once again topped the U. S. 'Billboard 200' with their new album 'Arirang'.
In Japan, the group swept the weekly charts (dated March 30) for Oricon’s ‘Combined Album Ranking,’ ‘Album Ranking,’ ‘Digital Album Ranking,’ and ‘Western Music Album Ranking,’ and also entered the UK Official Charts’ ‘Official Album Top 100’ (dated March 27–April 3) at number one. They also took the top spot on the French Phonographic Association (SNEP)’s ‘Top Album’ (dated March 20–26), as well as the Australian ARIA ‘Top 50 Album’ and ‘Vinyl Chart. ’ On the German Official Music Chart (dated March 27), they topped both the Album and Singles charts.
BTS is the first group in chart history to simultaneously dominate two categories. The title track ‘Swim’ maintained the number one spot on Spotify’s ‘Daily Top Song Global’ for nine consecutive days (March 20–28). Furthermore, they reached number 2 on the UK ‘Official Singles Top 100,’ breaking the group’s highest ranking record.
Domestically, without any broadcast appearances, they swept first place on MBC M’s ‘Show! Champion,’ Mnet’s ‘M Countdown,’ KBS2’s ‘Music Bank,’ and SBS’s ‘Inkigayo,’ securing a quadruple crown on music shows. Meanwhile, ‘Arirang,’ executive produced by Chairman Bang Si-hyuk, is an album that captures BTS’s identity and the universal emotions they face. ‘Swim’ sings about the attitude of continuing to swim forward without stopping amidst the waves of life.
RM took charge of the overall lyrics, conveying the story they want to tell right now.
jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-ah Reporter