BTS ties own Billboard record with 'ARIRANG' as 'Swim' continues global chart runs

Breaking records? That’s so last season. Korean pop sensation BTS is no longer just creating world-firsts, but officially in competition with... itself.

With ARIRANG, the group’s first full-length release post-military hiatus, BTS has tied its own longest run at No. 1 on a Billboard Global chart, as lead single ‘Swim’ clocks four weeks at the Global 200, echoing the multi-week global dominance of 2020’s 'Dynamite'.

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ARIRANG, named after the centuries-old Korean folk song, spans 14 tracks that map BTS’s journey from Seoul rookies to global icons still grappling with identity and belonging. The album opens with ‘Body to Body’, moving to ‘Hooligan’ and the defiant ‘Aliens’, where they reclaim the idea of being ‘outsiders’ as a badge of honour. 

And then there’s ‘Swim’. Instead of chasing high-octane choreography, the track drifts on a dreamy groove, anchored by one of Suga’s standout verses and lyrics about navigating uncertainty together.

It’s a restrained, almost introspective choice for a lead single, but one that has clearly landed with great conviction.

With ARIRANG, the numbers tell their own story. The album, released on March 20, stormed in with blockbuster first-week sales, selling approximately 3.98 million copies on release day alone.

In the US, it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with about 641,000 equivalent album units, including 532,000 in pure sales, their biggest sales week to date and one of the strongest openings for a group in this decade. 

Globally, the album also topped Apple Music charts in at least 115 countries and regions, logging record-breaking daily streams, with all 14 tracks entering major global song charts in the first 24 hours.

So, with ARIRANG already rewriting their own record book, the only real question now is what a post‑military BTS decides to conquer next.

Written by

Somya Mehta

Somya Mehta is a Senior Features Writer at Khaleej Times, who contributes extensively to the UAE's arts, culture, and lifestyle scene. When not engrossed in writing, you'll find her on the hunt for the next best solo travel destination or indulging in podcast binges.