They came back, they performed, they conquered: BTS doubles up at No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 this week (on the charts dated Apr. 4), topping both charts for the first time since going on hiatus in 2022.
The group’s new album ARIRANG, released Mar. 20, enters with 643,000 first-week units — the biggest number of 2026 so far, and also the most for any album by a group since the chart began measuring by units in December 2014 — becoming the group’s seventh leader on the chart. It’s also BTS’ seventh time besting the Hot 100, as lead single “Swim” debuts at No. 1, followed by 12 more tracks on the album also bowing on the listing.
How should BTS feel about those week numbers? And does it seem like the group has changed a good deal since it last left us? Billboard staffers discuss these questions and more below.
1. BTS debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week with new album ARIRANG, moving 641,000 units in its first frame. Is that number higher, lower or about what you expected?
Christopher Claxton: I figured the album would perform well and it did. It even outpaced 2022’s Proof, which debuted with 314,000 equivalent units (including 266,000 in pure album sales) and topped the Billboard 200. ARIRANG also marks the biggest week for a group album since the chart began tracking units in December 2014. Honestly, the scale of this achievement shows not just their dedicated fanbase but also how much global anticipation had built around this release since their hiatus.
Lyndsey Havens: A bit higher! But only because of the context around that number; on its own, it sounds like exactly what I’d expect, but once I learned that it’s not only the group’s biggest sales week ever but also the biggest sales week for an album by a group in over a decade, it makes that figure even more impressive.
Abigail Park: I’m honestly not that surprised! It’s a big number, but it lands comfortably within expectations. Their last release before enlistment, Proof, was an anthology album culminating the last decade of BTS (and those kinds of projects tend to underperform a bit), so it set more of a floor than a ceiling. We’ve seen similar post-military bumps with other boy groups like 2PM and SHINee, where the fanbase comes back more concentrated and ready to spend. BTS just amplifies that effect on a global scale. And since they never really lost momentum during hiatus, this debut reads less like a spike and more like a continuation.
Andrew Unterberger: Hard to argue with any chart stat that includes “biggest in measured history,” huh? It’s not miles ahead of what I expected, but it’s still a tremendous number, especially when you consider how far ahead it is if the first-week numbers the group was producing the first time around, even when BTS was already clearly the biggest pop group in the world.
Abby Webster: BTS seemed really nervous that time off would kill their momentum instead of building anticipation — but since those 641,000 units mark both their biggest sales week and biggest streaming week for an album, I’d say they had nothing to worry about!
2. Does the album sound to you like a markedly different group than the one who went on hiatus four years ago, or are they more picking up right where they left off?
Christopher Claxton: This album feels like a clear shift, leaning more into their version of hip-hop than traditional K-pop. It’s a return to their roots, considering BTS was originally formed as a hip-hop crew before evolving into a global idol group. That direction shows in the production choices too. Hip-hop heavyweight Mike WiLL Made-It contributes to two tracks, while rapper-producer JPEGMAFIA helps shape the jersey club–inspired “FYA,” bringing a raw, experimental edge to the project.
Lyndsey Havens: It sounds like a more grown BTS in all the right ways — familiar yet evolved. The group already had an incredible foundation to build on, and I feel like as individuals and collectively, they came together for ARIRANG even stronger. They worked with a compelling group of collaborators across genres — Diplo, Ryan Tedder and Kevin Parker, among others — and also had time during the hiatus to explore and develop their own voices and tastes as maturing individuals. All of those ingredients, I think, contributed to ARIRANG sounding like the perfect evolution for BTS.
Abigail Park: BTS has never shied away from Western collaborations, influences, or even singing entirely in English, which is notable since they’re one of the only major K-pop groups without a foreign member. The group has also explored many concepts — boy-next-door, dark/mature, even experimental — which is very on brand for them. Listening to ARIRANG, the album feels familiar at heart, and their core qualities are definitely still there, but it also reveals a more mature, confident, and edgy side that we’ve never heard from them before.
Andrew Unterberger: Considering that there’s nothing on here confusable for “Butter,” “Permission to Dance” or even “My Universe,” it’s pretty clear the group has decided to take its music in a different direction since we last heard from them — or multiple different directions at once, really. The bangers hit harder, the down-tempo numbers get weirder and more aqueous; there’s a decent amount going on here. Is it still recognizable as BTS? Certainly, but no one would mistake it for something the septet has had lying around since 2022.
Abby Webster: It reminds me more of 2014 BTS than 2022 BTS. I saw people calling this album Dark & Wild’s evolved sibling, and I’m tentatively inclined to agree (while still preferring D&W). Despite the English lyrics and Diplo/Ryan Tedder/Kevin Parker production credits on ARIRANG, I see this as a version of BTS that is much more willing to take risks than the group we saw putting out “Butter” or “Dynamite.”
3. “Swim” also debuts atop the Hot 100, marking the group’s seventh No. 1 song on the chart. Do you think it will be a long-lasting hit, or will it fall back quickly after its impressive entrance?
Christopher Claxton: BTS has the most Hot 100 No. 1s among groups this decade with seven. However, of the group’s six previous No. 1s, only two, “Dynamite” and “Butter,” stayed at the top for more than a single week. With that context, “Swim” could realistically hold the No. 1 spot for a second week, but it’s unlikely to extend beyond three.
Lyndsey Havens: Despite not having that same explosive energy or sticky social media sensibility like “Dynamite” or “Butter,” I think “Swim” could become a lasting hit because of those exact things. The laid-back hit leans a bit more into velvety pop-R&B — proof of the group’s evolution across ARIRANG — and the repetitive “swim, swim” is trance-like in all the right ways, making it almost too easy to repeat for hours without noticing.
Abigail Park: An impressive entrance indeed! I could potentially see it sticking around at No. 1 for a second week, maybe even a third if lucky, but after all that initial hype, it’ll probably lose a little steam. Still, even if it slides a bit, it’s another massive moment for BTS and another chart milestone to add to their run.
Andrew Unterberger: I think its run at No. 1 might not last too much longer, but I could see it sticking around the top tier a pretty long time. Its No. 2 debut on Streaming Songs was the group’s highest yet, and the song is still rating pretty high on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs USA chart, while even the early radio numbers are decently encouraging. It doesn’t feel like a hit that’s just gonna disappear anytime soon.
Abby Webster: I’m struggling to see “Swim” sticking around on the charts, but I’d love to be proven wrong.
4. Are there any other songs on the album that you think have hit single potential — or just that show a new and interesting side of the group?
Christopher Claxton: I think the opening track “Body to Body” shows a different and really compelling side of the group, and honestly could’ve worked as a single for the album. You can hear the hip-hop influences blended with more traditional Korean elements, all wrapped in a fast-paced, high-energy sound.
And to back that up, it stands as the highest-charting track outside of “Swim,” landing at No. 25. There’s definitely an argument that “Body to Body” should’ve been pushed as a single, but it feels like that idea lost out, with the consolation prize being its spot as the album’s opener.
Lyndsey Havens: “Body to Body” is the way to open an album — let alone one that ARMY has been patiently waiting for. It has that classic BTS energy to it, except feels somehow even more fierce and impassioned, and perhaps that’s because for as long as ARMY has waited, BTS has too for this exact moment. It feels like an appropriate unleashing — and given the inspiration coming in part from the togetherness felt during stadium concerts, it feels even more fitting to begin the album here. As Billboard Korea wrote in the album’s tracks ranked: “It is, in the span of a few bars, the entire album in miniature: where BTS come from, who they are now, and why they came back.”
Abigail Park: One track that’s really caught my ear is “Merry-Go-Round,” produced by Kevin Parker/Tame Impala. Honestly, it’s my favorite on the album so far. Parker has this incredible knack for making hooks and beats that are catchy enough to be the next viral audio on TikTok, while still being a genuinely good song. You can see the same energy in his recent collaboration with BLACKPINK’s JENNIE on “Dracula,” which hints that this one might gain some traction online in the future.
Andrew Unterberger: I’m very into the alt-leaning second-side tracks like “Like Animals” and “Into the Sun,” though I don’t know if I see any of them necessarily becoming breakout hits. “Body to Body” feels like the emerging popular favorite, which should only become truer when it’s setting off their live set across their upcoming world tour.
Abby Webster: I’m honestly surprised “2.0” is up next. While it makes sense thematically for their new era, I’ll continue to ring the bell for “Body to Body” — though I think it’s possible that they’re concerned about the song’s commercial viability given the length of the “Arirang” sample. I would probably still take “Hooligan” or “Aliens” over “2.0,” though!
5. Between the debuts of the album and its lead single, as well as the accompanying comeback concert and Netflix documentary, does it all feel like a comeback week befitting the group’s status?
Christopher Claxton: Yes, they’ve definitely had a massive comeback week. On top of everything mentioned, the group put on a light show in NYC, performed a secret set with Spotify, and another surprise performance with The Tonight Show. They’re clearly on a roll and who knows what else they still have up their sleeves. This past week has been a showcase of their global reach and star power.
Lyndsey Havens: Totally. The release of ARIRANG felt — and still feels — like a global celebration. I think given the wait, BTS are hitting all their marks with this album’s release and rollout: late night TV bits to gorgeous performances in New York and Seoul; a doc that brings fans into the action no matter where they are in the world; and, of above all else, an album worthy of all its hype.
Abigail Park: Forgive the pun, but “Swim” is really making waves! Press coverage has been strong across the board — from back-to-back performances on The Jimmy Fallon Show to their massive live comeback concert in Gwanghwamun Square, to the Netflix documentary — all of it adds up to a comeback that truly befits their status. It’s been incredible to see the group jump back in and dominate after all these years. I remember staying up late in elementary school to watch BTS promote themselves on Music Bank, Inkigayo, and other music shows, back when they weren’t trending quite yet. Seeing them now, commanding global attention on every front, is absolutely mind-blowing.
Andrew Unterberger: I mean, they’re really only competing with themselves — and not even their past selves, but more our imaginations of how big they could possibly be. There’s no other groups in any genre that couple hope to put numbers like they are currently doing, and only one or two solo artists.
Abby Webster: Yes and no! This comeback has been all over the place. Since I’ve spent the last couple of weeks in Seoul, I primarily saw how it was received here, which was mixed — especially after live attendance for the comeback show massively paled in comparison to the 260,000 the city had prepared for. The Netflix doc also caused discourse in its own right by shedding light on the many time and label constraints under which this album was made. But the messiness has been almost charming to me — even the biggest boy band in the world can’t control everything! In the end, it’s hard to imagine that the negative commentary won’t just get more eyes on them.
