BTS on Rolling Stone—and charts

BTS hit a new peak in their comeback cycle on April 13, when Rolling Stone put the group on a major cover package as “SWIM” logged a third week at No. 1 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. (rollingstone.com) (billboard.com) Rolling Stone said its May 2026 issue includes eight BTS covers: one group cover released April 13, followed by seven solo covers over the next seven days, each tied to a video and solo question-and-answer feature. The story, reported by Brian Hiatt and photographed by Pak Bae, centered on the band’s reunion after military service and the making of “ARIRANG.” (rollingstone.com 1) (rollingstone.com 2) Billboard reported April 13 that “SWIM” led both the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts for a third week. Outside the United States, the song drew 72.2 million streams and sold 20,000 downloads in the April 3-9 tracking week, while BTS also placed “Body to Body” and “2.0” in the Global Excl. U.S. top five. (billboard.com) The chart run sits inside a broader comeback that has moved fast since March 20. Big Hit Music describes “ARIRANG” as BTS’s fifth studio album and says it arrived after about three years and nine months without a group album release. (ibighit.com) (billboard.com) In the United States, the album has been moving at the same pace as the single. Billboard said “ARIRANG” scored a third straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated April 18, after debuting with 641,000 equivalent album units, the biggest opening week for a group under the chart’s current units system. (billboard.com 1) (billboard.com 2) The album’s concept also ties the comeback to Korean cultural identity. Big Hit said the title draws from “Arirang,” the traditional Korean folk song, and that the 14-track record was built to reflect both the group’s roots and their lives in 2026. (ibighit.com) Rolling Stone’s interview framed that return in personal terms. The magazine reported that RM spoke about insomnia during his 18-month military service, while the group discussed doubt, reunion, and plans for what comes after this album cycle. (rollingstone.com) The live side of the comeback is already underway. Forbes reported that the Arirang World Tour opened April 9 at Goyang Stadium in South Korea and is scheduled to run across 82 dates in 34 cities and 23 countries through March 2027. (forbes.com) That left April 13 looking less like a single magazine drop than a coordinated checkpoint in BTS’s return: a new cover story, a No. 1 global song for a third week, and a reunion campaign still expanding across charts, interviews, and stadium dates. (rollingstone.com) (billboard.com) (forbes.com)