BTS holds No.1 again
BTS’s album ARIRANG topped the Billboard 200 for a third straight week, with social coverage noting fan celebration around the streak. ( ). Industry posts flagged the continued commercial strength as listeners streamed and shared the record across platforms. (x.com)
BTS stayed at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a third straight week with *ARIRANG*, extending the album’s run through the chart dated April 18. (billboard.com) Billboard reported *ARIRANG* earned 124,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending April 9, according to Luminate. Of that total, 71,000 came from album sales, 50,000 from streaming equivalent albums and 3,000 from track equivalent albums. (billboard.com) The album opened at No. 1 on the April 4 chart with 641,000 equivalent album units, including 532,000 in pure sales. Billboard said that was the biggest week for an album by a group since the chart began measuring by equivalent units in December 2014. (billboard.com) It held the top spot again on the April 11 chart with 187,000 units before slipping to 124,000 in its third frame. Even with those week-to-week drops, Billboard kept the album at No. 1 for all three of its first chart weeks. (billboard.com, billboard.com) Billboard said *ARIRANG* now has the most weeks at No. 1 of BTS’ seven chart-topping albums. The group’s previous six Billboard 200 leaders each spent one week at the top. (billboard.com, billboard.com) The three-week streak also puts the album in rarer company for groups on the Billboard 200. Billboard said the last album by a group to spend at least three weeks at No. 1 was Mumford & Sons’ *Babel* in 2012 and 2013. (billboard.com) The release is BTS’ first studio album of new material since 2020, after a four-year hiatus that ended with the group’s March 20 comeback. RM marked the chart sweep on Instagram Stories on March 30, reposting Billboard’s coverage and writing, “Sendin my luv and gratitude.” (billboard.com, billboard.com) The album’s reach has not been limited to the United States chart. Billboard said lead single “Swim” debuted at No. 1 on both the Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S., while songs from *ARIRANG* filled the top nine spots on the Global 200 and the entire top 10 on Global Excl. U.S. (billboard.com) For now, the clearest sign of the album’s hold is simple: three Billboard 200 weeks, three No. 1 finishes, and no new release yet pushing *ARIRANG* aside. (billboard.com)
