BTS at No. 1—three weeks
BTS’s album #ARIRANG has held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for three consecutive weeks, marking a sustained chart run for the group’s latest release. The development has been widely celebrated by fans and noted across industry and fan feeds. (x.com)
BTS has spent three straight weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with *ARIRANG*, extending the group’s longest run atop the chart with any album. (billboard.com) Billboard’s chart dated April 18, 2026 gave *ARIRANG* its third consecutive week at No. 1. The magazine said it is the most weeks at No. 1 for an album by a group in more than a decade. (billboard.com) The album first entered at No. 1 on the chart dated April 4 with 641,000 equivalent album units in the United States, including 532,000 in pure sales. Billboard said that was the biggest week for an album by a group since the chart switched to unit-based measurement in December 2014. (billboard.com) In its second week, *ARIRANG* stayed at No. 1 even after a 71 percent drop from its opening frame, a common pattern after large debut weeks. Billboard said that second week already gave BTS their longest stay at the top, because each of the group’s previous six No. 1 albums spent one week there. (billboard.com) The release is BTS’s first group album in three years and nine months, according to BIGHIT MUSIC’s announcement on Weverse. The label tied the album to the group’s return as a full unit and to a 2026 world tour. (weverse.io) BIGHIT MUSIC’s album notes say *ARIRANG* draws its name and theme from “Arirang,” the traditional Korean folk song, and packages that idea into a 14-track release. The company said the record was built around the group’s roots, their 2026 perspective, and the members’ direct involvement in the songs. (ibighit.com) The chart run has also reached beyond albums. Billboard reported that “Swim,” the lead single from *ARIRANG*, debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts after the album’s March 20 release. (billboard.com) RM publicly marked the album and single reaching No. 1 in late March, thanking fans in an Instagram post covered by Billboard. Three weeks later, *ARIRANG* is still at the top, giving BTS a longer Billboard 200 run than any of their earlier chart leaders. (billboard.com)
