BTS shatters global records with comeback album Arirang

The ‘military white period’ is officially behind us as BTS had a thunderous return to the global stage this weekend. To celebrate their first performance in nearly four years, BTS performed at a massive comeback show BTS The Comeback Live: ARIRANG at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, South Korea. For the ardent ARMY across the globe, witnessing their beloved RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook together again is a masterclass in the art of pop music.

BTS breaks records for highest first-day streams of any pop group

The septet had recently released their fifth full-length album, Arirang, featuring their ethereal title track Swim on March 20. The album had reached ‘million-seller’ status within ten minutes of release. It went on to sell a staggering 3.98 million copies within the first day of release. With this release, RM and his bandmates had broken their own records of first-week sales within just 24 hours.

The septet’s return to the music world had also dominated the digital space. According to Apple Music, BTS’ Arirang had broken the record for the most streams for a pop album by a group within the first 24 hours of release.

Meanwhile, on Spotify, all fourteen tracks on the album dominated the top positions on the Global Chart. The music video for Swim also became the most viewed and liked video in 2026 so far. The video also trended in 70 different countries and collected 33 million views in just one day.

Aside from these digital achievements, the performance in Seoul was electrifying. The event at Gwanghwamun was attended by about 1,04,000 fans. This was also live-streamed to millions all over the globe. This is only the start of the new era for these icons. Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook are all set to embark on an ambitious 82-date tour in more than 30 cities all over the globe starting this April. It is very evident that despite their hiatus, their influence has become more potent than ever. They have ushered in a bold new era.

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