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[Herald Economy=Reporter Go Seung-hee] BTS has spent seven straight weeks in the top 10 of Billboard’s principal album chart — a new milestone for K-pop that suggests the group’s full comeback may mark the start of a sustained run rather than a brief surge.Billboard’s chart dated May 16 placed BTS’s fifth studio album, Arirang (ARIRANG), at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
The album made history at release by becoming the first K-pop record to hold No. 1 for three consecutive weeks. It then remained near the top for four additional weeks, securing a Top 10 position for a seventh week.
The feat is notable because it was driven by strong album sales in a market dominated by streaming.
Arirang held at No. 4 on Top Album Sales this week and climbed to No. 8 on the Vinyl Albums chart. That physical sales have stayed among the top ranks for seven weeks in the U.S. — where streaming is dominant — shows fan loyalty extends beyond listening into collecting.
The album’s strength translated to the singles charts. Title track “SWIM” rose one spot to reclaim No. 1 on the Global (excluding U.S.) chart and reached No. 30 on the Hot 100, marking a seventh consecutive week on that chart. All 13 vocal tracks — excluding a bell sound sample from the Seongdeokdaewang Bell — have remained on the Global chart for seven weeks.
This week’s charts also reflected the box-office lift from the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, which pushed several of his classic albums back up the rankings. Thriller moved to No. 5 and Number Ones to No. 6, while “Billie Jean” re-entered the Hot 100 at No. 17.
K-pop acts and the genre more broadly continued to post strong showings. The original soundtrack for Netflix’s animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200. Ailitt’s mini album MAMIHLAPINATAPAI landed at No. 26, while Cats’ Eye’s Beautiful Chaos and SIS charted at No. 122 and No. 195, respectively.On the Hot 100, a Jennie-featured remix of Tame Impala’s “Dracula” rose to No. 10, making Jennie the second Blackpink member, after Rosé, to reach the Hot 100’s Top 10. The K-Pop Demon Hunters OST “Golden” hit No. 11, and Cats’ Eye’s “Pinky Up” checked in at No. 72.
Meanwhile, CORTIS’s “REDRED” landed at No. 17 on Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100. The track reached that chart roughly nine months after the group’s August debut, making CORTIS the first K-pop boy group that debuted within the past five years to chart there. The Bubbling Under Hot 100 lists the 25 songs that narrowly missed the main Hot 100.
