BTS has once again rewritten K-pop history, proving their enduring global power even after a long hiatus.
The group achieved simultaneous No. 1 rankings on both the Billboard 200 albums chart and the Hot 100 singles chart with their fifth full-length album, ‘ARIRANG,’ showcasing their unwavering dominance.
Since their debut in 2013 from a small building in Nonhyeon-dong, Seoul, the seven members of BTS have steadily conquered major global charts—including the Billboard 200, the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100, and the Billboard Hot 100—once considered insurmountable barriers for K-pop artists.
Despite multiple revisions to Billboard’s chart rules in recent years that placed Korean artists at a disadvantage, BTS managed to overcome these hurdles with the strong support of their global fandom, ARMY.
BTS Achieves Rare Double No. 1, Lands 13 Songs on Hot 100
Following their No. 1 on the UK Official Albums Chart Top 100, BTS recorded their seventh No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 with ‘ARIRANG.’
Excluding the OST track “Golden” from the film ‘K-pop Demon Hunters,’ BTS and members Jimin and Jungkook remain the only K-pop acts to have topped the Hot 100.
The group also recreated their historic simultaneous No. 1 achievement on both charts – first accomplished with ‘BE‘ in 2020 – after six years. This marks BTS’s second time achieving the feat, making them the only Korean act to do so.
In addition, BTS placed 13 tracks from the album on the Hot 100, excluding “No.29,” which features only the sound of the historic King Seongdeok Bell. This means they filled 13% of the entire Hot 100 chart with their own songs.
Recent changes to Billboard’s methodology have made chart success more difficult. In 2022, the number of counted digital downloads per user was reduced from four to one. In 2023, digital single sales from direct-to-consumer platforms were excluded. This year, YouTube data was also removed from chart calculations for the first time in 13 years due to a dispute, a move that could disadvantage K-pop acts known for massive video view counts.
Even so, BTS overcame both their military hiatus and these industry shifts, returning to No. 1 and meeting fans’ expectations.
A Legacy of Records: BTS’s 13-Year Journey Redefines K-pop
BTS’s 13-year journey—from a “small agency idol group” to global superstars—has become a defining chapter in K-pop history.
Their confidence in the new track “2.0,” where they sing, “Yeah, being like BTS isn’t easy / Who keeps vaulting over like we do,” has proven far from empty bravado.
Since becoming the first Korean act to top the Billboard 200 with ‘LOVE YOURSELF 轉 Tear‘ in 2018, BTS has earned seven No. 1 albums, including ‘LOVE YOURSELF 結 Answer‘ (2018), ‘MAP OF THE SOUL: PERSONA‘ (2019), ‘MAP OF THE SOUL: 7‘ (2020), ‘BE‘ (2020), ‘Proof‘ (2022), and now ‘ARIRANG.’
On the Hot 100, BTS made history with “Dynamite” in 2020, followed by chart-toppers such as “Savage Love,” “Life Goes On,” “Butter,” “Permission to Dance,” “My Universe,” and now “SWIM,” bringing their total to seven No. 1 hits.
“Life Goes On” remains the only primarily Korean-language song to reach No. 1 on the Hot 100, while “Butter” held the top spot for an impressive 10 weeks.
In the UK, BTS has also achieved three No. 1 albums on the Official Albums Chart Top 100, including ‘ARIRANG.’
Their global success has been matched by major accolades. BTS has won at the Billboard Music Awards for six consecutive years and the American Music Awards for five years straight. In 2021, they became the first K-pop act to win Artist of the Year at the AMAs. They were also nominated for the Grammy Awards for three consecutive years.
Beyond music, BTS has made a global impact through milestones such as receiving the Hwagwan Order of Cultural Merit at a young age in 2018, delivering a speech at the United Nations, performing at London’s Wembley Stadium, and visiting the White House in 2022.
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