BTS’ ARIRANG Surpasses 5 Billion Spotify Streams, Cementing Its 2026 Comeback Record
Written by WorldOneFm on October 14, 2026
BTS has reached another extraordinary milestone, with its fifth studio album, ARIRANG, officially surpassing five billion streams on Spotify.
The K-pop group’s label, BIGHIT MUSIC, confirmed the achievement on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, marking another record-breaking moment in the band’s highly anticipated comeback.
According to the label, ARIRANG is the most-streamed album released in 2026, leading its closest competitor by approximately two billion streams. That album is Olivia Rodrigo’s third studio release, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, which debuted in June.
Meanwhile, Bruno Mars’ The Romantic and Harry Styles’ Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, both released just weeks before BTS’ album, have each accumulated between one and two billion streams.
The success extends across the entire tracklist, with every song on ARIRANG surpassing 200 million streams. Its lead single, “SWIM,” is also approaching the one-billion-stream milestone.
Released on March 20, ARIRANG debuted with more than 110 million streams on its first day, becoming BTS’ first album following the reunion of all seven members after completing their mandatory military service.
Despite the group’s commercial success, BTS has also made headlines for its decision to boycott the 2027 Grammy Awards following the Recording Academy’s introduction of a new Asian Pop category.
The group objected to the category’s requirement for the “meaningful use” of an Asian language, arguing that the rule places unnecessary restrictions on artists rather than celebrating their musical achievements. All seven members shared the same statement announcing that they would not submit any music for consideration, emphasizing that songs should be judged on their impact rather than geography or language.
The decision came despite widespread speculation that “SWIM,” which reached No. 1 in the United States, could be a strong contender for Song of the Year. However, the track’s English-only lyrics would make it ineligible for the new Asian Pop category. Much of ARIRANG is also performed in English, meaning the album would not meet the category’s language requirements.
Recording Academy chief executive Harvey Mason Jr. spent the summer addressing the controversy, acknowledging that the new category had not been received as the organization had intended.
He said the Academy had held weeks of discussions with artists who felt the award failed to represent the music they were creating. Mason emphasized the importance of ensuring that “no voice or community gets overlooked or misunderstood,” adding that the category was intended to expand recognition rather than divide musicians.
He also expressed the Academy’s willingness to act quickly to ensure artists feel recognized and heard.
The 2027 Grammy Awards are scheduled to take place on February 7.
