ARIRANG, which serves as the group’s sixth Korean-language studio album and their tenth overall, follows in the illustrious footsteps of 2019’s Map of the Soul: Persona and 2020’s Map of the Soul: 7. Beyond the main chart success, the album also debuted at Number 1 on the Official Vinyl Albums Chart, shifting more physical copies on wax than any other release over the past seven days.
The group’s ascent in the UK has been a decade in the making. Since first making their Albums Chart debut in 2016 with Wings (62), the band has seen a steady rise in dominance. Their chart history includes Top 10 successes with Love Yourself: Tear (8) and the critically acclaimed BE (2), alongside the longevity of their 2022 anthology, Proof (8).
The momentum doesn’t stop with the long-player, either. BTS are enjoying a dual victory this week as their latest single, “SWIM,” has “swum” its way to a new personal best on the Official Singles Chart. This double-threat performance on both the singles and albums tallies underscores the band’s unrivaled status in the global music landscape.
Elsewhere on the charts, North Carolina country star Luke Combs reached a personal high with The Way I Am debuting at Number 4, while Wakefield’s Jane McDonald found independent success at Number 10. However, the week undeniably belongs to the “Bangtan Boys,” whose “hat-trick” solidifies their position as the most successful K-pop group in UK chart history.
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