BTS cements long-run dominance with 'Arirang,' earns honorary distinction in Argentina

BTS's fifth studio album "Arirang" continues to cement itself as a long-running force in the global music market, with the group's chart momentum showing no signs of slowing — and even reversing course in several markets.

According to Spotify's latest chart data (covering June 26 through July 2), "Arirang" held at No. 2 on the Weekly Top Albums Global for the third consecutive week. The album has remained in the upper tier for 15 straight weeks, withstanding a wave of comebacks from mega pop stars including Drake and Olivia Rodrigo. Notably, "Arirang" has now topped the chart nine times in total, setting a record for the most No. 1 weeks among albums released this year.

The album's individual tracks are also holding strong. The title track "SWIM" landed at No. 6 on the Weekly Top Songs Global, while four B-sides — "Body to Body," "Hooligan," "2.0" and "they don't know 'bout us" — joined it for a total of five tracks charting for 15 consecutive weeks. A new single, "Come Over," released June 12, also entered the chart at No. 85, adding further momentum.

A rebound across major European and Oceanian charts is also drawing attention. On the UK Official Albums Top 100 (covering July 3 through July 9), "Arirang" climbed two spots from the previous week to No. 37, marking 15 consecutive weeks on the chart since debuting at No. 1 upon its release in March.

Performance on the UK's sub-charts was even more striking. The album rose eight places to No. 14 on the Official Scottish Albums chart and jumped eight spots to No. 20 on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Physical Albums charts. The Official Albums Streaming chart also moved up two places to No. 45. The title track "SWIM" re-entered both the Official Singles Sales chart at No. 29 and the Official Singles Downloads chart at No. 20, laying the groundwork for the broader chart reversal.

The momentum extended across continents. "Arirang" held at No. 9 on the Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 100 Albums (dated July 3), maintaining a top-10 presence for 15 straight weeks in Germany. In Australia, the album ranked No. 10 on the ARIA Top 50 Albums (dated July 6) and No. 15 on the Top 20 Vinyl Albums chart, further demonstrating the group's sustained global reach.

Behind this worldwide chart activity — 15 weeks after release — is the strong synergy of BTS's ongoing world tour. Each stadium concert channels the energy of local fandoms directly from the venue into streaming platforms, serving as the driving engine behind the album's chart reversals and longevity even amid a flood of new releases from established pop stars.

The cultural impact demonstrated through BTS's music and world tour is now being recognized with formal institutional honors.

BTS was recently named an "Huésped de Honor" (Honorary Distinguished Guest) of La Plata, Argentina. The city council unanimously passed a resolution at its regular session on Thursday (local time) conferring the designation on the group. The honor is the highest official distinction the city bestows upon distinguished visitors and world-renowned figures. The council cited BTS's global cultural influence and international contributions to the promotion of youth rights as the basis for the appointment.

Local outlet Infocielo highlighted the unusual nature of the council's unanimous decision. La Plata Mayor Julio Alak has been personally overseeing security and traffic arrangements in anticipation of large crowd movements, while also coordinating regulations for accommodation providers, signaling full administrative support from the city. BTS is set to perform at Estadio Único de La Plata in Buenos Aires on Oct. 21, 23 and 24, becoming the first Korean act to take the stage at the venue.