Arirang

Released on March 20, 2026, Arirang serves as the tenth studio album and sixth Korean-language record from the South Korean group BTS. The project arrives after a hiatus beginning in late 2023 while members fulfilled mandatory military service obligations. Recording sessions took place between July and November 2025 at Big Hit Music facilities, resulting in a collection that merges traditional Korean motifs with global production styles.

The title references the centuries-old folk song Arirang, an UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage piece representing themes of love, longing, and resilience. This thematic core shapes the album's diverse sonic landscape, which spans hip-hop, rock, electronic, R&B, and synth-pop. The tracklist opens with high-energy hip-hop before transitioning into genres like jersey club and grunge textures. A standout moment occurs during the interlude "No. 29," where modern synthesizers blend with traditional instruments such as the gayageum and buk.

Arirang debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, marking the group's seventh album to reach this peak. Commercial performance was particularly notable for physical media sales. In its first week, the album generated 641,000 album-equivalent units with pure sales reaching 532,000. Vinyl sales accounted for 208,000 units, setting a record for BTS's best vinyl sales week and the largest for any group tracked by Luminate since 1991. [편집]