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BTS's fifth studio album "Arirang" continues to raise South Korea's profile abroad, riding a wave of critical acclaim from major international music outlets.
Big Hit Music announced Tuesday that "Arirang" has been named one of the best albums of the first half of 2026 by a string of prominent overseas music publications.
The recognition began June 12 (local time), when US pop culture outlet Complex selected the album as one of the best of 2026. The Telegraph followed on June 13, then Rolling Stone on June 15 and British music magazine NME on June 16 — each naming "Arirang" among the year's finest releases.
The Telegraph called BTS "the face of K-pop," while NME described the group as "the world's largest boy band."
Rolling Stone said "the biggest news in the global music market in 2026 is by far BTS's comeback," adding that the group "brilliantly captured a distinctly Korean sensibility through the music of 'Arirang.'"
'Arirang' returns to Billboard 200 top 10
Amid the critical praise, "Arirang" also climbed back into the top 10 of the Billboard 200, the main US album chart.
Billboard announced June 21 that "Arirang" had moved up one spot from the previous week to No. 10, driven by 34,000 album units during the latest tracking period.
Released in March, "Arirang" became the first K-pop album in history to spend three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The latest entry marks the album's 13th consecutive week on the chart.
BTS also wrapped up its offline fan event "BTS The City Arirang — Busan" to strong turnout.
According to the city of Busan, more than 200,000 visitors attended key event venues, including the "Love Song Lounge" at Haeundae and a drone light show at Gwangalli.
Landmark bridges and sites across Busan — including Gwangandaegyo, Busan Harbor Bridge and Nurimaru — were lit up in red, the signature color of "Arirang."
yul@heraldcorp.com
